Beaumont City Councilman Mark Orozco just narrowly missed a lifeline Thursday, as a Riverside judge considered dropping most of the corruption charges against him. After reviewing some prior case material, however, Judge Samuel Diaz Jr. ultimately decided to let all of the prosecutors’ filings against the councilman stand.
“We’re extremely disappointed the court changed its tentative ruling, which we think was correct,” said Orozco’s lawyer, David Greenberg. “Now we have an opportunity for Mr. Orozco to prove his innocence in court.”
Orozco entered a not guilty plea to 10 charges ranging from bribery to perjury Thursday.
The councilman was indicted on one count of soliciting a bribe and nine counts of perjury in May. You can read more about those charges here.
This case is unrelated to the corruption scandal involving seven former Beaumont officials who are accused of misappropriating public funds. In fact, Orozco’s election in 2014 was supposed to represent a turning point for the troubled city. He was at the forefront of efforts to reform city practices and restore a sense of trust.