On Wednesday, El Paso County Judge Ruben Morales dismissed riot charges against 211 undocumented immigrants who were captured on video rushing to the southern border and shoving Texas National Guard troops. new york post report.
Morales said he was forced to drop the charges because the state did not issue a transfer order to move the case from district court to county court.Because of that, his “hand” [are] tied. ”
“My office feels strongly that this process was appropriate,” said Congressman Bill Hicks.
“Process was ignored here,” public defender Kelly Childress argued in her opening statement.
“If I don’t have jurisdiction, there’s nothing I can do about these cases.” [except dismiss them]” Morales said.
On March 21, footage captured by the New York Post showed a large group of undocumented immigrants, mostly adult men, tearing apart a bellows-like wire. Video shows members of the Texas National Guard trying to grab fallen wire to prevent the group from rushing through a gap in the fence. The video shows several men in the riot ripping the fence off the soldier and throwing it to the side. Immediately, the unruly group squeezed past five security guards and ran up to Gate 36, a closed area of the border that is not a designated port of entry.
The newspaper said that at the time of the attack, the military was trying to break up the large mob into groups so that Customs and Border Protection could detain the illegal immigrants. Eight people are in custody and face additional felony charges of incitement. A ninth man, 22-year-old Venezuelan national Gabriel Enrique Angarita Carrasquero, was also charged with similar charges, but was released by border guards and remains at large. Citing an internal federal memo regarding his case, the newspaper reported that he is accused of assaulting a Texas National Guard member.
District Attorney Bill Hicks said at a news conference Thursday that he plans to appeal the judge’s decision to dismiss the charges.
“Our firm feels strongly that this process was appropriate.” Hicks said. “We maintain that it was appropriate and proper, and we feel very strongly that it was done properly, and Mr. Morales’ order is an improper order.”
The misdemeanor charge of participating in a riot carried a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Morales previously dropped a case against a large group of illegal immigrants who flocked to the same area of the border on April 22, but claimed there was no “probable cause” evidence to prove they took part in the riot. did.
Hicks asked a grand jury of 12 El Paso residents to decide the case, arguing that Morales refused to consider additional evidence. Jurors indicted more than 140 illegal aliens on misdemeanor charges of participating in a riot, effectively overturning the Morales verdict. blaze news Previously reported.
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