Texas Border Business
By Roberto Gonzalez
The year 2020 was interesting, highlighted by the new normal brought by the Covid-19 virus. Before that, the Rio Grande Valley saw one of its community leaders, Juan Guerra, accused of physical assault against his fiancé.
From day one, Guerra vehemently denied the accusations. He claimed the allegations were the culmination of attempts to set him up for extortion. As a matter of principle, he chose to fight the allegations instead of paying off the accuser. He stated that he “refused to be extorted.”
Holding a press conference to clear his name publicly, he highlighted the evidence that he had in his possession would clear his name eventually; it ultimately did. He started the press conference with a chronological list of facts and stated, “domestic violence is a serious local, state, and national issue. I am strongly against domestic violence; it is a serious problem that needs to stop. The false allegations to extort me for money do not help true domestic violence victims. False allegations of assault only hurt true domestic violence victims.”
Afterward, he provided a list of demands his accuser gave him via an attorney so, the accuser would not move forward with the accusations.
The list contained items such as $120,000 in cash ($60,000 in the next two days); if the accuser was pregnant, no paternity test, while paying her over $100,000 in child support for life; a new 75” TV, as well as providing a home for her mother to live in rent-free, among other items.
In February 2020, a judge heard and ruled on the case. The situation is described by Guerra’s defender, Rey Merino, in a letter dated February 24, 2020: Guerra fully complied with the Edinburg Police Department and made himself available for any, and all questioning, while the District Attorney’s office represented the alleged victim in an attempt to prove that the assault occurred, and that future violence was likely.
Both the alleged victim and Guerra testified under oath and were subjected to vigorous cross-examination. The fact is that after a contested trial on the said application for a protective order, the District Court Judge denied the application for a protective order because the Judge found that violence had not occurred in the past and was not likely to happen in the future. The protective order hearing highlighted the accuser’s credibility issues and ulterior motives.
After the Hidalgo County District Attorney dropped the charges against Guerra in June 2020, Guerra provided a statement: “While I feel relieved to have been vindicated legally. I am extremely aware that some may still find me guilty in the court of public opinion… I am acutely aware that the extent of the allegations and the emotional fallout of this relationship, combined with my public status, thrust me into the spotlight and cast me in a negative light, despite the many years of positive, productive work I have done to move communities forward in my experience as a public servant. I volunteered for war to protect our country after September 11, and I have worked to lower taxes, improve efficiencies in government, increased expectations, raised employee morale and productivity, improve public safety, and consistently fought for a better quality of life for all residents in the communities that I have worked. Though I am not a perfect person – no one is – I have lived an honorable life, and I am proud of my successes and accomplishments.”
Anyone legally processed and not charged with a crime has a legal right to clear their name, and Guerra did that. One year after a judge declared him innocent, his case officially was expunged on March 24, 2021. Today, this situation, legally never happened.
Guerra told Texas Border Business that he fought the accusations out of principle during a time when he was about to become the Pharr City Manager again, when it all came to a sudden stop after the allegations came to light due to his refusal to pay the demands.
He pointed out that this righteous endeavor came at a cost, proving that there are times where being right is not always the easiest course. His life has changed since this incident. He has retired from the Texas Municipal Retirement System, has full custody of his four children, and is living in the beautiful mountain region of western Colorado.
The good news in a new chapter of his life, is that after two months of working for Gunnison County, he was promoted and is an executive professional in the local government. This was a rough spot in a remarkable and accomplished career in the cities of Pharr and Edinburg. Guerra proved his innocence in court, landed on his feet professionally, and was proven to everyone, including the residents of Colorado, that his list of accomplishments in helping the public is not over yet. There are still great things ahead for Juan Guerra.
Related
Charges dropped against former Edinburg city manager Juan Guerra – MyRGVnews
