The Ernie Hernandez dog-and-pony show is on.
That's right. Cameron County Precinct 2 commissioner Ernie Hernandez who is facing eight counts of public corruption charges on a grand jury indictment, has hired local attorney John Blaylock to run interference for him in case anyone want sot make disparaging comments about him during county meetings.
With Blaylock, this makes four attorneys that Hernandez has hired to represent him in as many months.
With Blaylock, this makes four attorneys that Hernandez has hired to represent him in as many months.
This is the same Hernandez who pleaded the Fifth Amendment right not to testify in case he incriminated himself during the trial of his former administrative assistant Raul Salazar who was convicted on two counts of official misconduct and one count of tampering with a government document in the 445th District Court presided by visiting judge Federico Hinojosa last November.
At the time, Hernandez had been subpoenaed to testify but declined saying that he was afraid he might make statements that might contradict some of the testimony he gave a grand jury that stretched for three hours.
Then, after taking the Fifth, he "misspoke" to the Brownsville Herald that he had been no-billed by the grand jury. Hinojosa had him hauled in and Hernandez promised not to make any more public statements about the case.
Hernandez last week was charged with two counts of abuse of official capacity, one count of misuse of official information, two counts of tampering with a witness, one count of tampering with government records, one count obstruction or retaliation and one count of coercion of a public servant.
Now that he has been indicted, he has sought out the newspaper where he said the indictments were politically motivated and that he questioned the timing of the charges.
He also had Blaylock appear on a local television station and mouth the same contentions. In a convoluted explanation on why the grand jury had issued the indictments, Blaylock said they stemmed from the last elections when Hernandez had backed Carlos Masso against Cameron County DA Luis Saenz. Blaylock also said the same happend when former DA Armando Villalobos filed charges against his predecessor Yolanda De Leon for helping his challenger Peter Zavaletta in the race against him.
What that has to do with the charges Hernandez is facing today is lost in the Blaylock translation.
The fact of the matter remains that no one believes that Hernandez had nothing to do with the illegal hiring of his brother-in-law Roberto Cadriel through the county's Civil Service process.
Testimony from numerous witnesses during Salazar's trial indicated that it was Hernandez who had suggested to Cadriel that he would help him get a job with the county, told him to see his administrative assistant, and then pressured county administrators at the Human Resources and International Bridge System to hire him and "move his application along."
And prosecutors believe they can prove to a jury that Hernandez was the moving force behind the scenes to force a HR employee to take the test for Cadriel after he flunked the test twice. They also say they can prove that he pressured the former HR director to give Salazar the answers to a written exam for Cadriel who passed it with a 96 after he forgot that he was supposed to miss six questions.
For now, the county will have to endure an indicted Hernandez filing the Pct. 2 seat to represent his constituents much as the county did when Villalobos refused to step aside after he was convicted on public corruption charges.
Only a felony conviction can remove Hernandez from office.
Meanwhile, the man who says he won;t speak, is certainly making a lot of noise.
Then, after taking the Fifth, he "misspoke" to the Brownsville Herald that he had been no-billed by the grand jury. Hinojosa had him hauled in and Hernandez promised not to make any more public statements about the case.
Hernandez last week was charged with two counts of abuse of official capacity, one count of misuse of official information, two counts of tampering with a witness, one count of tampering with government records, one count obstruction or retaliation and one count of coercion of a public servant.
Now that he has been indicted, he has sought out the newspaper where he said the indictments were politically motivated and that he questioned the timing of the charges.
He also had Blaylock appear on a local television station and mouth the same contentions. In a convoluted explanation on why the grand jury had issued the indictments, Blaylock said they stemmed from the last elections when Hernandez had backed Carlos Masso against Cameron County DA Luis Saenz. Blaylock also said the same happend when former DA Armando Villalobos filed charges against his predecessor Yolanda De Leon for helping his challenger Peter Zavaletta in the race against him.
What that has to do with the charges Hernandez is facing today is lost in the Blaylock translation.
The fact of the matter remains that no one believes that Hernandez had nothing to do with the illegal hiring of his brother-in-law Roberto Cadriel through the county's Civil Service process.
Testimony from numerous witnesses during Salazar's trial indicated that it was Hernandez who had suggested to Cadriel that he would help him get a job with the county, told him to see his administrative assistant, and then pressured county administrators at the Human Resources and International Bridge System to hire him and "move his application along."
