Former El Paso Judge Manuel Joseph Barraza Found Guilty in Sex-Bribe Case

(Feb. 5) – A former Texas criminal court judge was found guilty of federal charges for soliciting cash and sexual favors in exchange for his help in felony cases.

Between December 2008 and February 2009, El Paso Criminal District Court Judge Manuel Joseph Barraza, 53, received more than $5,000 in cash bribes from defendants, in exchange for his help in felony cases, prosecutors said.

"These acts were all committed in exchange for his influence and exercise of discretion in his official capacity as an elected judge," said U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy. "In carrying out his bribery scheme, Judge Barraza promised to intervene in a felony criminal case filed by the state of Texas pending in state district court in order to influence the outcome of the case."

One of the women from whom Barraza solicited a bribe was an undercover FBI agent. Prosecutors said he offered to intervene in a felony case filed against her friend and would have the case transferred to his court, in exchange for sex. Unbeknownst to Barraza, the entire conversation was recorded.

Within those recordings, which were played in court, jurors heard Barraza and the undercover agent arraigning the sexual liaison and discussing which one of them would bring the condoms.

Barraza's attorney, Mervyn Mosbacker, denied that his client accepted "cash bribes" and accused the FBI of entrapping him.

"Mr. Barraza never created a scheme, never adopted a scheme and never participated in someone else's scheme," Mosbacker said.

Despite Mosbacker's arguments, the six men and six women on the jury were able to reach their decision is less than three hours Thursday, finding Barraza guilty of two counts of wire fraud and the deprivation of honest services and one count of making false statements. The jury acquitted Barraza of one count of mail fraud.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 28. Barraza faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the two fraud counts, and up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the false statements charge.

Barraza was appointed to the bench three months before his arrest. Before that, he worked for 30 years as a defense attorney. In 1985, he received national media attention when he was hired to help defend California serial killer Richard "The Night Stalker" Ramirez. Barraza ultimately withdrew from the case and worked as a liaison between Ramirez's family and his attorney. In 1989, Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders and sentenced to death.