March 19, 2010

McAllen Police Officer Arrested for DWI

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: accident, attorney, breath test, Department of Public Safety, DPS, driving while intoxicated, DWI, field sobriety test, intoxilyzer, Johnathan Ball, Lawyer, McAllen, officer, police, Texas, trooper — Johnathan Ball @ 8:39 am

McAllen officer charged with DWI

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March 01, 2010 6:57 PM

Jeremy Roebuck

The Monitor

ALAMO — A McAllen police officer has been suspended without pay after his arrest Sunday on suspicion of driving drunk.

Jorge Ibarra, 43, of San Juan, refused to take a Breathalyzer test after state troopers he was involved in a wreck just before 3 a.m. near the intersection of North Alamo and East Minnesota roads, north of Alamo.

Ibarra reportedly ran off the road and hit a fence, causing minor property damage, said Trooper Johnny Hernandez, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. The officer did not hurt himself or anyone else.

He will remain on leave until the conclusion of the criminal charges against him, said McAllen police Chief Victor Rodriguez. Internal investigators have also opened their own probe into Ibarra’s alleged conduct.

Ibarra, a 12-year veteran of the department, was released from the Hidalgo County Jail on a $500 bond shortly after his arrest.

If convicted, he could face up to six months in the county jail, termination from the police force and $2,000 in fines.

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Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.

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December 31, 2009

Hidalgo County District clerk arrested for alleged drunken driving

Filed under: McAllen Criminal Defense,McAllen Texas Criminal Defense Attorney,McAllen Texas DWI Lawyer,Texas Criminal Defense — Tags: arrest, arrested, attorney, Department of Public Safety, DPS, DWI, Hidalgo County, Lawyer, McAllen, sobriety tests, trooper, under the influence — Johnathan Ball @ 5:40 pm

District clerk arrested for alleged drunken driving

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December 13, 2009 4:24 PM

Jennifer L. Berghom and Jeremy Roebuck

The Monitor

EDINBURG – Hidalgo County District Clerk Laura Hinojosa disputed allegations Sunday that she was driving while intoxicated when pulled over by a state trooper earlier that morning.

Authorities arrested the 43-year-old elected official after she failed multiple field sobriety checks during a traffic stop just after 1 a.m. near the intersection of North “I” and El Dora roads in San Juan, said Texas Department of Public Safety Spokesman Johnny Hernandez.

As of late Sunday afternoon, Hinojosa had been booked and released from the Hidalgo County jail, where she refused to take a Breathalyzer test.

“I honestly did not think I was not fit to drive or else I wouldn’t have,” she said, adding that she plans to fight the charge in court.

Hinojosa, the daughter of U.S. Rep Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, was first elected in 2006 to the position that oversees filings for all of the county’s state district courts.

She replaced former District Clerk Omar Guerrero, who faced a DWI arrest of his own in 2005. Those charges were later dropped after an Hidalgo County jury cleared him of unrelated charges stemming from a consensual sexual relationship he was accused of having with a minor.

Hinojosa launched her campaign for a second term in office earlier this month.

Driving while intoxicated is a Class B misdemeanor for a first-time offender. If convicted, she could face up to six months in the county jail and $2,000 in fines.

“It’s really just an awful situation,” Hinojosa said. “I humbly ask for the respect of my family’s privacy. I appreciate everybody’s support.”

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Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4437.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.

Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an error. Hidalgo County District Clerk Laura Hinojosa oversees the county’s state district courts. The county clerk oversees the county’s courts-at-law. The online version of the story has been changed to reflect the correct information.

The Monitor strives to accurately report the news in Hidalgo County and the Rio Grande Valley. Please report any errors of fact to the reporter whose byline appears on the story.