District Attorney Tom Hardy announced today that, having carefully evaluated the information from the Bishop Police Department’s supplemental investigation, no criminal charges will be filed against Eugenio Solorio.
Mr. Solorio was arrested by the Bishop Police Department on April 22, 2019 on charges relating to committing lewd acts with a minor. At that time, the District Attorney’s office declined to file charges and referred the case for further investigation. That investigation has been completed, and it is still the judgment of the District Attorney that there is not sufficient evidence to file criminal charges.
“A prosecutor has both a legal and ethical obligation to file criminal charges only if he or she believes, after review of the legally admissible evidence, including reasonably foreseeable defenses, that a reasonable and objective jury would find a suspect guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That is a high burden of proof that we take very seriously, and which we do not believe can be met at this time. If new or additional information becomes available the case can be reconsidered, but I understand that the Bishop PD has concluded its active investigation,” said Hardy. Even though the active investigation has been concluded, anyone with any information regarding the case is encouraged to contact the Bishop Police Department.
The legal standard for an arrest is much different than that for a conviction. The arrest in this case was made based on probable cause after a forensic interview was conducted by trained law enforcement officials. Additionally, a search warrant based on this probable cause was subsequently issued by a judge and served by the Bishop Police Department. The Bishop PD also conducted substantial follow-up investigation.
The public is reminded that a criminal investigation does not attempt to address issues of potential civil liability, nor administrative or policy violations, all of which are subject to lower standards of proof.
