Well, we really don't know where to start on this one.
If you read this Sunday's meager offerings in the Brownsville Herald, there was at least one newsworthy item there. Unfortunately, it was not in the news columns. It was a political ad by Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz as he seeks reelection for another four years. He is running in the Democratic Primary March 1 against second-time challenger Carlos Masso. The winner will face Jeremy SoRelle in the November general election.
In his ad, Saenz highlighted his role as one of four "instructors" from the United States who traveled to Mexico under the Merida Initiative's Proyecto Diamante to introduce Mexican prosecutors to the American concept of justice. Under Mexico's Napoleonic system, justice is dispensed very differently than in the United States. Trial by jury, confronting your accuser, and cross-examination is virtually unknown.
Like his former Public Integrity Unit chief Victor Cortez (a former DEA honcho) who can't decide whether he's running for the Republican Party's nomination for county sheriff or for director of the FBI, it appears Saenz is also confused on whether he is running for Attorney General of Mexico or for DA in this county. With this ad, it looks like he might have the Mexicans vote locked up.(Did they hire the same public relations company?, one wag asked.)
Saenz was part of a team of four Brownsville-based officials who traveled to Mexico City. Two of them were Department of Homeland Security investigators and the other a U.S. Attorney General’s office lawyer.
Proyecto Diamante is part of the Merida Initiative that was announced in 2007, which provides billions in law enforcement support to Mexico and is the biggest beneficiary.
Mexico made constitutional and legislative changes in 2008 to gear up for the massive shift in its criminal justice system to be complete by 2016.
The goal was to have 2,500 Procuraduria General de la Republica prosecutors and 6,000 investigators trained over the next year, a press release on the matter said.
Saenz's role was relatively small compared with that , starting with 130 trained PGR instructors expected to train other personnel.However, even the most enthusiast supporters of reform in Mexico caution against making too much of the trip.
UTB-TSC professors William Yaworsky and Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera said in a newspaper story on the trip that change in Mexico will be slow and faces obstacles.
"The 2008 Federal Judicial Reform Law, which allows for trial by jury, is being implemented piecemeal in the country," Yaworsky, an anthropology professor, told the newspaper. "It seems to get favorable reviews from those surveyed, but its effects to date are unknown."
The Merida Initiative is not without detractors.
"I cannot predict the future, but I see much room for pessimism," Yaworsky said.
Correa-Cabrera said she wants to remain positive about Mexico’s future, but so far results of the reform are few. There are high levels of corruption and drug cartels that also control prison gangs, she said.
"I think that Mexico can be saved, yes, but it will take awhile and we need to address the problems in several different areas," she said. "This will really take time."
Mexico made constitutional and legislative changes in 2008 to gear up for the massive shift in its criminal justice system to be complete by 2016.
The goal was to have 2,500 Procuraduria General de la Republica prosecutors and 6,000 investigators trained over the next year, a press release on the matter said.
Saenz's role was relatively small compared with that , starting with 130 trained PGR instructors expected to train other personnel.However, even the most enthusiast supporters of reform in Mexico caution against making too much of the trip.
UTB-TSC professors William Yaworsky and Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera said in a newspaper story on the trip that change in Mexico will be slow and faces obstacles.
"The 2008 Federal Judicial Reform Law, which allows for trial by jury, is being implemented piecemeal in the country," Yaworsky, an anthropology professor, told the newspaper. "It seems to get favorable reviews from those surveyed, but its effects to date are unknown."
The Merida Initiative is not without detractors.
"I cannot predict the future, but I see much room for pessimism," Yaworsky said.
Correa-Cabrera said she wants to remain positive about Mexico’s future, but so far results of the reform are few. There are high levels of corruption and drug cartels that also control prison gangs, she said.
"I think that Mexico can be saved, yes, but it will take awhile and we need to address the problems in several different areas," she said. "This will really take time."
But Saenz never explained what teaching a small number of Mexicans about the United States system of justice has to do with his performance as a D.A. in South Texas, or about improving justice in Cameron County.
So far, that performance has focused on style over substance and on getting Saenz reelected.
There are plenty of improvements that could be made to restore trust in the department that Saenz took over from convicted DA Armando Villalobos.
However, critics cite examples of selective prosecution (Kori Marra, his nephews Victor and Kasey Garcia, etc) which belie the claims. We hear that there is even a group of victims who have united to expose the apparent hypocrisy between Saenz claims and his performance.
To see a listing of the bad, the worst, and the ugly of Saenz over his career, click on the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Victims-United-For-Justice-1022129387829881/
https://www.facebook.com/Victims-United-For-Justice-1022129387829881/
12 comments:
What can Da Luis Saenz have teached this Mexicans? if in mexico its all about drugs and killers, and Da Luis Saenz has only proved to the valley of his eightliner raids, taking away old ladies recreation activities, FOR YOUR INFORMATION EIGHTLINERS ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN MEXICO! , SO TELL US WHAT DRUG RAIDS HAVE YOU DONE HERE, ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS MAKE KILLERS AND DRUG DEALERS WALK AWAY AND ASSIGN SPECIAL PROSECUTORS TO MAKE THE OUTCOME OF CASES GO YOUR WAY LIKE FOR EXAMPLE YOUT NEPHEWS, SO COME ON DA LUIS THIS CORRUPTION, MEXICANS ALREADY KNOW HOW IT WORKS, JUST LIKE YOU!
If we check, we may find that more border District Attorney's other than Luis Saenz was part of that federal program. He was part of this program only because he is a "Border DA" Luis has become to believe his own shit. He tries to magnify his glory, not be satisfied with serving the people. He continues to serve himself and his ego has grown significantly. Remember, he barely beat Masso in the last election!!!!
What happen to the telephonic recordings between George Gavito with the Munivez girl? Where Gavito is trying to persuade her to drop everything exchange for a better position and state Rep rene olivera is mentioned? Where George confesses to providing Olivera with sensatitive information. That's a injustice.
Yeah integrity? What happened with the JP Erin? Aaaaa no ahi ni pedo hace por que se le acaba la BBq. Che vato mamon. Integrity my ass. He full of it. Explain what happened with your nephews...thats how you can prove integrity!
Thank you Luis Saenz for your continuance service to our county.. you have our support sir.
you are ungrateful.... hater .. why don't you run for an elected office and quit crying like a baby ..so YOU can make a difference
Luis Saenz wants us to believe he is a great DA through his public relations bitch....but Saenz continues to favor is "friends" in cases that we don't see in the press. Through his "public relations" he wants the voters to view him positively, but citizens don't see the way he uses his position to favor his "friends"...the Dumbokratic community of corruption.
La gente esta con Luis !!! Viva Luis !!!
Pinche lambiscon, mamalo!
Como ay gente pendeja! Después de ver esa página y vídeos todavía se la maman a Luis. Cuando irán a entender que el vato es RATA, de lo mas CORRUPTO, y necesita retirarse YA!
Thank You for having the balls to go to Mexico and offer your expertise in the reforms Mexico must make to avoid total Anarchy. May God Bless you and keep you safe. Onward to Victory. The haters on this page are the 1st one to ask for mercy when they get in trouble.
Luis is under attack by all the criminals of this county because they know they don't stand a chance to bribe their way out of their situation like all the other times. Luis is doing a GREAT JOB and he will win win win... we the people are NOT stupid and know where all this attacks are about... Haters....
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