Juan Quixote
February 13th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Valley politics can be un poco loco, but this story is downright insane. The Willacy County prosecutor is trying to get himself arrested - again. Today Juan Angel Guerra, the county’s populist D.A., showed up in front of county jail in Raymondville with a pair of handcuffs demanding that the sheriff arrest him for violating the conditions of a court order issued yesterday. He was joined by his supporters - “the barrio people,” as Guerra called them.
Guerra spent Sunday night in jail after refusing to allow police into his office with a search warrant related to a special prosecutor’s allegations of official corruption. “It was great,” Guerra said of his night in jail with people he had prosecuted. “I slept like a baby. The inmates inside treated me with so much respect.” On Monday, Guerra was arraigned on three felony counts of theft by a public servant. Although a condition of his release was that he not leave the county, Guerra promptly headed to Mexico on Monday where he drank margaritas and listened to mariachis. Meanwhile, 300 to 400 cases Guerra is supposed to prosecute in front of state District Judge Migdalia Lopez are on hold.
So, what the hell is going on?
The truth, always an elusive thing, is especially hard to find in scandal-plagued Willacy County, but see if you can follow this: Guerra says special prosecutor Gustavo Garza, Judge Lopez, and state Sen. Eddie Lucio (D-Brownsville) are all out to get him. Lucio, Guerra insists, is running the show in retaliation for Guerra’s intensifying probe into a $60 million privately-run immigrant detention center built last year in Raymondville. Guerra and Lucio are bitter enemies. As the Observer reported in October, Lucio had a hand in steering the contract for the federal jail to a prison company he worked for.
Guerra said Judge Lopez retaliated against his investigation into possible corruption surrounding the detention center by appointing Garza as a special prosecutor. However, Garza told the Valley Morning Star that a grand jury “instigated the investigation - absolutely not me or Judge Lopez.” The caca really hit the fan when Guerra tried to use a grand jury he had empaneled to get subpoenas for documents in Lucio’s possession. That’s when Garza came after him with a search warrant, said Guerra. (It probably didn’t help either that Guerra tried to get the county sheriff, district clerk, and county clerk all removed from office last week.) Guerra insists that Garza is a “monigote,” a not-very-nice Spanish word for puppet. “That’s why they hate me so much upstairs - because I’m not a puppet.”
There is something a little odd about Garza’s appointment. For one, he and Guerra have run against each other for Willacy County district attorney four times. Guerra has won the past three races - in ‘96, when he unseated Garza, 2000, and 2004. “The fact that I ran for district attorney … is water under the bridge,” Garza told the Valley Morning Star. But Garza, now a Justice of the Peace in Cameron County, also gave Lopez a $500 campaign contribution less than a year ago. You’d think Lopez could have found someone slightly more impartial. But hold on a minute, says Guerra, the conspiracy goes deeper still. “Who was the one who gave her the power? Who took out the other five judges? Eddie Lucio. That’s who hates me so much.”
I checked up on that claim and sure enough Lucio successfully passed a bill, SB 1620, in 2005 that replaced a six-judge rotation in Willacy County with one court presided over by Lopez. (The Senate Research Center wrote at the time that SB 1620 would save Willacy County over $60,000/year and create more judicial efficiency.) And, yes, Sen. Lucio and his son, state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, each made $500 to Lopez’s campaign in November 2005.
What this all adds up to is anyone’s guess. Willacy County has certainly had its fair share of county officials trotted off to jail for the most pathetically petty corruption and bribery crimes. Guerra was actually the guy who rooted out the last batch - a couple of county commissioners who took bribes from a prison company. Guerra insists he’s squeaky clean, but my sense is that it’s more of a matter of everybody being a little dirty. We’ll see who, if anyone, goes to jail.
February 15th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
The forces definitely seem aligned against Guerra in the shadiest of ways.
And what’s with these charges? $800 worth of cell phone reimbursements covering a year of use? Who cares? That is, unless cell phone technology hasn’t reached Raymondville yet — in which case that charge may have some validation.
Sounds more like Guerra may have some dirt on Lucio, who now must do whatever he can to make Guerra go away.
February 24th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I know Guerra very well. I was one of his first supporters from the beginning of his career as candidate for District Attorney. Former Carlos Truan was his main supporter. Carlos Truan is as corrupted just like Guerra. Guerra should not blame other politician for his wrong doing. He does not run a fair election. He threat people by telling them that if they are not in his side, that they are going to get it. That is one of many reasons I decided not to continue supporting him any longer. His only thinking for himself not for the people.The supporter that follow him are because he calls them. He tells them he needs his support, because if his out as a District Attorney, know one is going to help them get cases dismissed if their family get caught with drugs, break in homes,or killing someone. Murder cases have been dismissed,because he is not prepare or his not in town.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:55 pm
[…] stay out of jail. He was back in the county slammer on Thursday on corruption charges, following a February visit to county for blocking police from searching his […]
November 19th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Just a follow-up folks.
Guerra was cleared of all charges. Four days after the election.
Sen. Lucio brought this honest man down because Guerra was exposing & continues to expose a dirty deal regarding these massive detention centers and Vice-President Cheney.
You fools let yourselves be fooled by the criminal Repubs again.
I’m glad Bush is coming home to you.