Friday, June 8, 2012

AT THE MARCHAN TRIAL: CALABAZAS AND ORANGES

By Juan Montoya
Let's see if we got this right.
In the Marchan trial, federal government prosecutors say Person A and Person B loaned disgraced 404th District judge Abel Limas X amount of money as a loan and had ex-parte conversations with him while they had cases before him.
Now, let's say Person A (Ray Marchan) said the money he had given Limas were loans and stated as much on the personal checks he made him.
And let's say that a certain Person B (say Charles Willette) said that his contributions to Limas were also "loans."
The federal government says the money Marchan gave Limas were bribes, and consider the $1,300 Willete gave him as just an innocent "loan."
As a matter of fact, local attorney Michael Young also "loaned" Limas another $1,300 and a $100 chip in Las Vegas.
Attorney Juan Magallanes, who also had cases before Limas, took a 1.3 acre lot in Fort Bend to as payment from Limas for a $30,000 "loan."
Limas also got a $3,000 loan from lawyer Oscar De la Fuentes, a name that court observers have often linked to former D.A. Armando Villalobos and Judge David Gonzales, formerly the DA's Chief Felony Prosecutor.
Marchan had also been "nice enough" to provide him with the use of his condominium on the island.
And local legal eagle Ernesto Gamez took over a property Limas owed some $68,000 on in Harlingen as a favor to the judge who was has sat (or was sitting?) in some of his cases.
And District Judge Arturo Nelson "understood" that he was to "play dumb" and provide a continuance for Limas' friend Joseph Moreno.
So what is the difference between Marchan and all the rest of the pack who provided Limas with "loans" he admitted he never paid back and favorable rulings in their courts?
Could it be perhaps that Willete and Young really meant it when they said they had made "loans" and played ball with the federal prosecutors and Marchan didn't? And what about the rest? Is the federal government differentiating between calabazas and oranges? Or is it rotten apples?

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I say rotten apples. Ewwiiee, I have a feeling there is more in stock heading our way. Too many chuecos, Cameron county legal system is way beyond repair.

Anonymous said...

I agree rotten apples bad to the core all the barrel

Anonymous said...

Hey Juan, if memory serves me correct Willette was NEVER named as one of the indicted "persons A-B-C-D" and all, he actually was not at all. This is pretty damning and horribly inaccurate accusation, am I wrong?

Anonymous said...

"Former Limas associate Jose Manuel Longoria, 57, was arrested Thursday on a charge of wire fraud, and a comparison of Limas’ indictment and the complaint against Longoria shows that he is Person B of the indictment"

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/former-124727-judge-license.html

(9th Paragraph)

And not even that he's simply not "Person B" as you indicate but I'm almost certainly sure he was never named in any of the indictments as any of the "Persons". Again am I remembering wrong or do you know more than what the Herald has been publishing ?

Anonymous said...

Only the local Dumbokrats could come up with this kind of logic....there is no fraud....just loans. WOW....that means that Aurora de la Garza's son Joey didn't defraud the local hospice...he loaned himself their money. The the 21 million dollars for the "Bridge to Nowhere" at the Port, was just a "loan". And, when people rob banks, they are taking out loans....not stealing. This is a great way to reduce crime...just change the definition. Get the local media in on this..."Man borrows beer from a convenience store." What a place we have here.

Anonymous said...

What is the difference between Marchan and the other lawyers mentioned as giving gifts and making loans to Limas? That is the question right?

The difference is the Feds can PROVE through wiretaps that Marchan gave the money in return for ad litem appointments and other rulings and influence. Are the others just as guilty, probably, but probably won't cut it in court. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is what cuts it in court.

Limas has rolled over on Marchan because the Feds have him IMarchan) cold. If the Feds could prove it on the others, Limas would roll over on them as well.

Meanwhile, the drama, investigations and deals continue. Word on the street is, at least a dozen more indictments will be forthcoming, as soon as the Feds have them dead center cold. The Fat Lady ain't sung yet!

Anonymous said...

Is the public allowed to attend this case?

Anonymous said...

Can the public attend this case?

Anonymous said...

