West Texas DA who ignored youth abuse claims wins primary Much-criticized prosecutor pulls down 68 percent of vote. ASSOCIATED PRESS Thursday, March 06, 2008 EL PASO — A West Texas district attorney accused of ignoring reports of rampant sexual abuse at a state juvenile jail has won re-election.

Randall W. "Randy" Reynolds beat challenger Kevin Acker, the Ward County attorney, with about 68 percent of the vote in complete but unofficial returns in the Democratic primary. There were no Republicans on the ballot.

Reynolds, who has been the prosecutor for Ward, Loving, and Reeves counties since 1997, did not respond to a telephone message left at his office.

Reynolds drew national attention last year after details about the Texas Youth Commission sex scandal became public.

According to a Texas Rangers report, the allegations of sexual abuse were laid out and handed over to Reynolds more than two years before the claims of abuse were made public.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's office has since taken over the case. Two former West Texas State School officials are scheduled to go on trial later this year on charges that they abused teenage inmates.

The state school case prompted a flurry of criticism and a brief effort by Acker to have a court remove Reynolds from office. Reynolds also asked a court to oust Acker, but both cases were abandoned before being heard by a judge.

Reynolds has said the case was delayed because of "a breakdown in communications."

Acker has said he didn't want Reynolds' job and only ran "to give the voters of the district a choice."