DID D.A. AND P.I.O. LET DISBARRED LAWYER PRACTICE LAW?

By Juan Montoya
Emails obtained by El Rrunrrun indicate that local blogger and disbarred lawyer Robert Wightman was able to persuade Cameron County District Attorney through his Public Information Officer Melissa (Zamora) Landin to allow a relative to have her sentence for for criminal trespass set aside,  dismiss the charges, and get a refund on her court costs and fine payments.
They also show he intervened legally in a family-violence case against that relative and directed Seanz on how to proceed in both cases.

The emails between Zamora and Wightman also show that he was aided by her in an attempt to collect victims' compensation from a man convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief after the defendant allegedly damaged his nephew and a friend's Harley Davidson motorcycles. His nephew Emilio Montes was seeking more than $3,000 in repairs to his chopper and his friend just a little over $300 for an incident involving an intoxicated man they say had damaged their bikes when he allegedly fell or damaged them outside the rear door of the Sportsmans Lounge in downtown Brownsville.
In both cases, the bikers said in statements to police they had not seen Hector Cantu Negrete (13-CCR-0319) damage the bikes but that the rear door had been locked to keep him out after he had gotten in an altercation with bar personnel and other customers.
In the latter case involving Negrete, the court had dismissed the felony charge of criminal mischief after defense attorneys pointed out that he had already been convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief and had served 76 days in  jail on a charge rising out of the same offense.
This set off Wightman who claimed the dismissal of the charge meant that Judge Arturo Nelson, Asst. DA Gus Garza and court-appointed attorney were "corrupt."
To Wightman's chagrin, Saenz did not seek compensation for damages to the two men's motorcycles.
But in the cases involving Ivana Montes, Wightman's niece, emails indicate that Wightman sought and gained an audience with Sanez through Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos and that he at one point instructed Landin to inform Saenz of what files to bring to the meeting.
The first case where Wightman's influence appeared was in the criminal trespass charge filed against her in August 18, 2011 (11-CCR-0005331), where she was given deferred adjudication and sentenced to nine months probation, a $60 month probation charge per month, a $500 fine and court costs. She was also given 24 hours community service.
Then, just after Saenz made his April 2013 announcement of his crusade against eight-liners at the steps of the courthouse, Wightman was fed
full details of the raids that followed. This led to some media grumbling that he was getting the information through the Zamora channel, a claim he vehemently denied despite the obvious.
But all protests aside, Wightman had other purposes in mind. The emails show that he used his access to Saenz through Zamora to intervene in the handling of several cases involving his nephew Montes and daughter Viviana Montes.
After numerous emails, Wightman was able to wheedle a meeting with Cascos through his assistant Cris Valadez.
Wightman wanted Cascos to arrange a meeting between him and Saenz to intervene in the criminal trespass charge and a family violence case involving her former husband Victor Vallade (, who was in jail serving a sentence for a previous conviction.
By mistake he forwards Zamora an email he sent to "Laura," a clerk in County Court-at-Law #3 David Gonzalez's court.
In that April 8, 2013 email, Wightman complains that he does want Vallade in the same courtroom with Viviana in an upcoming hearing on the family violence assault charge (2013-DCR-00020) and says she has been abused by the DA and the courts and says she is "in disbelief of how corrupt the courts and DA are" and – as Wightman is wont to do – threatens to "void" (court-appointed attorney Rigoberto Flores) his appointment to represent her.
"(Flores) also let it slip at one time that he was a prosecutor in this court (County Court-at-Law 3) – if the record shows that he was a prosecutor at any time Ivan's case was pending he is in a lot of trouble. His appointment would be void for failing to inform Ivana at one time he was the prosecutor in the court while her case was pending. I need you to check those dates for me," he instructs her.
"I am moving this to the (U.S.) Department of Justice (civil rights and criminal enforcement section in Dallas), State Bar and American Civil Liberties Union."
"I expect that this week a private attorney will be asking for the removal of the DA in Judge (Rolando) Olvera's court (2010-DCL-03334, a paternity lawsuit against Vallade) for incompetence. Ivana either pro se or through counsel if I can find one willing to accept the case for $500 will be filing the paperwork to void everything done in Ivana's case in Judge Gonzales court (the criminal trespass conviction).
