Judge denies motion to remove Strother from Twin Peaks shootout cases
WACO -- A visiting judge on Monday denied a motion from McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna's office to remove 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother from presiding over two Twin Peaks shootout cases.
Noting that Strother already has voluntarily recused himself in one Twin Peaks case when he thought it was the right thing to do but he declined to do so in these cases, Judge Phillip Vick, of Denton County, denied the state's motion.
The judge also denied defense motions seeking sanctions against Reyna's office on the grounds its recusal motions were filed in bad faith and only for the purpose of delaying a defense hearing to disqualify Reyna from prosecuting bikers Jorge Salinas and Billy McCree, both members of the Cossacks motorcycle group.
Prosecutors Michael Jarrett and Brody Burks, who filed the motions to remove the judge last week, declined comment after the hearing. They filed the recusal motions only after Strother denied a state motion to delay the hearing and with witnesses with adverse testimony against Reyna waiting in the hallway.
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