GARZA SAYS JUDGES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CCSO COMMISSIONED DEPUTY

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

A day after one of his deputies pulling bailiff duty in the 445th District Court was arrested, Cameron County Sheriff Eric Garza continues to distance himself from CCSO employee Armando Lozano, 30, who was charged with DWI and after a municipal judge placed a $1,000 bond for his release, was arrested by sheriff investigators and charged with deadly conduct.

Lozano was recorded firing his weapon in direction of some residences, images which he later posted on his Facebook page and led to his arrest.

In every press release and social media post, Garza has contended that Lozano is an employee of the district court and that they are under the supervision of their respective district or County Court-At-Law judges, in this case under 445th District Judge Gloria Rincones.

This comes on the heels of an escape from the Rucker-Carrizales Detention Center when an inmate scaled the secutity fences there and was found hiding in a nearby Pct. 2 warehouse next to the jail.

In that case, he blamed the commissioners court for maintenance and jail staffing issues which he said were compounded by the low wages paid jailers and the reduction in the jailer force after the federal government removed its prisoners at a loss of some $3 million to the county.

“Armando Lozano confessed to… Investigators that on New Year’s Eve he was celebrating, and he discharged his personal firearm 4 times in the direction of several habitations,” the release stated.

In an earlier statement on his Facebook page, Garza said that "Although he is commissioned by the (Sheriff's Office), he and all the court bailiffs are employed and under the supervision of the District Court judges and County Court At Law judges."

This comes against a background of court cases filed by Garza against the commissioners court where he demanded control of the court bailiffs and unilaterally rescinded a Memorandum Of Understanding signed between the late sheriff Omar Lucio and the county allowing the deputies to remain under the supervision of Pct 2 Constable Abel Gomez. 

  But now that one of them is in legal trouble, Garza claims that those bailiffs are not under his control and supervision and that the judges should be held responsible for their supervision. So in case that any of the homeowners near where Lozano fired his weapon should file a lawsuit against him, can Rincones be charged with negligence in supervising the court bailiff?