"Cris Davis (actually Valadez) called me yesterday and informed me that Carlos Cascos spoke with Luis Saenz and that he agreed to meet with me tomorrow," he emailed Melissa Zamora on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. "Do we have a time when we will meet?"
The timeline is clear.
On April 4, Ivana Montes pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and received deferred adjudication.
On April 9, 2013, at 2:04 p.m., Wightman emails Zamora that "Cris V(Valadez, Cascos' administrative assistant) called me yesterday and said Carlos Cascos got Saenz to meet with me - he needs to have three files with him: 
2013-DCR-20 (family violence by Victor Vallade against Ivana Montes)
11-ccr-0005331 (criminal trespass against Viviana Montes)
"and you will have to look for the other one – it is the child support case under Victor Vallade and Ivana Montes...he does not need the entire file – just the custody and support order."(Click on graphic to enlarge).
Later that day, at 5:05 p.m., Wightman emails Zamora again that "This is to confirm Mr. Saenz and I had a very professional and productive meeting related to each issue. I wanted Judge Carlos Cascos to know DA SAenz kept his word and went out of his way to deal with a very frustrated me (LOL). I am happy with the level of professionalism shown and the results. I am not discussing any past of the discussion because that remains between myself and DA Saenz and his staff. I want to formally thank Judge Cascos for his caring in this matter ad DA Saenz and Melissa Zamora for their kindness in dealing with me and in particular the level of professionalism. In summary – all is well in Gotham. Again, thanks to all."
Then, on April 16, the day before a hearing was scheduled in County Court-at-Law #3 for a motion by the DA's Office to withdraw Montes' plea and dismiss the cause against Viviana Montes, Wightman emails Zamora and says:
"I am assuming DA Saenz already told the prosecutor in CC# David Gonzalez not to oppose the motion to withdraw the plea in Ivana Montes case – if anything goes wrong she will panic...I am sorry if me reporting on the (eight-liner) raid caused you problems – Montoya – Zeke (Silva) and Duardy (blogger Eduardo Paz-Martinez) are never going away – it would be nice if we could find a pro bon lawyer to sue the lot for internet harassment. Common law could be applied – it would be more of a shut them down for good..."
The next day. April 17, Asst. Jose "Joe" Enrique Arreola, State Bar # 24082639, filed the motion to dismiss the state's case "in the interest of justice."
On April 23, the court granted the plea and an order of dismissal and it was signed and entered.
On April 30, the her court-appointed attorney Rigoberto Flores field a motion to withdraw funds. He filed another motion on May 6 to withdraw funds and an order to release funds.
On May 20, the court ordered a refund and issued a check "(#2950) for $150 payable to Ivan (sic) Montes by LCarrejo."
In the other case Wightman discussed with Saenz (013-DCR-20 (family violence by Victor Vallade against Vivana Montes), he also used Zamora to pass along his messages to the DA.
On May 3, three days before the jury trial scheduled for Vallade, he writes Zamora that "the nightmare with Ivana Montes will not seem to end – the DA's ofice has done nothing wrong – the problem is the court and the numbnut court appointed attorney (Gabriela Garcia)...She is in a state of panic – the Victor Vallade trial is Monday – she is in a state of panic about going into the building and getting arrested (over criminal trespass charge). I assured her she has nothing to fear...I explained to her that her court appointed attorney is inept. She is scared. I hope I can get her to court on Monday morning – but on Monday maybe the DA in Judge Gonzalez court can run over to probation and tell them to stand down and leave her alone. Also was there another 8-liner raid? I was with judge cascos as late as 8 p.m. tonight at a funeral so I''m thinking no – but I am getting posts Ahumada was arrested for 8-Liner violations,"
On May 6, the jury trial for Vallade is cancelled in 455th District Court after the deefndant pleaded guilty. Judge Rolando Olvera sentenced him to two years and gives him credit for time served (134 days) on a concurrent case. Corrections records indicate Vallade has since been released.
Since the DA's Office has again restricted Wightman's access to its files and to Saenz, Wightman is now singing a different song.
But the questions remain. Did Saenz and Zamora aid and abet a disbarred lawyer to manipulate the dispensation of justice in Cameron County to overturn the sentence in a criminal case and to practice law without a license?
There is little question that the evidence in the emails and the docket sheets document this fact.