Limas should do the honorable thing of putting a revolver to his head and pulling the trigger. The man is scum. Ray Marchan SHAME ON YOU. Charles Willette SHAME ON YOU. Juan Magallanes SHAME ON YOU. Arturo Cisneros Nelson SHAME ON YOU AND SHAME ON ME for voting for you. Ernesto Gamez SHAME ON YOU. Oscar De La Fuente SHAME ON YOU. Rest assured that I have filed a complaint against all you mother fuckers with the State Bar of Texas disciplinary committee.

Anonymous said...

Pura caca but aall these attorneys got away with the money, willette just retired, art nelson just won again and nothing anyone can do about it, right gilberto???

Anonymous said...

Hey wasn't Mayor Tony Martinez telling us to vote for Arturo Cisneros Nelson? And wasn't Tony Martinez son the treasurer for Armando Villalobos? And is his wife still backing Denise "Solomon Ortiz" Blancard? FFFFUCK NO!!

Gilberto Hinojosa II, with crazier hair!!

Anonymous said...

Yes all hearings are Public

Anonymous said...

It is an acknowledge fact by Lawyers outside of the Valley that unless you hire "local counsel" down here, that has access to the Judge, then your client stands no chance of a fair shake in court.

The Judicial system down here is controled by a clique of "compadres" and the Limas case has made public what has been known for a very, very long time by the Legal Community.

When Darrel Hester retired from the Bench, the last straight arrow judge in Cameron County was gone.

The people that suffer, are those who don't have an attorney in the courthouse mafia. There is no way for the people to have justice and fair play in Cameron or Hidalgo counties.

Anonymous said...

I wish this all had come out before I voted for Arturo "Cisneros" Nelson.

Anonymous said...

Bribes for money is horrible from any one especially a Judge, loans are bullshit terms for Bribes! I voted for Judge Nelson and don't feel regret. He was recorded saying "understood" and gave a continuance...who cares, continuances are a normal thing in all courts. Playing dumb is not a requirement for a continuance. Until my voted officials are in the court room I stand by my vote.

Anonymous said...

Nelson is still one hundred times better than that crazy woman Farias.

Anonymous said...

The government is reaching for anything to hang our legal system in Brownsville. We should stand by them and treat our officials like we would want to be treated...innocent till proven guilty. Fuck people stuck by fucking O.J. through a murder trial and he does nothing for the community. Guilty verdict and admissions of guilt are what are going to make me judge or community servants.

Anonymous said...

Is communication within our legal system illegal? Money for judgements is, but phone calls and conversations to every attorney and staff member at the court house seems a little excessive. Some mentioned in the reports here and in the Herald are obviously guilty but others are getting their reputations and careers stained by the "guilty by association" standard.

Anonymous said...

let's not forget the scam that zayas and ric navarro pulled on the taxpayers of bisd.....around 400,000 dollars.............these two guys deserve indictments.....

Anonymous said...

Judge Nelson made a ruling as a favor to Limas, not based on the merits of the case. This is a gross breech of judicial conduct. Continuances are commom, but certainly not the norm in all courts and in all circumstances.

Art Nelson, former Gringo kid, now Judge Arturo Cisneros Nelson is a disgrace to the bench and to his profession.

Anonymous said...

As a first hand observer in the courtroom this past week I can say the FBI's audio tapes clearly indicate that Marchan's "loan" was a bribe. There is absolutely no doubt about it.

Anonymous said...

I too was in court listening to the crazy rants of star witness Limas and 2 things are for certain, the facts:

1. Marchan gave a check, says "loan on it" to Limas

and

2. Limas says 10 to 12 other cash payments to him from other attorneys were all loans.

Marchan is not guilty of a bribe but of making a loan to limas. No crime here unless all 10 other attorneys are charged.

Not Guilty ! Not Guilty ! Not Guilty !

The Jury wont believe a word Limas says ! !

Anonymous said...

Why did Marchan make the "loan" to Lima's wife if it was just a loan?? No se agan los tontos. You know it was a bribe but want to convince yourselves otherwise. "The easiest person to fool is yourself" said a wise man.

rita