Special to El Rrun-Rrun
As time goes by, local attorneys are saying that the strategy used by City of Brownsville city manager Noel Bernal and then-Assistant City Attorney Victor Flores to force the resignation of former Presiding Municipal Judge Bobby Lerma borders on a conspiracy whose goals was to remove him, appoint Flores' boss Rene De Coss to the court, and propel Flores to city attorney.
Under Brownsville's city charter, the city manager is given the responsibility and authority to name municipal judges. City commissioners have the authority to name the city attorney.
According to the narrative that is developing, it appears that Flores – who was subsequently appointed to interim and then permanent city attorney by the city commission – was appointed to conduct an investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Lerma in some of the cases before him.
A municipal judge – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency edicts – has ample leeway to dismiss, lower, or make arrangements for pleas and payments on cases before him. The poor, the unemployed, sick or elderly were given the benefit of judicial discretion which Lerma exercised over that period with compassion.
The sources say that Flores and Bernal confronted Lerma and ambushed him with a number of cases that they alleged were wrongfully dismissed or lowered by Lerma,
Rather than subject the court, the city, and himself to lengthy litigation, they say Lerma resigned and Bernal appointed De Coss to replace him. Flores, in turn, was named interim city attorney and later named as De Coss's permanent replacement.
"How can you use an assistant city attorney to investigate the presiding judge, and then, when he resigns, to reward his boss with the municipal court and have the investigator become the city attorney?," asked one of Lerma's supporters. "This was a conspiracy between the principals to remove Bobby and reward the conspirators."
Perhaps even more galling is the fact that Bernal and Flores' friendship dates back years and that it seems that under Bernal, the number of top-level administrators have been appointed while overlooking local professionals.
"Don't we have competent attorneys in the city?," asked one. "Bernal has filled the top paying jobs here with his friends from Hidalgo County and other places where he has lived and worked. When he leaves us with his mess, we are going to be stuck with a bunch of overpaid outsiders. We need our city commission to step in and rein him in. Look what they did to Bobby and how they were rewarded."
20 comments:
Your defense of Bobby Lerma is nauseating, Montoya.
City Managers have the right and power to move personnel around. Why is that so taxing on your border brain?
c/s
ratas fighting for the green nothing else
Las ratas in-fighting, nothing new here, remember you are in brownsville texas 78520 the poorest city in the nation........
fighting over tax monies NO TIENEN VERGUENZA!
Where las viejitas and the poor struggle to pay the tax man.
border brains are better than mountain brains no seas pendejo pinche hillbilly coco...
8:56 am you are right.
City manager Bernal has the right and power to turn around personnel, Helen Ramirez. Free sex, cheap Border slut. And no taxing.
Ahh yes, Mexicans at play!
I remember one day last month I was sitting in the bus station waiting for a bus one rooca came over asked if I was looking for business, like I laughed and said nah just waiting for the bus!
She replied oh well you're in my office!
Como lo saben, si "no dan papaya", no tendran problema. Pueden salir y disfrutar sin problema, la gente en Bronsvil es muy acogedora. De noche, hay que ser prudente pero como en todas ciudades.
Afloja, mi amor.
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Does that inclulde mcallen the fat city of the rgv?
I guess the city manager knows the rules and will use them to his advantage.
You're absolutely right, the city manager knows exactly what he's doing. Bringing all his close friends to work for the city and getting overinflated salaries. To top it off, he's also hiring "consultants" so that they can do the work that Bernal and he's four assistants supposed to do. Way to go for "Total Alignment " TOTAL BULLSHIT!!!
It's pretty obvious that we have a failed commission. As long as Trey (BCIC grants, etc.), Jessica (police protection), Rose (bike trails and cannery), Pedro (relevance) and De Los Santos (Mitte district) get there pet projects done, they'll let Bernal get away with anything. The poster is right about the consultants. And, you people need to realize that all the money that was received through ARP and CARE is going to be squandered on bullshit, without any input from our citizens. The only way to stop Bernal and his bs is to put pressure on the spineless commission that allows him to get away with his actions. The contractors, who stand to receive this $$$, should be really happy and ready to reap in the profits, except, of course, for our local contractors. Sad.
Suck my BTX
total alignment = total bullshit = city mayor city commissioners =
TIME TO GET REPLACED ALL OF THEM VOTE THEM ALL OUT!
tHIS FAMILY HAS BEEN SUCKING FROM THE PUBLIC ALL THEIR LIFE ABOUT TIME TO GO ON THEIR OWN
6:37 interesting...HOT funds and who gets them and who doesn't get them should be watched also
11:15 pm
You are wrong about the Lermas.
Shame on our city leaders for selecting such a poor candidate to help run our city. Jumping from job to job without really getting anything done. If he has any leverage left he should come out and Burn the ones that burning him now.
November 18, 2021 at 7:52 AM
So none of them have ever worked for the city or the county or the state at any time in their lives???
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