Update on Legal Proceedings: Fr. Robert Mendez Esquivel

Press Statement –

On October 31, 2025, Fr. Robert Mendez Esquivel appeared before Canyon County District Court for his arraignment. He entered a plea of “not guilty.”

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for December 2, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

During the hearing, Fr. Esquivel’s attorneys requested a reduction in bond. The presiding judge granted the request, lowering the bond from $300,000 to $250,000.

The trial remains set to begin on January 5, 2026.

The diocese continues to ask the faithful to pray for all those impacted by this case, entrusting the matter to the justice system.

Update on Legal Proceedings: Fr. Robert Mendez Esquivel

On December 16, 2025, Fr. Robert Mendez Esquivel’s appeared at a pre-trial conference.  As a result of that conference, the following actions were taken:

• A continued pre-trial conference was scheduled for January 27, 2026.

• The jury trial originally set for January 5^th, 2026, was vacated and rescheduled to begin March 9^th, 2026. 

The diocese continues to ask the faithful to pray for all those impacted by this case, entrusting the matter to the justice system.

Sincerely,

Marco Roman, Ph.D

Director of Communications

Diocese of Boise