Enriqueta Diaz’s Lawsuit Unfolds

In Del Rio, Texas, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over a significant legal clash. Enriqueta Diaz, a Maverick County citizen, took legal action against the Honorable Judge Ramsey English Cantú and Commissioners Rosanna Rios, Olga M. Ramos, and Roberto Ruiz. The lawsuit contested the rejection of a citizens’ petition seeking a referendum election for $7.2 million in bonds meant to leverage a significantly larger $24 million TWDB expansion project in Maverick County.

During the extensive hearing, Diaz and several witnesses testified for six and a half hours, yet the proceedings remained inconclusive. Diaz argued the petition’s validity, while the defendants cited public safety concerns tied to the county water plant’s inadequate conditions. One of her witnesses included the Maverick County Commissioner not named on the lawsuit, County Commissioner Precinct 1 Gerardo “Jerry” Morales. He is the uncle of Texas State Representative HD 74 Heriberto “Eddie” Morales.

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CARPENTER v. STATE

The CARPENTER v. STATE case sheds light on Diaz’s prior legal entanglements. As a former Maverick County Judge, Diaz faced a significant indictment for tampering with government documents. This stemmed from a situation where she allegedly mishandled records left by a county prosecutor, resulting in the dismissal of misdemeanor cases.

According to the court records, the incidents unraveled when former County Judge Diaz directed her clerk to place a box of records left by prosecutor Ernest Mireles in her office’s locked bathroom. Subsequently, the cases linked to these records were dismissed due to lack of prosecution. Law enforcement later found the box during a search authorized by Diaz’s secretary, leading to the indictment for tampering with government documents.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Diaz contested multiple points, focusing on procedural issues, constitutional violations, and legal interpretation. Despite her appeals, the Court of Appeals of Texas upheld her conviction on two counts of tampering with government documents, marking a critical chapter in Diaz’s legal history.