Officer Acquitted Of Racketeering

Don Walden Sr., who led the Magic Valley’s fight against drugs for nearly five years, was found innocent Saturday of charges of racketeering and misuse of public money.

“This has been two years of hell,” Walden said as he walked from the courtroom.

“I lost a whole lot of faith in the criminal justice system,” he said.

Walden, 57, is on administrative leave from the Twin Falls Police Department and could not say Saturday if he planned to return to work. Walden’s former partner, Juan R. “John” Nunez Jr., was convicted Oct. 24 of seven felony crimes and sentenced earlier this month to a minimum of three years in prison.

The convictions included racketeering, misuse of public money, sales-tax violations and conspiracy to destroy, alter or conceal evidence by staging a Jan. 30, 1995, burglary at the Magic Valley Drug Task Force’s office.

The seven-man, five-woman jury deliberated for five hours before clearing Walden of all criminal charges.