El Paso Judge finds Public Defender’s Office correct on allegations of altering evidence by D.A.’s Office
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- County Court at Law Judge Ruben Morales found the El Paso County Public Defender's Office correct in its allegations that the El Paso District Attorney's Office improperly altered court records. The judge also said those court records should now be corrected.
This comes after a series of hearings on 59 cases related to the migrant riot in April of this year. The 59 cases are currently on appeal with the Eighth Court of Appeals.
The Public Defender's Office claimed the D.A.'s Office improperly altered Orders of Certification and Transfer appearing in each of the clerk's records for these 59 cases after the cases were dismissed on June 6, 2024.
Defendants claimed that the Certification Order sent to the Eight Court is different than the one that was filed on May 21, 2024.
Court documents state that the Certification Order was received on May 21, 2024, by the county clerk's office as a one-page document with no attachment and no document labeled as 'Exhibit A.'
This one-page Certification Order was filed in the El Paso County Clerk's Office on that same day.
After the plea to the jurisdiction hearing on June 6, 2024, was concluded, several Assistant District Attorneys had discussions among themselves allegedly knowing that the Certification Order did not have an attachment and failed to identify any cases to be transferred, court documents say.
An Assistant District Attorney then called an employee with the County Clerk's Office advising them that an attachment was missing from the Certification Order and for them to correct the filling.
Eventually, on the afternoon of June 6, the County Clerk's Office added the eight-page "True Bill List" to the Certification Order filed in each of the 59 cases. This addition happens without notice to the Public Defender's Office, Defense Counsel, or the trial court.
More updates in later newscasts
