On December 15, 2022, Yvonne Rosales, the first woman district attorney for El Paso, Culberson and Hudspeth counties will resign, although she relinquished her office on November 28. Rosales was elected the district attorney on July 2020 becoming the first woman district attorney. She took office on January 1, 2021.
Almost immediately, Rosales faced an ethics investigation into the mishandling of $2,604 in forfeiture funds. However, although the news media has erroneously reported a finding in the case, there is not one.
Starting in March 2022 Rosales was criticized for a backlog of cases in her office resulting in hundreds of cases being dismissed for lack of prosecution. Several controversies erupted from there with an allegation of a coverup involving a mysterious email levied against her in court. On August 24, 2022, defense attorney Omar Carmona filed a petition demanding the removal of Rosales from office.
On November 28, Rosales stepped aside and announced that she will resign effective December 15, 2022 avoiding a trial date demanding her suspension pending the removal hearing scheduled for March 13, 2023.
Governor Greg Abbott will now appoint a district attorney to fill her spot until the next election.
Ultimately it was the inability of Yvonne Rosales to communicate with the public and an apparent coverup that led to her downfall as the first woman district attorney.
Editor’s note: We are asking readers to let us know their thoughts on using video for our reporting. Send us a quick message or post a comment letting us know your thoughts on the use of video. We are also planning on adding a podcast series. If you are interested in becoming an El Paso News podcaster, pitch us your podcast or idea for a podcast.
I like the videos, just a bit too fast