D.A. SAENZ SCHOOLS LAWYERS: "SE LES DURMIO EL GALLO..."

By Juan Montoya
In the end, Raul Salazar was 10 days late and four lawyers short.
Salazar, the former administrative assistant to indicted Pct. 2 commissioner Ernie Hernandez, was foiled on his motion to have a new trial because the legal eagles who represented him and his boss were 10 days late past the 75-day period ordained by law.
Counsel Larry Warner, a board certified criminal law specialist, John Blaylock, a Channel 4 analyst, Victor Ramirez and Rey Rodriguez, both experienced trial lawyers, and pseudo co-counsel Robert Wightman, all failed to note that the clock was ticking on the chance for Salazar to get a new trial.
With no other options left, visiting Judge Federico Hinojosa, could do nothing but deny the motion for the new trial in court Thursday.
"We have new evidence that has come to light..." stammered Warner.
"This court has no jurisdiction," said Hinojosa. "If the court of appeals give me jurisdiction we'll take it up then."
Salazar was convicted December 18 on two counts of official misconduct and tampering with a government document.
Salazar was the administrative assistant to Hernandez whose bother-in-law through his wife Norma, Roberto Cadriel, was hired illegally as a security guard at an international bridge.

During the trial, testimony from several witnesses indicated that Cadriel – a convicted felon – was not eligible for employment with the county because he could neither read nor write, could not operate a computer, and was unable to pass the Civil Service examination all county employees must pass.
Several witnesses said that a Human Resources female employee was ordered to take the exam for Cadriel after he tried and failed twice with score sin the low 30s. When the woman took the exam for him, he scored an 86.
After he couldn't get the position he sought initially (animal control, that is, dog catcher), witnesses and Cadriel himself testified that a copy of the answers to a written test for security officer were given to him before he took the exam. He scored a 96 and was placed as a non-commissioned security guard with the Cameron County International Bridge System.
And even though his boss Ernie Hernandez denied any role in his hiring, Cadriel testified on the stand that it was the commissioner who told him to go see Salazar at his commissioner's office to help him apply for a job with the county. Cadriel said Norma – his sister and the commissioner's wife – helped him fill out the county application.
Then, during the trial, numerous state witnesses said Hernandez and Salazar pressured them through conversations and phone calls urging them to "move the application along," and get Cadriel hired.
Cadriel resigned – as did then-HR director Robert Lopez after media inquiries about his hiring began.
Hernandez told the local daily that he knew nothing about Cadriel being hired or resigning until he read it in the online version of the Brownsville Herald.
However, at the start of his assistant's trial, Hernandez – on the advice of his attorney – took the Fifth Amendment protection against self incrimination and refused to testify on his behalf. Hernandez said that he was afraid that  some of the testimony he gave to a grand jury (three hours in all) might contradict the testimony he gave during Salazar's trial and he refused to take the stand.
Hernandez was indicted on eight counts. The indictment includes two counts of official oppression, one count of misuse of official information, two counts of witness tampering, one count of tampering with a government record, one count of obstruction or retaliation, and one count of coercion by a public official.
Those charges apparently weighed heavily on the minds of voters when they rejected his bid for another term as a county commissioner during this month's Democratic Party primary. Hernandez garnered only 18 percent of the vote, with Alex Dominguez and Leo Lopez making it to the runoff May 27.
Hernandez is awaiting his trial on the eight counts sometime in May.
Salazar is free on bond awaiting his appeal of his conviction on the three charges.