EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The federal civil rights trial filed by Daniel Villegas’ counsel against the City of El Paso and several El Paso Police officers has been delayed once again.
The trial was initially set to begin on Monday, Oct. 30, but was postponed again until May 28, 2024.
As KTSM has previously reported, Villegas spent 20 years in jail after he was wrongfully convicted of capital murder in the fatal shootings of two people back in 1993.
Villegas was released in 2018 after a jury acquitted him. He then sued the city along with several El Paso Police officers, claiming they violated his civil rights.
Detective Alfonso Marquez, who Villegas claimed forced a false confession out of him, died back in September of this year.
BACKGROUND: Back in 1993, Villegas was 16 years old when he signed a confession stating he was responsible for a drive-by shooting that resulted in the deaths of two people, Robert England, 18, and Armando Lazo, 17.
Villegas was interrogated by Detective Alfonso Marquez, and hours later, Marquez emerged with a signed confession from Villegas. However, that same night, Villegas recanted the confession to a social worker.
Though Villegas had an alibi, the confession remained the centerpiece during the capital murder trial, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
In October of 2018, Villegas was tried again for the two murders after an appeals court ruled his confession had been coerced. After nearly two days of deliberation, the jury found Villegas not guilty.
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