West Texas DA Who Ignored Abuse Claims Wins Primary

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press Writer

EL PASO, Texas (AP) – The West Texas district attorney accused of ignoring a graphic and detailed report alleging rampant sexual abuse at a state juvenile jail has won re-election.

Randall W. “Randy” Reynolds beat challenger Kevin Acker, the Ward County attorney, with about 68 percent of the vote in complete but unofficial returns in the Democratic primary. There were no Republicans on the ballot.

Reynolds, who has been the prosecutor for Ward, Loving, and Reeves counties since 1997, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left at his office. Acker also did not respond to a telephone message or an e-mail seeking comment.

Reynolds received national attention last year after details about the Texas Youth Commission sex scandal became public.

According to a Texas Ranger report, the allegations of sexual abuse were laid out and handed over to Reynolds more than two years before the claims of abuse were made public.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office has since taken over the case. Two former West Texas State School officials are scheduled to stand trial on charges that they abused teenage inmates later this year.

The TYC case prompted a flurry of criticism and a brief effort by Acker to have a court remove Reynolds from office. Reynolds also asked a court to oust Acker but both cases were abandoned before being heard by a judge.

Reynolds has said the TYC case was delayed because of “a breakdown in communications.” Acker has previously said he didn’t want Reynolds’ job and only ran “to give the voters of the district a choice.”

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)