Sweetwater Man Found Not Guilty of Sexual Assault
By: Belinda Serrano, Sweetwaterreporter.com
Updated: January 13, 2012
After around only an hour and a half of deliberations, a five-woman,
seven-man jury found Julian Castillo not guilty of indecency with a
child by contact on Thursday evening, Jan. 12, 2012.
A number of testimonies from the defense were heard on the second day of the trial -- including the defendant himself, in the 32nd Judicial District Court in the Nolan County Courthouse.
Castillo took the stand around 1 p.m. on Thursday as the last witness for the defense. His background and the history of his first marriage was presented, as well as when he first met the victim's mother, Sandra Herrera, and dated her in the eighth grade for around two years. When her family moved back into the Roscoe area, they picked up their friendship, which eventually became a relationship and marriage.
The living arrangements between their children was mentioned, but he stated that he was unsure of where the victim -- an eighth grader at the time -- was living in May 2002. Their marriage disintegrated, however, when Herrera found some suspicious phone records from Castillo.
They attempted to reconcile at one point and did so for two months, but were divorced in December 2007. He began dating and eventually met Evangelina, whom he married in October 2010.
In discussing May 2002, he didn't remember anything in particular except his wedding anniversary. Castillo stated that things and relationships were good between him and Herrera and her children, who he gradually got to know.
Also in May 2002, he was working for his late brother-in-law, later to work at Georgia Pacific in May 2004. While working with his brother in law, he never remembered getting off of work early.
The gaming system -- a Nintendo 64 -- was in the living room, according to Castillo, though at one time it was in the room the boys slept in.
When asked by the defense, Castillo said he was never attracted to or touched the victim, never disciplined her, or never massaged her shoulders as that was not the nature of their relationship.
He also stated that his son, Anthony Castillo, never spoke of a sexual encounter with the victim; they never conspired to go after the victim sexually. In addition, the victim never seemed distant toward Castillo.
To continue reading this article, click here.
A number of testimonies from the defense were heard on the second day of the trial -- including the defendant himself, in the 32nd Judicial District Court in the Nolan County Courthouse.
Castillo took the stand around 1 p.m. on Thursday as the last witness for the defense. His background and the history of his first marriage was presented, as well as when he first met the victim's mother, Sandra Herrera, and dated her in the eighth grade for around two years. When her family moved back into the Roscoe area, they picked up their friendship, which eventually became a relationship and marriage.
The living arrangements between their children was mentioned, but he stated that he was unsure of where the victim -- an eighth grader at the time -- was living in May 2002. Their marriage disintegrated, however, when Herrera found some suspicious phone records from Castillo.
They attempted to reconcile at one point and did so for two months, but were divorced in December 2007. He began dating and eventually met Evangelina, whom he married in October 2010.
In discussing May 2002, he didn't remember anything in particular except his wedding anniversary. Castillo stated that things and relationships were good between him and Herrera and her children, who he gradually got to know.
Also in May 2002, he was working for his late brother-in-law, later to work at Georgia Pacific in May 2004. While working with his brother in law, he never remembered getting off of work early.
The gaming system -- a Nintendo 64 -- was in the living room, according to Castillo, though at one time it was in the room the boys slept in.
When asked by the defense, Castillo said he was never attracted to or touched the victim, never disciplined her, or never massaged her shoulders as that was not the nature of their relationship.
He also stated that his son, Anthony Castillo, never spoke of a sexual encounter with the victim; they never conspired to go after the victim sexually. In addition, the victim never seemed distant toward Castillo.
To continue reading this article, click here.
