Parents of Baby Emmanuel Haro Return to Court as Questions Mount Over Judge’s Past Rulings

It’s been nearly two weeks since the parents of seven-month-old Emmanuel Haro pleaded not guilty to his murder. In Riverside on Tuesday, attorneys for both the prosecution and the defense met for a felony settlement conference.

Jake and Rebecca Haro appeared in court this morning as the legal proceedings continued on charges that they killed Emmanuel and filed a false police report. A judge scheduled their next settlement conference for October 16, with a preliminary hearing set for October 28.

Just over a month ago, Emmanuel’s mother reported being assaulted outside of a Big Five store in Yucaipa, claiming her baby was taken during the attack. Investigators quickly noted inconsistencies in her account, and both parents stopped cooperating with authorities. On August 22, they were arrested at their home in Cabazon. Emmanuel’s body has not been recovered, though prosecutors have indicated they believe they know the location of his remains.

The case is also raising concerns about accountability on the bench. Judge Dwight Moore, who presided over Jake Haro’s child abuse case in 2023, had previously retired after sentencing Haro to probation instead of prison time. In 2018, Haro’s 10-week-old daughter suffered severe abuse, leaving her with cerebral palsy. Prosecutors argue that Emmanuel would still be alive today had Moore imposed the six-year prison sentence Haro was originally facing.

Despite the controversy, Judge Moore was recently called back to the bench to fill in at the Riverside County Courthouse under the leadership of Presiding Judge Jacqueline Jackson, herself a former child abuse prosecutor. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the District Attorney’s office and community advocates who believe Moore’s lenient ruling played a role in Emmanuel’s death.

When asked about the criticism in August, Judge Moore told the Long Beach Post he was “absolutely precluded from commenting publicly about the case,” adding that in 18 years on the bench it was the first time his judgment had faced such scrutiny.

As the Haro case advances, it remains possible that Moore could once again be presiding in the same courthouse where Emmanuel’s parents are now facing trial.

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