Well, just when we thought we knew everything about the relationship between Juan Magallanes, the Democratic Party’s candidate for the 357th District Court bench, and convicted former 404th District Judge Abel Limas, trust the indefatigable Emma Perez-Treviño to do us one better.
Magallanes, who is facing District Judge Oscar X. Garcia in the Nov. 4 General Election, guaranteed two bank loans and made a loan to Limas entailing $205,000 combined, Emma wrote.
It is something that Magallanes says he can't remember or perhaps he chooses not to at this critical juncture in the campaign.
This was separate from the $30,000 loan Magallanes made to Limas in return for an acre of land. The existence of that loan made in 2005 was revealed by Limas during his testimony in the Ray Marchan bribery trail. At the time, Magallanes had a case before Limas and LImas stated that it was probably "unethical" that he didn't notify the opposing counsel of the personal loand from Magallanes.
Emma uncovered bank records that show that Magallanes on Jan. 25, 2000, guaranteed a $170,000 loan to Limas and his wife from the International Bank of Commerce.
Magallanes said his records don't show that transaction.
“I was not able to locate my file which contained documents and notes aside from what you have,” Magallanes told Emma Friday. “Without it, I am fuzzy on why I had a limited involvement with this transaction. So – I am at your pen’s mercy,” Magallanes added.
This was in addition to the $25,000 loan from the International Bank of Commerce in February 2000, that was guaranteed up to $5,000 each by Magallanes, attorney Leonel Alejandro – now a retired district judge, attorney and former Brownsville Mayor Eddie Treviño of the then-law firm of Magallanes, Hinojosa and Treviño, attorney Ernesto Gamez Jr., who was Limas’ campaign spokesman at the time, and Limas’ brother Fabian Limas.
Limas began to campaign in July 1999 when he announced his candidacy and throughout 2000 for the newly-created 404th District Court bench. Limas served on the bench from 2001 through 2008.
He is now serving a six-year sentence for racketeering in a federal penitentiary for taking bribes from attorneys in ex-change for favorable court rulings.
Magallanes said he was as shocked and dismayed as everyone to have learned of Limas’ racketeering schemes.
He said he never suspected Limas of wrongdoing. “I’m not his keeper. We didn’t frequent each other,” Magallanes said, noting that he rarely saw him.
“I was not able to locate my file which contained documents and notes aside from what you have,” Magallanes told Emma Friday. “Without it, I am fuzzy on why I had a limited involvement with this transaction. So – I am at your pen’s mercy,” Magallanes added.
This was in addition to the $25,000 loan from the International Bank of Commerce in February 2000, that was guaranteed up to $5,000 each by Magallanes, attorney Leonel Alejandro – now a retired district judge, attorney and former Brownsville Mayor Eddie Treviño of the then-law firm of Magallanes, Hinojosa and Treviño, attorney Ernesto Gamez Jr., who was Limas’ campaign spokesman at the time, and Limas’ brother Fabian Limas.Limas began to campaign in July 1999 when he announced his candidacy and throughout 2000 for the newly-created 404th District Court bench. Limas served on the bench from 2001 through 2008.
He is now serving a six-year sentence for racketeering in a federal penitentiary for taking bribes from attorneys in ex-change for favorable court rulings.
Magallanes said he was as shocked and dismayed as everyone to have learned of Limas’ racketeering schemes.
He said he never suspected Limas of wrongdoing. “I’m not his keeper. We didn’t frequent each other,” Magallanes said, noting that he rarely saw him.
This is markedly different from the testimony Limas gave from the stand.
In 2005, after Limas had been in office for one four-year term and was embarking on a second one, the partners heard he was thinking of resigning his bench.
During the Ray Marchan trial, Limas told prosecutors that he had told them he wasn't going to resign and they talked him out of it.
LIMAS : "I was going to resign in 2005. I had a letter for Gov. Rick Perry in 2005.
ASST. U.S. Atty. "And they told you don't resign. Please don't resign."
LIMAS: "Yeah, they told me not to resign. They didn't tell me 'Don't resign. We'll do this for you.' No. They encouraged me not to resign. And I said 'I'm going to resign.'"
In 2005, after Limas had been in office for one four-year term and was embarking on a second one, the partners heard he was thinking of resigning his bench.
During the Ray Marchan trial, Limas told prosecutors that he had told them he wasn't going to resign and they talked him out of it.
LIMAS : "I was going to resign in 2005. I had a letter for Gov. Rick Perry in 2005.
ASST. U.S. Atty. "And they told you don't resign. Please don't resign."
LIMAS: "Yeah, they told me not to resign. They didn't tell me 'Don't resign. We'll do this for you.' No. They encouraged me not to resign. And I said 'I'm going to resign.'"
10 comments:
I'm sure that both of this gentlemen are good individuals,I just dispprove of their muddling.Stop smearing each other and tell us why your're the best candidate.They both have the qualifications to be a Judge but,give us your stand on how you would judge.I don't care on what he did or what you have done. Both of you have made bad judgements in our lifetime.Define yourselfs honorably.Give us a real reason to vote for your candidacy.Be a real man.
Exposing someones association with criminals is fair game, and then pretending it never happen is fair game as well.
What plausible reason can a district judge offer for your vote, quotes, like together we can make a difference. Relect Poncho longoria to the 844 court, common Anon, your comments make no sense.
The smell factor here really stinks. Come on you all,dont you get it.
How the hell are you not going to remember you loaned someone that amount of money? We dont need this man in office.
Its over for this dude.
I'm at the mercy of your pen, what an idiotic answer. He should had played Clinton. I don't recall.
At the mercy of your pen? Wtf
Democrats lets rally with Oscar Garcia.
WOW! Did he ever think that all these loans and his association with Limas would never surface? The answers he gave in that article wer so incriminating.
OSCAR X GARCIA IS LOOKING VERY GOOD NOW.
Magallenes sure is getting a lot of help from the DA. His day will come. Could it be that they are compadres?
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