MATTINGLY BECOMES WLLACY BORDER CRIME CZAR

(The last time we heard about Chuck Mattingly he was the Republican candidate for District Attorney in the 2012 General election. Now we hear that he has hooked up with another former ADA, Willacy County District Attorney Bernard Ammerman, to combat crime in the border county of Willacy (?). Looks like the former chief deputy attorney under former Cameron County DA Armando Villalobos has found himself a niche there.)

By Fernando Del Valle

 Valley Morning Star

RAYMONDVILLE — The Willacy County District Attorney’s Office told county commissioners last Wednesday that it had hired Cameron County’s former chief first assistant DA, who will prosecute crimes with connections to Mexico.
Chuck Mattingly was hired as the county’s “border prosecutor,” handling crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling at a salary of about $82,000.
District Attorney Bernard Ammerman said.“We needed someone with excellent skills and he was on the top of the list,” Ammerman said. “He’s a top-notch prosecutor. He’s prosecuted some serious felonies.”
County Judge John F. Gonzales Jr. said he worked with Mattingly to prosecute cases in county court this month.
“I was thoroughly impressed,” Gonzales said. “He’s very intelligent. He knows what he’s doing.”Gonzales said Mattingly was hired after prosecutor Scotty Greenbaum resigned in December.
Mattingly had served as chief first assistant for former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos, who is awaiting sentencing following last year’s conviction on charges of taking bribes in exchange for court favors.
Ammerman said it was wrong to judge Mattingly based on his former position in Villalobos’ administration, under which Ammerman said he and many other prosecutors also served.
“Hopefully you’re not tainted by someone you worked with in the past,” Ammerman said. “Hopefully that doesn’t follow him. Chuck’s a great guy. People stand on their own two feet.”
Mattingly could not be reached for comment Wednesday.