Jury Acquits El Paso District Judge Regina Arditti of Bribery; Arditti Resumes Work, Announces Run for Reelection

Over in El Paso last week, for the first time since November 2009, Judge Regina Arditti put on her judicial robes and took to the bench of the 448th Judicial District Court. She’d been away from her job all these 18 months because she was involved in another court proceeding: her own bribery trial.

El Paso Jury Acquitted Judge After a Full Blown Trial

Last Thursday, Judge Regina Arditti was acquitted after a jury trial of all counts of bribery, and the suspension preventing her from presiding over the 448th District Court was lifted.

The defense called no witnesses in her trial; their motion for a directed verdict was denied.

Back on November 20, 2009, Judge Arditti was indicted by the El Paso grand jury on charges that she had hired the sister of Judge Manuel Barraza on the condition that Judge Barraza hire Judge Arditti’s son in return. The charges included not only bribery but abuse of official capacity, and prohibition applicable to trading.

By the way, Judge Arditti has already announced that she will be running for re-election.

What About the Corresponding Corruption Charges Against Judge Barraza?

Still left to be seen: what will happen to Judge Manuel Barraza.  He’s set for trial, but the Washington Post is reporting that there’s talk that the prosecution may not go forward with that one.

It’s not the same situation, anyway.  Judge Barraza’s already in jail on other corruption charges based on bribery and sexual favors.  Not like Bazzara is going to resuming work and starting up campaign strategy if the prosecution drops their case…. (Read all about Judge Barraza’s arrest by the FBI in our April 2009 post.)