Cameron County DA accused of exchanging 'favorable discretion' for money

In Cameron County, reports AP, federal prosecutors have accused District Attorney Armando Villalobos of

soliciting and accepting more than $100,000 in bribes and kickbacks for favorable discretion, including in decisions to minimize charges, pretrial diversion agreements and case dismissals. His indictment together with his former law partner Eduardo Lucio stemmed from a yearslong investigation that has implicated attorneys, a former legislator and at its center, former state District Judge Abel Limas, who pleaded guilty to racketeering last year.

Prosecutors have a tremendous amount of discretion and when that discretion affects people's lives, it can become a commodity in the hands of the unscrupulous, which is what's alleged here. County Judge Carlos Cascos isn't wrong that "the indictment puts the office under a cloud and would affect morale," but I only agree that's reason to resign if Villalobos really did exercise "favorable discretion" in exchange for money. Indeed, if he did that, the consequences should and likely will be far worse than just losing his job. But those are serious charges and somebody still has to prove them.