Uvalde Municipal Court Judge Richard O. Gonzales is currently on a 90-day leave of absence following his recent drug-related arrest. The leave was decided upon by the Uvalde City Council in a 4-1 vote during a Tuesday meeting. According to a report by the KSAT, Judge Gonzales was taken into custody along with his grandson and three others after officers conducting a search found drugs in the judge's home while serving an indictment to the grandson.
The arrest came as a shock, with Gonzales asserting his innocence through his attorney, Rogelio Munoz. "Mr. Gonzales categorically proclaims his innocence. He contends he’s not guilty," Munoz stated to the city council, as reported by KSAT. Munoz noted that, despite the absence of a grand jury indictment or a pending criminal case in court, the implications of such an accusation bear significant weight.
During the same incident, Gonzales was vocal about his disbelief regarding the situation, as noted in an interview with FOX San Antonio. "Never been in trouble any kind of trouble with the law or anything. In fact, I've been involved with law enforcement duties of being a city prosecutor and municipal court judge,” Gonzales expressed his perplexity. "Why the hell would I be doing illegal stuff?"
Following the council's deliberation, a 90-day leave was established, during which time Uvalde will be seeking a temporary replacement for the judge. Gonzales' attorney took the opportunity to emphasize his client's clean record, arguing to the council that no one present believed Gonzales to be involved with narcotics. “I don’t think there’s anybody in this room, and including on this board, who thinks that Richard Gonzales uses drugs, possesses drugs or is involved with drugs,” Munoz told the council as KSAT reported.
After his release on a P.R. Bond, the judge revealed that he is working with his attorney to address the charges. As the legal process continues and the search for an interim judge progresses, the Uvalde community remains attentive, awaiting further developments in the case.
