Friday, May 16, 2014

THE AD THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD WOULD NOT RUN


(Ed.'s Note: When the Brownsville Herald has was sued for publishing a political ad listing the names of people not prosecuted for child abuse, it had its lawyers cite bible and verse defending itself with the First Amendment and the right of the public to know. Yet, the ad below was to be paid by a Yolanda Begum supporter questioning a serious lapse of judgement by Jonathan Gracia, Begum's opponent in the JP 2-2 runoff election. Even when the documentation was provided to the new publisher Frank Escobedo, he still refused them the space and demanded a letter of release by the person buying the ad. The backup consisted of a police complaint, below, and certified copies of the transcripts of Gracia's testimony in the Armando Villalobos corruption trial). It's funny how the First Amendment only applies to the newspaper and not the public at large. We print the ad below as a public service and a form of community self defense.)  
By Juan Sifuentes
THE JONATHAN GRACIA-ARMANDO VILLALOBOS CONNECTION  
We’ve all seen the slick campaign signs and mail-outs of JP 2-2 candidate Jonathan Gracia. But do we know the real candidate?
On December 2009, Jonathan Gracia was Asst. District Attorney, Felony Second Chair, appointed by now-convicted D.A. Armando Villalobos, a position of high responsibility.
On the night of December 11, Brownsville Police Dept. officers received a call about a 27-year-old woman running barefoot on the expressway frontage road crying for help (See full report at right. Click to enlarge).
When they found her at the hospital she was disoriented and highly intoxicated.
She said she met Jonathan Gracia at nightclub and then both went to another night spot and were drinking heavily before she drove both of them to a motel. She told officers she grew afraid of him and ran barefoot out of the room seeking help. She appeared disoriented and could not recall why she was afraid of him or why she fled from the room.
Officers found Gracia asleep on a sofa in the motel room and he told police he did not know what happened to the woman.
They learned that he was an Asst. District Attorney under Villalobos and they took the report and closed the case.
Gracia was in a position of high responsibility to protect victims, prosecute criminals, and to uphold the integrity of that office. His failure to do that could be interpreted – at best – a serious lapse of judgment, and at worst…an attempt to seduce a helpless woman.
PROBATION FOR A VIOLENT DOMESTIC ABUSER
As Felony Second Chair, Gracia was given the authority to order prosecutors under him to try defendants for serious crimes, including domestic and sexual abuse of women.
Gracia was subpoenaed to testify in the Villalobos trial about why probation was granted in the case of Hervey Roel. Roel was awaiting trial for aggravated assault of his common-law wife (10-CCR-3003-C) when he was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon for stabbing her on the neck repeatedly with a pair of scissors (10-CCR-1001-E). While awaiting trial for that assault, he was implicated in a murder case.
On the stand, Gracia couldn’t even recall how many times the woman had been stabbed in the second assault.
--------------------------------------------
US Atty. MICHAEL J. WYNNE: What were the general facts in the second case?
GRACIA: After the first case, which was a beating, the second case was – involved a pair of scissors Mr. Roel had taken to the neck of his common-law wife.
WYNNE: Do you remember how many stabbings it was?
GRACIA: I believe it was one stabbing directly in the center of the back of her neck.
--------------------------------------------
WYNNE: I’m going to show that (exhibit) to the jury then. Okay. What is it Mr. Gracia?
GRACIA: Those – that looks like (the victim) and the different puncture wounds that she suffered.”

As Felony Second Chair, Gracia was in a position to protest when Villalobos chose to give Roel probation at the request of his friend Oscar De La Fuente. He did nothing. The case was later dismissed.
Gracia can claim to be “dedicated public servant” in his political ads, but the truth belies this claim. In both cases cited above, women (the victims) do not fare well. My family and I urge you to vote for Yolanda Begum in this runoff for JP 2-2.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who gives a shit, Juan? You're rotting, dude. LOL!!!

Anonymous said...

The "I don't give a Chit" Naco element is at it again.

Anonymous said...

You continue to give the Herald credit as a news journal.....it is not. The Brownsville Herald is the new "Bargain Book" and avoiding political controversy sells shit.....and they are more interested in advertising revenue than news. We all need to understand that if you want news, go the the internet, not to the Herald.

Anonymous said...

The Feds didn't give a chit-pot on the small-shits surrounding Village Wolves. They wanted him because he was a Big-Shit. This indicates they cherry-pick big Shits for profile cases; just like the IRS does.

Anonymous said...

It is clear whoever wrote this ad has no clue of how things run at the CCDA's Office, and are basing their write up on nothing but assumptions. First chairs run the court, and second chairs do what they are instructed to do by their supervisors.

Anonymous said...

Yikes.

Anonymous said...

Just like a choir group. You have first chairs and second chairs.

Anonymous said...

Just when I was a Fed, I was always a 3rd chair. That's why I survived. I would allow the 1st chairs to take the hits when they screwed up ; and that was the majority of the time.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like this guy HATES WOMEN!!!

Sad.

The Herald is a whitewash, they enable Villalobos and Hernandez types to get reelected. Back in the day. Now El rrun rrun gets more hits, no doubt.

Anonymous said...

I don't vote for candidates with a criminal past. Wish the Herald do their job?

Anonymous said...

First the guys says he's an EXPERIENCED public servant

Now he was just an underling, Villalobos little 2nd chair, just following orders?

which is it?

Anonymous said...

The Nazi defense = "I was just following orders"

Anonymous said...

Yoli is lucky that the herald did not run this bull shit. It would have benefited Gracia. Her campaign manager is just as clueless as she is. Managing failed family businesses is her only experience. I know little about Gracia but I know enough not to vote for alex bigum.

Anonymous said...

does it mean that he did not make any decisions on his own? he just followed orders? no wonder he has no common sense, that incident with the girl is proof of very bad judgement

Anonymous said...

In that case, long live the 3rd chairs !Def

Anonymous said...

The Prosecution Chamber really doesn't give a shit -pot whether the defendant is Guilty or Innocent . They want you guilty for Brownie points. Take it from a retired prosecutor.

Anonymous said...

Yolanda Begum has my vote.
Yolanda Begum has my family's Vote.
Yolanda Begum has my neighbor's vote.
Yolanda Begum has my co-worker's vote.

Anonymous said...

As much as people want to dismiss this i formation, it is valid, the man is showing misogyniistic tendencies, as a woman i find it relevant

Anonymous said...

No more Villalobos. Thank you for printing this.

Anonymous said...

Wolves are a protected population by the U.S. Govt.

rita