And prosecutors believe they can prove to a jury that Hernandez was the moving force behind the scenes to force a HR employee to take the test for Cadriel after he flunked the test twice. They also say they can prove that he pressured the former HR director to give Salazar the answers to a written exam for Cadriel who passed it with a 96 after he forgot that he was supposed to miss six questions.
For now, the county will have to endure an indicted Hernandez filing the Pct. 2 seat to represent his constituents much as the county did when Villalobos refused to step aside after he was convicted on public corruption charges.
Only a felony conviction can remove Hernandez from office.
Meanwhile, the man who says he won;t speak, is certainly making a lot of noise.
8 comments:
Boy, Ernie Hernandez must have a lot of money to hire the likes of John "only do so much on your case as long as you pay" Blaylock. As usual, the usual comments, suspicious circumstances, targeted because of politics and not guilty of what is he's being accused of? Hey Ernie Hernandez, you pendejo! Armando Villalobos, Marc Rosenthal and others said the same thing until they pled or were found guilty by a jury of his peers. I think the only chance you have is if you have your trial moved to another county pass the Valley or another country!
Just political and legal posturing to delay any legal action until after the elections, with the hopes that they can turn this into "positive" publicity just by putting Hernandez's name out....to play the "pobrecito" card to the public. Blaylock...who can never seem to find the top button on his shirt...is trying already to connect this case to cases of political intimidation by the DA. Ernie Hernandez is a corrupt scumbag who continues to whine. With his debt to the IRS, and all his current problems, we must wonder who is paying the bills for him. Obviously Blaylock sees the publicity as part of his pay. It is pathetic that the local media (TV and papers) have given Blaylock and Hernandez much attention is this case....we can only assume there is no other news and they therefore provide free publicity to Hernandez to whine for public sympathy.
Well Well, Hey Montoya, Bobby W. is requesting that could you please stop saying truths about Ernie at least 2 months more, Bobby W. still needs to buy some glass butterflies and an IPAD for his lover, he needs the money he is supposed to receive from Ernie as a payment to defend him on his comatose blog. Leave him collect 2 mo re checks PLEASE.
Dags and El Pinche Gringo
BWC has gone beyond all bounds of surrealism. He is beyond cosmic on his level of logic in his latest rants. It is getting harder and harder to understand what, exactly, he is trying to say. Must be the morphine, or the low testosterone levels, but at least he can still walk around with a woody with no problem. I am sure that certain of his "readers" can appreciate that.
The rambling rant that Blaylock gave in the local media the other day about DeLeon, Villalobos, Rosenthal, and everyone else he could think of sounded just a bit delusional!
Ernie had better hope that he's more convincing to a jury!
Assistant DA
demands apology
for misinformation
To the Editor:
I just finished reading your article regarding indicted County Commissioner Ernie Hernandez, and the comments made by his defense attorney after a recent Commissioners Court meeting. I feel it is necessary to address the misinformation spouted by Mr. Blaylock in regards to indictments, and ask that he retract his statements, or at least apologize for insulting the members of our community who go out of their way to effectively serve as Grand Jurors. Maybe when he was a prosecutor, Mr. Blaylock would indict a ham sandwich. But I can assure you and the citizens of Cameron County that the Grand Jurors serving under this term who returned a True Bill on Mr. Hernandez are not mere puppets of the District Attorney’s Office, but necessary and vital actors who hear evidence and independently make the determination on whether a matter should proceed through the court system. As the felony intake supervisor, I present cases to the Grand Jury, and I cannot overemphasize the importance of their role in ensuring that cases are not politically motivated or prosecuted improperly. To insinuate that they act otherwise is insulting to them and demeaning to the position of Grand Juror.
I hope your readers follow Mr. Blaylock’s advice to keep an open mind, and realize a defense attorney’s comments are designed to further the client’s case, whether based on fact, or not.
Evan Robbins,
Assistant District Attorney
for Cameron County
Though the grand jury was set up to restrain the government from bringing baseless charges, it is highly unusual for a grand jury to refuse to indict whomever the prosecutor chooses. That’s because the grand jury, as opposed to the regular jury that will determine the final verdict, hears only from the prosecutor. The jury, therefore, is only allowed to hear what the prosecutor wants it to hear. When you hear only one side of a story, it is easy to believe it, but things often look very different when you are allowed to hear from the other side.
The prosecutor is free to present whatever evidence he thinks make the strongest case and leave out facts that may weaken his case. The prosecutor is allowed to speak, but the defense is not. The prosecutor controls the entire process; the defense lawyer isn’t even in the room.
pal bote carnal con raul salazar thats were these 2 dudues belong in. Muerto el pero y se acaba la rabia.
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