DA’s Office Won’t Pursue Charges Against Convicted Judge Barraza

The El Paso District Attorney’s office told ABC-7 Tuesday morning they are dismissing state bribery and abuse of power charges against convicted former Judge Manuel “Manny” Barraza.

The reason the charges are being dismissed is because Judge Regina Arditti was found not guilty on the same charges last week by an El Paso jury.

Arditti was accused of accepting money from another Barazza to hire his relative in exchange for a job for her son in Barraza’s office back in 2009. Arditti was found not guilty on all charges.

District attorney Jaime Esparza says dropping the case against Barrraza “makes sense.”

Despite the D.A’s office losing the Arditti case and now dropping Barraza’s charges, Esparza says he’s proud of the work in the D.A.’s office.

“I think what the community demands from this office is that we try the important cases. That we bring those cases to the community and that we let the community decide,” said Esparza.

Barraza is in prison serving a five-year sentence for un-related bribery conviction. He tried to trade sexual favors in court with a woman facing drug charges.