OAKLAND — Although Judge Kevin Murphy called former Oakland police officer Ryan Walterhouse a “bad cop,” he dismissed conspiracy and bribery charges related to conduct with a prostitute.

Walterhouse faced two felony counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice after he was accused of tipping off a prostitute to an undercover FBI sting operation on International Boulevard on Oct. 13-14, 2016. The stings included finding suspects and victims of child sex-trafficking.

But the Alameda County Superior Court judge on Monday did not hold him to those charges, stating that although he agreed evidence supports that Walterhouse gave her the information, there was never a conspiracy agreement between the two; she never asked what was in it for her.

“I believe the officer was not doing his job, he was not being a good police officer,” Murphy said in open court on Monday. “But when he gave the information to her … it was not a conspiracy.”

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Judge drops two felony counts against former Oakland cop in prostitution case Deputy District Attorney Sabrina Farrell also tried to introduce a new charge of bribery during Monday’s preliminary hearing, but the judge also did not hold Walterhouse to those charges.

Farrell argued that because Walterhouse gave the prostitute information on the sting operation, and later texted “now you owe me,” that’s when the conspiracy charge was committed. The next day, he continued to give her information and reiterated that she owed him even more, Farrell argued. The two allegedly exchanged texts about sexual favors.

But Judge Murphy said the information Walterhouse offered was unsolicited advice and said it seemed like a “puppy love situation.” Walterhouse was infatuated with her, the judge said, and perhaps offered the information because he wanted to have sex with her.

At one point during Monday’s proceedings, Judge Murphy questioned if the case was charged properly.

Walterhouse now only faces a misdemeanor count of engaging in an act of prostitution.

The judge heard testimony in the preliminary hearing that the 21-year-old prostitute and Walterhouse had met at a motel in Castro Valley in October 2016. Walterhouse allegedly paid her $200, and although he touched her, the two did not have sex.

In a video of an interview with Oakland police investigators, she called the situation “awkward.”

Walterhouse’s two felony charges had been previously dropped in June by Judge Thomas Rogers, who dismissed the felonies after the district attorney’s office refused to disclose the name of a confidential informant. Prosecutors refiled charges in August.

Judge Murphy on Monday denied the defense’s motion to disclose the name of the informant.

Farrell called the judge’s decision to drop the conspiracy charges disappointing outside the courtroom. Walterhouse’s defense attorney, Michael Cardoza, had a different view.

“Judge Rogers and Judge Murphy came to a fork in a legal road, they each took a different route but they ended up at the same place — a dismissal of the conspiracy and bribery charges,” Cardoza said.

Cardoza had previously called the prosecution’s re-filing of the charges against his client “judge shopping.”