Teacher acquitted of child charge

Robert Franklin writes:

Way down at the southern tip of Texas, a Brownsville teacher has been acquitted of indecency with a child. Andres Chavez Rodriguez walked free after a jury found him not guilty of the charge and will now try to put his life back together.

Apparently, a teenaged girl levelled the accusation at Rodriguez in retaliation for his wife's having reported the girl's suicide attempt. Once the accusation was made in 2007, CPS took Rodriguez' two-year-old daughter from his home, he was suspended from his teaching job and later forced to resign. His child was later returned to Rodriguez and his wife Leslie who remained by his side throughout his legal ordeal.

Eventually, Rodriguez' accuser (who remains anonymous) sent Leslie Rodriguez an email explaining that she had fabricated the allegation. Rodriguez' attorney turned the email over to prosecutors, but they insisted on trying him on the charge anyway. It took a jury less than an hour to acquit him.

This case never should have even gotten to court. A competent DA or judge would have dismissed it at the start. Instead, the DA still defends the trial:

"The defendant, Andres Rodriguez, was acquitted of indecency with a child," the DA said.

"We respect the jury's decision. These types of cases are difficult due to the sensitive nature of the allegations and the age of the victim.

"We firmly believe these cases must be tried to a jury, and we will continue to be strong advocates for child victims," Villalobos said.

No, there was no child victim. If he really respected the jury's determination that the man was innocent, then he would not still be calling the child a victim.

This is just another how authorities act on the flimsiest evidence and treat fathers as guilty until proven innocent. Here the father was proven innocent, and the DA still will not admit that he was wrong.