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County Attorney Press Releases

Legal Status Of District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez

El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez informed today that the indictment unsealed against El Paso District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez does not automatically trigger his removal from office. Texas law states that only if Mr. Sanchez were to be convicted of felony charges or misdemeanor charges involving official misconduct, the conviction would operate as an immediate removal.

            Rodríguez further explained that, while the charges are pending, Mr. Sanchez will remain the elected District Clerk and has full powers as such, unless Mr. Sanchez resigns or a removal action is filed. 

If Mr. Sanchez resigns, Commissioners Court will be able to vote on the appointment a interim clerk to fill the vacancy. 

            Regarding possible removal petitions, County Attorney Rodríguez said that if a removal action is filed, an out-of-town judge would preside over the case and decide whether the removal has merits. The presiding judge would have the authority to issue a temporary suspension against the District Clerk and appoint another person to perform the duties of the office.

            Rodríguez explained that, according to Texas law, appropriate grounds for removal of elected officials from public office include incompetency, official misconduct and intoxication on or off duty caused by drinking an alcoholic beverage.

            "We are currently reviewing the indictment in this case to determine if sufficient grounds and evidence exist to pursue a removal action," Rodríguez concluded.

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District Clerk Legal Status Press Release.pdf

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About edominguez

Elhiu Dominguez was born in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, México. He moved to the Ciudad Juárez - El Paso area in 1988 to study Mass Communications at the Chihuahua State University (UACH). He later obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1994. Elhiu began his professional career in 1989 as a reporter for Norte de Juarez newspaper. In 1994 he was employed at Canal 26, the local Univision affiliate in El Paso, as photojournalist, producer, and later as a reporter. In 1998, after a brief period as Weekend Assignments Editor at KDBC Channel 4, the local CBS affiliate, Elhiu returned to work at Univision 26 as a senior reporter. He was later assigned in 1999 as the Texas-New Mexico correspondent for the Univision Network’s news magazine “Primer Impacto”, a position that he held until his resignation in 2005 to become Assignments Editor at KFOX Channel 14, the local FOX network affiliate. Elhiu left KFOX in 2006 to become the Public Affairs Officer for the El Paso County Attorney’s Office. During his more than 15 years of experience as journalist, Elhiu has received numerous awards, among them “La Columna de Oro” for a special series of stories regarding the murders of women in Juárez, and several first and second place awards by the New Mexico and Texas Associated Press in the categories of investigative reporting, breaking news, and feature stories.