State requests more time to review audio tapes in Walmart shooting case
EL PASO, Texas -- The District Attorney's office is requesting more time to review audio and video tapes that allegedly show a representative to the district attorney imitating and intimidating the family of a Walmart shooting victim.
In a filing Tuesday morning, the District Attorney's office says the recordings were not provided to their office at least 45 days before the hearing so that they could review the "integrity" of the recordings.
Local attorney Justin Underwood filed an Ad Litem report alleging Anne Rodriguez, the wife of Roger Rodriguez, a Village of Vinton Municipal Judge and "representative to District Attorney Yvonne Rosales, wrote an email to media outlets in El Paso, including ABC-7, pretending to be the family member of Walmart shooting victim Alexander Hoffmann. The court filing also alleges that Roger Rodriguez helped his wife write the email and threatened the Hoffmann family, even telling them in a conversation that he had "snipers everywhere."
Along with the filing were transcripts from three conversations allegedly between Roger Rodriguez and the Hoffmann family. The transcriptions were not verbatim and were translated from Spanish into English.
Honorable Judge Sam Medrano Jr. of the 409th District Court, decided to withhold comments on the audio tapes and Ad Litem report until November 28. Judge Medrano said if the state wishes to have a hearing with witnesses regarding the tapes, it will happen on that Monday after Thanksgiving.
It was announced during the hearing Monday that a date has been set in the federal trial for when the federal government will decide whether or not the case will be death-eligible. That hearing is scheduled for January 17.
A group of media members tried to speak with the lead prosecutor in the state's case, Assistant District Attorney Curtis Cox, as he was leaving the hearing down a back stairwell. Cox said he could not speak on the recent filings due to the gag order that was placed in the case.
