THE Office of the Attorney General has hired a private attorney from Texas to assist in the prosecution of the criminal case against former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres.
Chief Justice Alexandro Castro of the local Supreme Court on March 6, 2023, granted the application for pro hac vice of James Robert Kingman, to act as a special prosecutor, in Superior Court Case No. 22-0050, Commonwealth v. Ralph Anthony DLG Torres.
The high court also waived the $5,000 pro hac vice admission fee.
Kingman will work with assistant Chief Solicitor Robert Glass Jr., and his pro hac vice admission will expire after a year.
According to his application, Kingman said he has a long history of prosecutorial experience, including public corruption and white-collar crime.
He is admitted to practice and is a member of the bar in good standing in Texas.
On April 8, 2022, the AG’s office filed a criminal case against the then-governor, alleging 12 counts of misconduct in public office and one count of theft relating to the issuance of airline tickets for business class, first class, or other premium class travel for himself and/or Diann T. Torres, his wife.
The complaint alleged that the former governor committed “misconduct in public office” on nine occasions from April to December 2018 in connection with his purchases of business class, first class and other premium travel tickets for himself and his wife, Diann T. Torres.
The complaint included theft charges related to the former governor’s travel expenses amounting to $20,000 between April 2018 and May 30, 2019, using public funds.
The case also alleged one count of contempt for failure to appear in compliance with a legislative subpoena.
Torres has denied the charges.
In Sept. 2022, Judge Pro Tem Alberto Tolentino dismissed without prejudice the contempt charge against Torres. The judge found “impermissible exposure to privileged and confidential information that prevents Glass from prosecuting…Torres for Count XIV (Contempt).”
Without prejudice means the charge can be refiled.
In Jan. 2023, Judge Tolentino granted Torres’s request to move his trial from Feb. 13, 2023, to June 5, 2023.
