South Texas judge who got DWI charge dropped despite arrest video asks state to expunge from record

Nora Longoria, a justice in the 13th Court of Appeals, was arrested on suspicion of DWI on July 12, 2014 in McAllen. Nora Longoria, a justice in the 13th Court of Appeals, was arrested on suspicion of DWI on July 12, 2014 in McAllen. Photo: Courtesy, McAllen Police Photo: Courtesy, McAllen Police Image 1 of / 57 Caption Close South Texas judge who got DWI charge dropped despite arrest video asks state to expunge from record 1 / 57 Back to Gallery

A Texas judge wants her controversial 2014 drunken driving arrest to be removed from her record, according to a petition filed last month.

Texas' 13th Court of Appeals Justice Nora Longoria was arrested on July 12, 2014 and was charged with speeding, while a second charge, driving while intoxicated, was dismissed by an outgoing Hidalgo County district attorney in 2014 — a decision that caused controversy in the area.

On Tuesday, ValleyCentral reported Longoria had submitted a petition to have the DWI arrest expunged because the charge was dismissed "in the interest of justice" by former DA Rene Guerra.

"Generally, Texas law allows individuals to expunge information related to their arrest after the charge has been dismissed. As such, the filing of a petition for expunction can be a matter of routine practice subsequent to the dismissal of a charge," Longoria's attorney Rey Merino told ValleyCentral. "In accordance with the law, I have filed such a routine petition for the expunction of Ms. Nora Longoria's arrest records."

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Court records show Longoria was stopped for driving 69 mph in a 55 mph zone and subsequently failed field sobriety tests. Footage of the stop shows Longoria swaying, stumbling and struggling to complete the respective tests the officer attempted to conduct.

Longoria can be heard pleading with the arresting officer in dash cam footage, asking him to "please let (her) go home" as she "live(s) a couple of miles away."

Additionally, Longoria told the officer he was going to ruin her life after she "worked hard for 25 years to be where (she is) today and noted she is a judge, offering to show the officer her judicial badge.

While Longoria's DWI charge was dismissed, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct condemned Longoria's attempt to use her position to get out of the ticket in a public admonishment. She received the lowest punishment offered by the commission.

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"The Commission concludes based on facts and evidence before it that [13th Court of Appeals] Justice Longoria repeatedly identified herself to police officers as being a judge, offered to show the officers her judicial badge, and attempted to use her position as a judge to obtain favorable treatment and escape the consequences of her conduct, in willful and persistent violation ... of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct," the admonishment reads.

The document continues, "Furthermore, the judge's conduct during the traffic stop, her arrest for driving while intoxicated, and her subsequent plea of no contest to a speeding charge received widespread media attention which cast public discredit upon the judiciary and the administration of justice, in violation ... of the Texas Constitution."

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Longoria responded to the public admonishment via Facebook and stated that the date of her arrest was the anniversary of a "great personal loss." In dash cam video, Longoria also tells the officer she is a widow.

Longoria's bio states she was elected to her position in the court of appeals in 2012 and still serves as a justice.

Staff writers Joshua Fechter, Aaron Nelsen and Kolten Parker contributed to this report.

MMedina@mySA.com

Twitter: @MariahMedinaaa