(State Briefs)

FEDS CHARGE 10 IN SCHEME

LAREDO -- Two investigators, a police officer, an assistant district
attorney, as well as father, brother and cousin of Webb County's top
prosecutor were among 10 men indicted Thursday on federal corruption
charges in an illegal scheme to fix Webb County criminal cases for a
price.

Indictments unsealed Thursday contend that the 10 used the office of
District Attorney Joe Rubio, beginning in 1992, to extort money from
criminal defendants in return for having criminal charges dismissed or
lowered in Webb County.

All 10 were in federal custody Thursday.

Rubio, the district attorney for Webb and Zapata counties, was not
indicted.