‘What Would You Do?’ host John Quiñones served on Texas jury that convicted pimp
Punishment in state court trials in Texas is left to juries if the defendant elects.
After a presentation of evidence, argument and a guilty verdict, the legal system regularly asks a panel of people to answer a version of the question, “What would you do?”
For one member of a jury in Tarrant County that reached a punishment verdict on Monday, it was a familiar query.
ABC News correspondent John Quiñones, who hosts the hidden-camera social experiment television program “What Would You Do?,” served on a jury in the 372nd District Court in Fort Worth. Quiñones, who is 72 and lives in Keller, was on Friday selected by other members of the panel to be its presiding juror after the weeklong trial.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office alleged that the defendant, Dorian Harris, was a pimp who stirred fear in at least one of the women who were under his command.
From 2020 to 2023, Harris controlled, supervised and managed a prostitution enterprise, Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Bill Vassar and Stephanie Simpson argued. Harris created for women accounts on websites commonly used for prostitution and recommended prices to be charged and time allotments.
Defense attorneys Shane Lewis and Jake Wiggins were appointed to represent Harris.
In a notice before trial, the prosecutors described acts beyond those that underpinned the indictment for which they might present evidence. It is not clear whether the state presented that evidence.
In April 2021 Harris grabbed a woman by her throat and hit her face with his fists, prosecutors alleged. He forced her to sit on the bathroom floor for several days, and threatened to torture and kill her if she tried to leave, according to the prosecutors’ notice.
Harris forced the woman to have sex with at least 200 people in exchange for money, the state alleged.
Harris killed the woman’s rabbit by rolling on top of it, according to prosecutors. He later killed her second rabbit by throwing it against a wall when he was angry with the woman, they alleged.
The state also alleged that Harris committed bestiality.
Harris was charged with continuous trafficking of persons, compelling prostitution, trafficking of persons to engage in sexual conduct, aggravated promotion of prostitution, promotion of prostitution, multiple counts of assault of a family member by impeding breath/circulation and continuous violence against the family.
The jury found Harris, who is 29, guilty of aggravated promotion of prostitution, promotion of prostitution and prostitution. He was found not guilty of the other offenses.
The jury assessed the equivalent of a six-year prison term. Judge Julie Lugo had instructed the panel to consider a term up to life.
“I was very surprised that as a true crime journalist at @abc2020 and host of @wwydabc I would be selected!” Quiñones wrote on Instagram after the jury was discharged. “But, indeed I was. Such a privilege to serve with a jury of my peers.”
In the guilt-innocence phase, the jury deliberated for about four hours and for about 90 minutes in the punishment phase, according to defense attorney Wiggins.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 8:28 PM.
