Judge dismisses riot charges against migrants
by: Julian Resendiz
Posted: Jun 10, 2024 / 12:41 PM CDT
Updated: Jun 10, 2024 / 11:31 PM CDT
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EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A county court-at-law judge has scuttled Monday’s criminal trial of dozens of migrants accused of rioting and other state crimes at the border wall in El Paso earlier this year.
County Court-at-Law No. 7 Judge Ruben Morales late Sunday notified prosecutors and public defenders he “did not have jurisdiction” over the cases because they weren’t properly filed.
Deficiencies in the criminal complaint affidavits submitted by Texas state law enforcement have been a factor cited in prior dismissals against foreign nationals who allegedly cut the Texas razor wire by the Rio Grande levee and barreled through Texas Army National Guard troops on March 21 and April 12. In previous hearings, prosecutors complained to jail magistrates of not having sufficient time to present witnesses or more evidence. They defended the content of complaint affidavits that vary little from defendant to defendant.
“We were preparing for trial on a number of cases, and we received an order indicating Judge Morales was granting our plea over jurisdiction and dismissing all of the cases,” said Kelli Childress Diaz, the county’s chief public defender.
https://www.borderreport.com/regions/texas/judge-dismisses-riot-charges-against-migrants/
