A former South Texas police chief was acquitted Friday on charges that he sexually assaulted one of his officers after a drunken party at his house.
A second trial for former Police Chief Jose Luis Vela is scheduled to begin Monday. Jurors deliberated about two hours Friday before acquitting Jose Luis Vela, 44, the Alton police chief in 2006, on sexual assault charges. He had been accused of performing oral sex on an officer who had passed out drunk at his house. Mr. Vela testified that the sex was consensual, and that he had an ongoing sexual relationship with the officer.
Mr. Vela won't get much time to enjoy the victory because District Judge Letty Lopez scheduled his next trial on a separate sexual assault charge to begin Monday. The victim of the other alleged sexual assault testified in the first trial that he woke up face down and naked in Mr. Vela's bed after getting drunk at a party. Mr. Vela said that was also a consensual encounter.
"We basically tried that case, and now we're going to try it again," said Luis Singleterry, Mr. Vela's attorney.
After Friday's verdict, Mr. Vela said the trial had been difficult and he would not be returning to police work.
"I'm ready for something else," he said.
Mr. Singleterry told jurors that his client was the victim of a conspiracy arranged by another employee and her ex-husband, who investigated the case for the Hidalgo County sheriff's office.
Prosecutor Hope Palacios painted the image of an unprofessional police chief who partied with his employees even while they were on the clock.
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