Sometime back, a relative a a U.S. Customs agent was stopped by the Texas Department of Public Safety (los zorillos) near La Feria after he was clocked a few miles above the speed limit as he hurried back home to Brownsville from his job near Edinburg.
When the state trooper had him roll down his window he caught a whiff of the unmistakable odor of burning cannabis.
The DPS troopers forgive nothing, not even a small pipe full of pot and the twentysomething-year-old was led in handcuffs to the Rucker-Carrizales Detention Center in Olmito and charged with simple possession.
When his relatives learned that he was awaiting arraignment at the jail and that since it was Saturday and the Labor Day holiday long weekend approached, it might be until Tuesday that a magistrate would be available to set bond on him. With him scheduled to show up for work, they were desperate to have him released. Not showing up could have meant his firing once his boss found out that he had been busted with pot, even if he was a first offender.
Alas, no bondsman (though they have the magistrates' cell phone numbers) could get hold of either one of them (Adolfo E. Cordova and Alfredo Padilla) so that the defendant could be released to await his trial on the possession charges.In desperation, through their law enforcement contacts, they turned to Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio to see if he could help.
But not even Lucio could get hold of them and he had his staff try to get hold of a justice of the peace to set bond.
Fortunately for the young man, one of them (former JP Erin Garcia) did answer and drove from South Padre Island to set bond on the man.
Remember our post on the sweet deal that the two magistrates out at Rucker-Carrizales have worked out so that they rotate so they can spend the minimum amount of time at the calaboose and yet rack in an hourly rate of more than $425 per hour?
At the princely sum of $42,500 a piece for a grand total of $85,000 a year for both, their hourly rate based upon the actual time when they punch in and out, taxpayers are [paying the two more like $426 per hour.
And that's not all. Not only do these two magistrates (Adolfo E. Cordova and Alfredo Padilla) punch in as little as seven minutes a day (Padilla, April 13) but they also apparently worked out a system where both of them don't have to be there at the same time. On a day when Padilla shows up to do the heavy lifting, Cordova didn't show. Vice versa, when Cordova showed up, Padilla didn't. Pretty sweet, uh?
In fact, both are paid full-time and end up working 26 weeks of the 52 annually.
When Cordova was confronted with this evidence, he complained to the commissioners that since he was on call during the time when he wasn't at Rucker-Carrizales, he was "sacrificing on his golf game and his fishing" to answer the calls.
It gets sweeter.
Padilla and Cordova are also working as attorneys, the magistrate gig is something they do on the side.
In the case of Padilla, during the hearing on county employees salaries, it was revealed that since January to the end of August, 2014, he had racked $41,427 in ad litem fees, payments made to attorneys assigned by judges to represent indigent defendants.
And a cursory look at the printout presented to commissioners indicates that when he comes to the table, he serves himself well. On at least six dates during that time span, he racked up as many as six ad litem assignments in the courts in one day.
On May 13, for example, he received checks for his six assignments of $205, $3,536, $150, $1,100, $210, and $430. That's $5,631 for one day's work.
On another day, June 28, he drew a sweet $4,295.
This July 26, a midsummer's day dream, he got $7,843 to handle five ad litem cases.
Cordova, not as hungry as his counterpart, has only garnered $1,000 in such fees since 2012.
So on top of the $425 per hour that Padilla is racking up as a magistrate, he is also cleaning up on the ad litem appointments. No wonder he wasn't available this weekend to do a simple arraignment that would take a few minutes at most. Regardless of the defendant's innocence or guilt, he could have lost his job, suffered acute embarrassment with his family and friends, and cost the taxpayers extra if he had stayed in jail until the errant magistrates deigned to return to do their jobs and set bond on him.
Today, when commissioners had the item of the magistrates' pay on their agenda, neither of the gents showed up to explain their side gigs or tell their side of the story. However, commissioners did question Chief Deputy Gus Reyna on the subject and Reyna (somewhat on the curt side) simply said: "They never show up."
Well, will the commissioners' court do anything under the new Pete Sepulveda administrtion?
17 comments:
Al Padilla is a corrupted bitch.
Erin Garcia went and magistrated the young man. I have been told by reliable sources that she goes when called upon to magistrate.
How else is Padilla going to earn a living if he doesn't half-ass represent those that have no monetary resources?
Padilla is protected by Luis Saenz. That is why he gets so many court appointments, but he is getting paid to be a full time magistrate. Why is this not a crime? What is the diffrence if a County Court Judge or a District Court Judge take time off of their duties and make a little money on the side by being a public defender? If Erin Garcia or LInda Salazar would double dip like this, they would be hung from the highest tree. Why not the magistrates? I guess it is alright for a county employee to get a second job without having to worry to perform the duties.....nice racket. the coruption continues!
Big deal that Erin Garcia magistrated some guy? He must have been a big time crook with someone who knows her crooked dad, Ernie. As for Padilla? He's just fat lazy!
While I don't agree with the magistrate's pay, we are forgetting about the main person & thing.....This young man broke the law! Had he not placed himself in this position.....he wouldn't be in jail.....Come on Juan, let's face it, if you were given an easy government job.....you would be on it right away without a single complaint!
So county employees can't get a big enough pay raise because these fat fucks are getting all this money to do nothing. It's time for commissioners to cut the fat.
You're right! This man broke the law and would not be in that situation otherwise. However, we are paying these magistrates to do a job and they should be doing it. Now multiply the number of people that could be released earlier had a magistrate been there. Who's paying for that? We the taxpayers are!!! So, bottom line is these magistrates should be doing their job regardless.
Heckel and Jeckel chose to accept the appointment of magistrates.. and they can also maintain other full time job... the problem is that they are never there to magistrate .. the justice of the peace are called up to do their duties.. on weekends and late nite.. and what about their staff they are out and about on paid county time doing nothing. why do they need a staff if they are never there to magistrate? those positions should be abolished ... not worth the money the county is spending to keep them on the payroll. Jails are still overcrowed.
Everybody read that Editorial by our County Judge Carlos Cascos! Now, that's a politician who is trying to watch the taxpayer dollar! Then, you have a dumb lard ass bitch in Elia Cornhole Lopez who wants a hefty raise? One of the dumbest judges on the bench and she couldn't figure out what Cascos was trying to do in maintaining the county budget!
Did I miss something here? Are other people arraigned immediately? Why was this person? Because he knew someone, who knew someone. Does anyone else see that as a problem?
Your a dick Cascos
What a disgrace that these judges and civil servants come asking for monies at every twist and turn! They should be ashamed. Typical burrocrats feeding a the public trough! SHAME.
If you don't like what the job pays...go find ANOTHER one and see how well you do. In the REAL WORLD of the private sector, none of these people would still have jobs!
what about us the ones that really go to work 40 hrs a week. Barely earn enough money for gas to be able to go to work to keep the county going. Have not had a pay raise in over 5 years........Oooooh well!!!! we are not elected officials nor related or compadres of the TOP guys. We just have to suck it up cause We NEED OUR JOB!!!!!!!!!!... Wish we really had some good leaders that would be concern about us little people too, not just about themselves...
Anonymous said... Eliminate the positions and resort back the duties to the Justice of the Peace.
Sheriff? Judges? Magistrates? Have you no shame?
Juan You need to monitor this week when the Sheriff and Constable Gomez and JP Sally Gonzalez approach the court for more raises to their pay. and has already planned to seek reelection at the age 84 The Sheriff wants 25,000.00 more and is not happy with his present pay. But he wont let go,
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