By Juan Montoya
Remember the $30,000 loan that 357th District Court candidate Juan Magallanes made to then-sitting judge Abel Limas at the time that the now-convicted judge was sitting on the bench listening to a property case where Magallanes was one of the defense attorneys?
At the time (2005), Limas was the sitting judge on the case (2004-10-5058) styled Bob Torres Properties vs. Southern
Stone Properties. According to Baltazar Salazar, the opposing counsel, the $30,000 "was not a loan. This was a
payback for ignoring a jury's verdict."
In fact, during the Ray
Marchan trial, Limas testified that Magallanes loaned him the money in
2005. Limas himself admitted that it was unethical for him not to tell
opposing counsel of the personal loan.
ASST. U.S. ATTY: ...And you were in a bind in 2005 and you accepted $30,00 0 from a lawyer, according to Magallanes, in 2005...
LIMAS: It was unethical.
ASST. U.S. ATTY: Ok. Well it's not unethical unless you're doing favors or they're bribing you.
LIMAS: No, sir.
ASST. U.S. ATTY: So you're saying taking money is unethical period?
LIMAS:
No, sir. You can get a loan form a lawyer as a judge. You can have a
transaction as a judge. The only thing that makes it unethical is me,
that I did not advise the opposing counsel that I was engaged in a form
of transaction that benefited me, I never told that lawyer."
But that's not all.
After examining Salazar's allegations, we have stumbled across the documentation in the case that confirms what Salazar asserted: that the jury in the case had awarded nothing to Magallanes' clients, not even his attorney's fees. (See graphic above) And yet Limas came back nine months after the jury's no-award verdict and generously ordered Salazar's clients to pay Bob Torres Properties $195,000 plus $19,854 in damages.
But Limas also ordered that Southern Stone Properties pay Magallanes $50,000 in attorney's fees after having lost the case and the jury awarding him nothing. (Click on graphic on left.)
It's all there in the file. In fact, we have been able to download both the jury instructions and the judgement for you to make your own decisions whether what Salazar said was true or that we just made it all up against poor Juanito.
Simply click on to the links.
Is there a wonder that we haven't seen the outpouring of endorsements for Magallanes in the local media. In contract, both Democrats and Republicans are joining forces to support Oscar X. Garcia, his GOP opponent in the Nov. 4 election.
The latest is none other than Dr. Asim Zamir and he joins the likes of Dr. Joe Zayas, the former president of the State Board of Dental Examiners and former Harlingen Mayor Connie de la Garza.
We invite our readers to peruse the documents in the file in question by simply clicking on the links below.
Link to first PDF (jury instructions, verdict) here
Link to second PDF (judgement overturning jury verdict by Limas) here
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
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22 comments:
I can't believe a member of the Cameron County Bar Association would try and influence a judge with a personal loan. such a thing is shocking and unthinkable.
But maybe, just this one time, it might be true. :-)
Justice bought and paid....lock, stock and barrel.
Wow....its over for juanito..:(
I am chocked, chocked, chocked ! What's new with Cameron county crooked lawyers.
Lol funny half ass story you moron! You forgot to mention it was taken to the 13 th court of appeals pendejo!!!
Just a sample of the goings on in the Dumbokratic Party of Cameron County. We don't just accept corruption, we demand corruption.
It ain't over to the fat lady sings!
Rata de dos patas!!!
We have the best politicians money can buy.
Chocked, chocked, a Morón addressing another Morón.
6:38 pm. Great clarification, story still meets the purpose, jerk...
rats rats rats
You're all ignoring the fact that Limas was just part of the status quo. He played the game just like everybody else in this broken down corrupt legal system of ours. It wasn't greed that sunk him, it was stupidity! He failed to cover his ass the way that ugliest of ugly bitches cornejo has done so well. Magallanes shouldn't be blamed for maneuvering in that cesspool. Electing a republican like Garcia is the last thing we need. Just look at his face! If it looks and smells like a rat it probably is a rat! Did I mention cornejo is ugly? That's simply a reflection of her inner corrupted self.
But you believe that a republican cares about anybody but the wealthy? After the way hispanics have been historically mistreated in this state, Oscar should be ashamed to affiliate with the republican party. Oh yeah, he's married to a white girl! That makes him better than the rest of us.
Ok for the most part I am with the Democratic party, But that mi-conseption that Republicans are only for the wealthy is a ridiculous statement. Where will the democrats get all the hand out for the poor if it was not for all the taxes the Republicans pay.
They are not for the poor
They are not for the rich
They simply are a party that has learned to get ahead by working and not giving out so much of what was meant to be for the elderly as a retirement plan that got out of control and now is used as a piggy bank for all that decide not to go out and Work.
IF they decided to fix the system and re train individuals not to keep them segregated and manipulated by handouts the Democratic party would actually be a Democracy. Well that is far from being seen, They are so brain washed by the assumption that Republicans are for the rich that it becomes ignorant.
See why need you say he is married to a white girl... that is outrages. He is married to the woman he choose to be his wife. Ethnic background does not come to play when you fall in love.
you guys need to get out that mistreatment and that ignorant believe that they look at you (Us) as lesser than. That is a state of mind created by your own demons. No such think works if you your self Do not believe it. Get over it move forward and vote for whom you think its the best. Not because he is a democrat or a republican, but rather who sitting in the bench will give you as an individual justice and fairness.
At this time both candidates will be running the streets gaining votes, Who will still shake your hand after november? More thank likely either of them. That is the reality of things.
Do not let your self be guided by a handshake.
Democrats are rallying against Magallanes.
Work hard, pick cotton, was dishes at MacDonalds, get a Greeters job at Walmart, get paid a good Minimum wage and you will get ahead in life. The Republican Philosophy.
Your idea of the Republican philosophy is stupid
What is the Republican philosophy bloke ?
Doesnt it make you wonder why so may democrats are flocking to Garcia? Could it be he is best qualified. Democrats are loudly saying YES!
The Turkeys are fluking to García . The new poster boy of the T-Party.
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