By Juan Montoya
Even as scandal erupts over the county vending machine contract that Precinct 2 commissioner Ernie Hernandez says is not his but his daughter Erin's, questions surrounding the propriety of her involvement with a political candidate are surfacing as she makes a run for the justice of the peace slot vacated by the death of the late Tony Torres.
State law seems to show that lendingone's name to any political candidate when one is a member of the judiciary (municipal judge, magistrate, couty court-at-law, etc.)
is a violation of the canons of judicial conduct.
Erin is listed as the municipal judge of Primera, Texas.
State law seems to show that lendingone's name to any political candidate when one is a member of the judiciary (municipal judge, magistrate, couty court-at-law, etc.)
is a violation of the canons of judicial conduct.
Erin is listed as the municipal judge of Primera, Texas.
Yet, in the past city elections, she is listed as the campaign treasurer of city commissioner John Villarreal in his campaign literature.
The City of Brownsville's webpage captioned the photograph adjacent to this article thus: "JOHN L. VILLARREAL, with his family looking on, takes his oath of office from Primera Municipal Court Judge Erin Hernandez Garcia. Villarreal was elected to complete the remaining two years of the term of District 4 Commissioner Edward C. Camarillo, who gave up his seat to run for mayor. As District 4 Commissioner, Villarreal will largely represent the western part of Brownsville."
The City of Brownsville's webpage captioned the photograph adjacent to this article thus: "JOHN L. VILLARREAL, with his family looking on, takes his oath of office from Primera Municipal Court Judge Erin Hernandez Garcia. Villarreal was elected to complete the remaining two years of the term of District 4 Commissioner Edward C. Camarillo, who gave up his seat to run for mayor. As District 4 Commissioner, Villarreal will largely represent the western part of Brownsville."
Canon 5 of the Texas Judicial Code states:
A judge or judicial candidate shall not authorize the public use of his or her name endorsing another candidate for any public office, except that either may indicate support for a political party. A judge or judicial candidate may attend political events and express his or her views on political matters in accord with this Canon and Canon 3B(10). (2) Any judge who violates this Code shall be subject to sanctions by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. (3) Any lawyer who is a candidate seeking judicial office who violates Canon 5 or other relevant provisions of this Code is subject to disciplinary action by the State Bar of Texas.
There are sanctions but they are not stated in the canons. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct investigates complaints against judges fromJP's to Municipal Judges all the way to District Judges and even appellate and retired judges. apparently, Erin is not the only one flaunting the law. We understand that several local attorneys have received phone calls from judge Leonel Alejandro asking for their support forMaria DeFord, one of the candidates for District Attorney.
Locally, lawyers have garnered themselves a bad name recently and many more apparently are in the gunsights of federal investigators. Whether it's Abel Limas, Ray Marchan, Jim Solis, or others (Erin Hernandez?) their rank flouting of the law seems to dare the feds to give them a closer look.
A judge or judicial candidate shall not authorize the public use of his or her name endorsing another candidate for any public office, except that either may indicate support for a political party. A judge or judicial candidate may attend political events and express his or her views on political matters in accord with this Canon and Canon 3B(10). (2) Any judge who violates this Code shall be subject to sanctions by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. (3) Any lawyer who is a candidate seeking judicial office who violates Canon 5 or other relevant provisions of this Code is subject to disciplinary action by the State Bar of Texas.
There are sanctions but they are not stated in the canons. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct investigates complaints against judges fromJP's to Municipal Judges all the way to District Judges and even appellate and retired judges. apparently, Erin is not the only one flaunting the law. We understand that several local attorneys have received phone calls from judge Leonel Alejandro asking for their support forMaria DeFord, one of the candidates for District Attorney.
Locally, lawyers have garnered themselves a bad name recently and many more apparently are in the gunsights of federal investigators. Whether it's Abel Limas, Ray Marchan, Jim Solis, or others (Erin Hernandez?) their rank flouting of the law seems to dare the feds to give them a closer look.
14 comments:
Excellent post, the Hernadez are corrupted to the bone. Let me count the ways!!!.
Keep digging, there is more. Good work Emma Peres-Trevino. Good work indeed.
Seems as if Ernie Hernandez is seeking to displace Gilberto Hinojosa as the most corrupt member of the Dumbokratic Party. Ernie Hernandez is a snake and cannot be trusted to serve the people...he serves his own ego. These public project signs that are being put up with his name on it are an example. Perhaps citizens need to place similar signs on trash piles that have not been picked up in his district or drainage ditches that have not been cleared of brush and garbage for over 15 years. Ernie is too busy with politics and not busy enough serving the citizens. As far as his daughter, well I guess an "acorn doesn't fall far from the tree" is a good analogy.
Judges in Cameron County are politicos and they protect politicos. Alejandro is such a character. Cameron County judges , The DA and the Sheriff define the law and enforce the law in terms of their interests....any Canons.
Voteout Omar lucio he taunted his corruption when he gave Rick Zayas and his boy Little Cortez the commassiary. the current DA villalobos simply do not vote for him. He is not a civic servant he only serves his friends or in my opinion the higest bidder.
Judges should be impartial and should not get politically involved in other races. Sure they have a right to vote for a particular candidate but when they are actually making calls on behalf of a candidate regardless of who it is...that is just plain wrong! Who investigates these judges? Where do you file a complaint against them?
Didn't Judge Alejandro learn from what is happening to Judge Limas? If you play with fire you are going to get burned! The Feds should open up an investigation. Let the FBI investigate and present it to a federal grand jury.
A district judge meddling in the DA's race!!!! What's up with that?! When is he up for re-election? time for another change!
Now we know why george gavito resigned:
http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=654446#.TlK9vus5s0s
Welcome to club fed george
What a shame, Cameron county is more corrupted than Hidalgo, I guess Ernie Hernandez is our Sylvia Handy.
What do you expect from these bozos of Cameron County. Ernie you stole an election I mean you say you were elected and it didnt take you that long to start doing your shit as a commissioner thinking your your above the law and can do whatever you want cause your a commissioner. Keep it up Ernie and your will end up get convicted like former commissioner Tivi Valencia or end up in federal prison with Conrado Cantu. And your wife and daugher might end up convicted to for perjury and obstuction of justice. Cant believe your daughter is an attorney and hasnt advised you of such. But then again she is an attorney so it doesnt suprise me that she is a liar and a cheat. After all she is an attorney and thats what attorneys are known for.
Watch out Cameron County!!! Hernandez family is nothing more than a bunch of snakes that lie, cheat and milk the system for their own financial gain!!!
Damn these Family, they are showing their true colors.
You can hardly blame Erin, Her Mom and Daddy have modeled for her. She does not know any other way to be. Children learn from their parents.
We keep electing these people because no one dares to run against them, so it is always the lesser of two evils. Ruben Pena was not any better and his wife is no help poor guy he would have done better on his own.
Ruben don't run any more for anything you are not the better candidate.
who hired the d-i-l?
Post a Comment