Rolando Cantu
Rolando Cantu was the judge for the Hidalgo County Court at Law No. 8 in Hidalgo County, Texas.[1] He was appointed to the court in December 2012 and assumed office in January 2013. He lost re-election in the primary on March 4, 2014.[2]
Cantu previously served as a judge for the Hidalgo County Court at Law No. 7 from October 2011 until his appointment to the Hidalgo County Court at Law No. 8.[3]
Elections
2014
See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014
Cantu ran for election to the Hidalgo County Probate Court.
Primary: He was defeated in the Democratic primary on March 4, 2014, receiving 43.6 percent of the vote. He competed against Homero Garza.
[4][5][6]
Education
Cantu received his undergraduate degree from St. Mary's University in 1969 and his J.D. degree from the Reynaldo Garza School of Law.[3]
Career
Before he became a judge, Cantu maintained a general law practice, specializing in commercial, oil and gas, property, banking, probate, personal injury, ad-valorem tax, and criminal law.[3]
Noteworthy cases
Cantu dismisses DWI charges against Judge Nora Longoria
- See also: Hidalgo County Court at Law, Texas
Judge Cantu dismissed a fellow judge's DWI charge on November 20, 2014. Judge Nora Longoria, of the 13th District Court of Appeals in Texas, was pulled over for speeding at about 1:30 a.m. in the morning of July 12, 2014. She refused to take a breathalyzer test and was arrested, facing charges of driving while intoxicated.[7] Officers reported that Longoria admitted to drinking five beers that night, but she said she had stopped drinking three hours before driving home.[8]
The district attorney stated that prosecutors did not have enough evidence to prosecute because the police car's dashboard camera did not capture video of the traffic stop. However, the dashcam video was later released by police (it can be viewed on Nora Longoria's page here). Police said Longoria had refused a breathalyzer and blood test.[9]
See also
External links
- Hidalgo County, Texas, "County Court"
- Texas Secretary of State, "Elections Division"
- Texas Courts Online, "Directory of Trial Courts by County"
Footnotes
- ↑ Hidalgo County, Texas, "County Court #8," accessed December 4, 2014
- ↑ The Monitor, "New county court judge same as the old," December 12, 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Your Valley Voice.com, "Judge Rolando Cantu sworn into office," October 10, 2011
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (A-L)"
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "2014 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County (M-Z)"
- ↑ Hidalgo County Board of Elections, "2014 Democratic Party Primary - Unofficial Results," March 10, 2014
- ↑ The Monitor, "13th Court of Appeals judge charged with DWI," July 12, 2014
- ↑ Valley Morning Star, "Valley judge tried to resist DWI arrest," July 14, 2014
- ↑ Valley Central.com, "DWI charge dismissed against Justice Nora Longoria," December 3, 2014
