White-Collar Crime
Judge Is Arrested for Allegedly Using Traffic Fine Money to Pay Personal Credit Card Bill
A municipal judge in southern Texas was arrested today for allegedly using traffic fine money orders he received from three individuals who appeared before him to pay his own personal credit card bills.
La Joya Municipal Court Judge Joe Henry Garza, 55, is to be arraigned this afternoon on a third-degee felony charge of theft by a public servant, reports the Associated Press.
The case was turned over to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office for investigation after an internal city audit found discrepancies concerning the fines collected by Garza’s court, the news agency states.
The article doesn’t include any comment from Garza and whether he has a lawyer isn’t known.
.
