Texas District Attorney Faced with Allegations of Paying for an Abortion, Once Allegedly Prosecuted a Woman for the Same
In a shocking turn of events, the Starr County District Attorney, Gocha Ramirez, is facing accusations of hypocrisy and abuse of power related to abortion cases. Court filings from 2025 allege that Ramirez, who is currently prosecuting a woman for murder in an abortion case, paid for an abortion procedure for a mistress in the 1990s.
The woman in question, Lizelle Gonzalez, is now the centre of a broader legal battle led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The organisation argues that Ramirez, along with other government officials, engaged in unlawful prosecution and abuse of power.
The case has garnered significant attention due to the contradictions in Ramirez's conduct. He is accused of benefiting from abortion services privately while publicly charging a woman criminally for the same act. This has raised questions about his integrity and the legitimacy of the prosecution.
The legal filings also underscore a history of Starr County prosecutors using aggressive tactics in abortion-related cases. The wrongful indictment of Gonzalez serves as a key example. Civil rights groups and the ACLU are working to hold county officials accountable for these actions.
The allegations against Ramirez were made in sworn depositions from Rosita and Becky Rocha, who had affairs with him. In one instance, Ramirez asked Rosita Rocha how she felt psychologically when she had an abortion years earlier, to which Rosita responded that Becky went through one with his child.
Lizelle Gonzalez's lawsuit against Ramirez and other Starr County officials is part of a broader effort to seek justice and accountability. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages and emphasizes that each person deserves to be free of targeting by officials who ignore the law to unlawfully charge and arrest based on personal beliefs.
The State Bar of Texas fined and disciplined Ramirez in 2024 for disregarding that women who seek abortions in Texas are exempt from criminal charges. Despite these allegations, Ramirez admitted in text messages that he shouldn't have charged Lizelle Gonzalez, according to the court filing.
The ACLU Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative is involved in Lizelle Gonzalez's lawsuit. Lauren Johnson, director of the ACLU Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, made a statement about Lizelle Gonzalez's case on Tuesday, emphasizing that she deserves justice for the trauma caused by the actions of Starr County's elected officials.
As of now, it is unclear whether Ramirez's attorney has responded to the allegations. However, the case continues to generate controversy and legal questions about Ramirez's conduct and the broader treatment of abortion cases in Starr County.
- The controversy surrounding the Starr County District Attorney, Gocha Ramirez, extends beyond his current prosecution of a woman for an abortion-related murder, as court filings from 2025 allege that he abused power and hypocrisy by paying for an abortion procedure for a mistress in the 1990s.
- The broader legal battle led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against Ramirez and other Starr County officials is not just about a single case of unlawful prosecution, but also encompasses questions about politics and policy-and-legislation; specifically, the selective and biased enforcement of abortion laws.
- Information from the court filings suggests that the case of Lizelle Gonzalez is a prime example of how war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and general-news can intersect, as Ramirez's personal beliefs appear to have colored his professional judgement, leading to potential misuse of power and dishonorable conduct.
