An editorial by Gloria Padilla published in today's San Antonio Express-News reveals that one of the current candidates for Bexar County district attorney was arrested in 1994 for selling 200 Ecstasy pills worth $3,600 to an undercover officer at a gentlemen's club in San Antonio. According to Ms. Padilla, this "ambitious young lawyer from a respected and politically connected family" received a quick deferred adjudication, a probated $1,000 fine, and 320 hours of community service that included performing as a Lebanese folk dancer at his church and the local Folklife Festival. Seventeen months later, he asked for early termination of his probation. Eight years ago, he graduated from law school and became a criminal defense attorney. Apparently a hearing is set for this Monday on a court order signed shortly after the lawyer announced his candidacy that sealed an attempt in 1999 to expunge his record. This candidate happens to be the son of "Lawyer 3" that I discussed here previously on 2/9/10. He is also the brother of a murder victim.
I've been encouraged by all the recent letters to the editor in local papers concerning the recent plea deals of former district judge Karl Prohl and former district attorney Ron Sutton, both of whom took deals for stealing from public funds. Like me, most of the letter-writers are outraged that neither of these former public officials will have to serve any jail time for their crimes, despite having violated the trust of those they were elected to serve and having been involved in the sentencing of many to jail terms and other harsher penalties for crimes far less serious. There is also public outrage over the fact that Judge Prohl was allowed to resign from the bench just before being charged so he could keep his public pension and resolve the judicial complaint against him.
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1 comment:
No--but you knew that.
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