July 24, 2024 – Today, Judge Bobby Flores of the 139th District Court of Hidalgo County, Texas, denied a request filed by the Texas Attorney General to compel a representative of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) to sit for a deposition.
CCRGV has already extensively cooperated with the Texas Attorney General, including voluntarily providing a sworn written statement and more than 100 pages of documents. These documents show that CCRGV fulfills its religious and humanitarian mission within the letter and spirit of all laws. A deposition would have been a waste of time, distracting CCRGV from its work serving all residents of the Rio Grande Valley.
“We hope that we can put this behind us and focus our efforts on protecting and upholding the sanctity and dignity of all human lives while following the law,” said CCRGV Executive Director Sister Norma Pimentel. CCRGV will always strive to fulfill its legal obligations while continuing to steadfastly pursue its mission, inspired by Sacred Scripture and the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35
Background on the case: On June 5, the Texas Attorney General’s Office asked a court to order a deposition. On July 3, attorneys representing CCRGV filed a response opposing the petition as without merit and outside the requirements of governing legal statutes. A hearing on the petition was held on July 17, 2024. The case is numbered C-2639-24-C, and captioned: In Re Office of the Attorney General of the State of Texas.
