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State crime charges follow federal indictment for Texas mayor

On Behalf of | Feb 25, 2016 | Uncategorized

Currently out on bond, a Texas mayor is facing some rather hefty allegations for his behavior during a meeting with a local city council. According to responding officers, he was arrested after becoming involved in a physical altercation with an audience member. He is currently facing state crime charges for resisting arrest and possessing a substance that is prohibited in correctional facilities.

The mayor and two of his council members were recently indicted on federal charges related to allegations for conspiracy and bribery. A third council member was later arrested for possible ties to human smuggling operations. Residents of the city previously expressed their concern with tax rates and the manner in which the city was handling public money. This had led to a recall petition for the mayor, as well as for the two council members who were also indicted on the federal charges.

As part of the recall dispute, the mayor was given a period of five days during which he could either resign or stay in office to face the recall. The end of the five days concluded with a city council meeting, but he apparently insisted that he still had additional time to make his decision. Reports indicate that he actually left the meeting and returned with information and documents that he believed supported his right to a longer decision period. It was at that time that he and an audience member entered into a physical dispute. He was able to post bond the following day and issued a statement that he did not intend to be present during any future city council meetings.

The events following the physical altercation between the mayor and the audience member are not entirely clear, although his charge for possessing a prohibited substance was apparently related to a prescription medication that was not in the correct bottle. While some people in Texas might be apt to point to past indictments, those allegations should not have any influence on his current state crime charges. No matter what a defendant has been accused or convicted of in the past, he or she must always be held as innocent on each new charge unless a prosecutor is able to prove beyond any type of reasonable doubt that the allegations are both valid and true.

Source: 12newsnow.com, “Indicted Texas mayor posts bond after disturbance arrest”, Feb. 17, 2016

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