Constable Lara won’t face criminal charge

By ALBERTO TOMAS HALPERN

PRESIDIO COUNTY – Presidio County Constable Juan Lara of Marfa won’t face a felony theft of a vehicle charge, his attorney said Friday.

Lara was arrested in November 2011 for allegedly obtaining the title of a vehicle improperly.

“Juan had been arrested, but never charged or indicted for that purported theft,” his attorney, Kirk Meade of Alpine, said, adding that Lara never had a court appearance. Marfa and Fort Davis lawyer Roy Ferguson is co-counsel. Ferguson is also the Democratic candidate for state district judge for the 394th judicial district.

Meade said District Attorney Jesse Gonzales Jr. informed him that his office has declined to prosecute Lara. A call is out to the district attorney.

Meade said that a reason was not given but that in his opinion, there was insufficient evidence to prove wrongdoing.

“I feel relieved,” Lara said Friday. “They didn’t have a case in the first place. I don’t know if it was political, but faith in God and good lawyers like Roy Ferguson and Kirk Meade, and a lot of patience,” got him through the ordeal.

Lara is the incumbent candidate in a runoff election on July 31.

Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez, whose department arrested Lara on the charge, said Friday that his department will resubmit the case to the new district attorney.

Gonzales was defeated at the polls in May and will leave his office in January 2013.

“It’s not closed,” Dominguez said of the case.

Lara, for now, said he’s glad to get the case behind him.

“I thank God that it’s all over and let’s go on with life,” Lara said. “And let’s win this runoff.”

Lara’s opponent is Estevan “Steve” Marquez, a Presidio County Sheriff’s Department dispatcher and 911 operator.