Fourth Minuteman vigilante sought in the murder of Mexican family

Fourth Minuteman vigilante sought
in the murder of Mexican family

After arresting three Minutemen vigilantes involved in the murder of the Flores family in Arivaca, Arizona on May 30th, Pima County Sheriff's detectives are now actively seeking a fourth they believe participated in the home invasion and killings. The mother who took three shots from the vigilantes in the after midnight invasion of her home told detectives that the murderers consisted of a group of three men and one women.

Already arrested are Shawna Forde, National Director of the Minutemen American Defense organization and its Director of Field Operations, Jason Eugene "Gunny" Bush. Arrested also, along with the two officers of the Minutemen group based in the state of Washington, was Albert Robert Gaxiola from Arizona.

Detectives have now determined that the shooter of 8-year-old Brisenia Flores was Jason Eugene "Gunny" Bush. Grisly details of the murder of Brisenia and her father Raul Flores are now emerging. Jason Eugene "Gunny" Bush has also been charged with the 1997 stabbing death of a Mexican youth in the state of Washington. Brisenia Flores was a third grader at Sopori Elementary School.

These murders and other violent acts against Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and other Latinos by the Minutemen are sure to have grave consequences. There are now Latino civil and human rights organizations calling for the US Department of Justice to declare the Minutemen a domestic terrorist organization. These civil and human rights groups are also calling for "border vigilantism" to be officially defined as a federal hate crime.

El Defenzor Moves Forward with Investigation While Albert Huerta Fights For His Life What about the Legal Wars?

El Defenzor continues its investigation of the Legal Wars that are taking place as Albert "The Healer" Huerta, the spiritual leader, fights for his life. Our prayers at El Defenzor go out to he and his family. However, the critical injury to his health has created a vacuum. After 3 decades of controlling personal injury cases in South Texas who is going to step up to straddle the powerful and profitable personal injury field in South Texas.

Through its 72 hour initial investigation El Defenzor has received confidential information from "Legal Assistant X" who has recently relocated who has intimate knowledge of the way cases are run in South Texas and nationwide. Under total confidentiality Legal Assistant X agreed to speak with us on the subject. We encountered Legal Assistant X in Victoria, Texas at an agreed upon meeting place and shall be a part of a 3 part series on how cases are run in South Texas:

E.D.: (EL DEFENZOR): Thank you for meeting with us. I wanted to first ask how long you have been in the legal field and under what circumstances that cases are obtained in South Texas.

LAX (Legal Assistant X): Since I was in my late teens I started helping attorneys get cases. Everyone knows that you simply cannot go "ambulance chase" to get cases but there are ways.

E.D.: Such as?

LAX: Such as having a network of families consisting of funeral home directors, policeman, fireman, government officials and case runners in a structure that is similar to a legal mafia or Soprano like structure. At the top you have men like Mr. Huerta, formerly Dan Alfaro and many others who obtained the cases through the system and who then funnel them to individuals like prominent white lawyers throughout the state. This happens especially in the good venues like Starr, Duval, and in the golden triangle near Beaumont.

E.D. Is it legal to do this.

LAX: The lawyers insulate themselves so they don't get caught by having someone run down the case not with the firm, they then contact the firm for money or other incentives through the "legal assistant" which is basically a runner who gets cases, they then have the runner go and sign the case and if they are smart the contract says that they have not been solicited in any way. Solicited means the case has not been "run" or "ambulance chased". The structure then has the kIngpin attorney (often a hispanic attorney) send the case to a white prominent trial lawyer who then gets a clean referral and they split the fee sometimes as high as 50/50 on it just for sending it.

E.D. What kind of money are we looking at?

LAX: Tire and rollover cases are very good and profitable as well as death cases or burn cases. These cases have made the runners who reportedly can get 10 or 15% of the case through "investigator fees" and often make more money than the lawyers out there who can't get the cases because they don't have the cops, fireman, politicians and families in their pocket to help with the cases. Some of these runners use police scanners and are very aggressive to get the cases. We are talking millions upon millions of dollars. Medical malpractice used to be good but that dried up and so did workmans compensation. Now the big cases are also being threatened because companies like Ford and Chrysler are either bankrupt or threatening bankruptcy.

E.D. How will Mr. Huerta being hospitalized and possibly retire affect the cases?

LAX: Mr. Huerta has controlled getting cases for years. I am not saying he has done so illegally or anyhing like that but definitely he has a network and has legal assistants that run the cases and are notorious for being aggressive. Many lawyers are not happy with this situation because they have the market cornered any time there is an accident. Some lawyers are also not happy because they have not been paid their fees. Now lawyers are suing other lawyers to get the fee back for clients if their case was ambulance chased or run. These are scary times for lawyers and for those legal assistants, many who would tell people they were lawyers and now are scared because of Mauricio Celis. If Celis ever talks I would start praying if I were those runners.

INTERVIEW CONTINUES NEXT BLOG

Albert "The Healer" Huerta critically ill: Who will Take Over the Monopoly of Personal Injury in Texas

This just in. Albert "The Healer" Huerta has suffered a lifethreatening stroke. Our prayers are with he and his family. However, as many know, Mr. Huerta and his legal assistants Tony Calderon and Big Bob Deleon have monopolized cases in South Texas for years. Many have questioned their methods and have compared their business to that of the Mauricio Celis and Watts situation. In fact, El Defenzor has learned that Bill Edwards, the prominent attorney in town has boldly sued them and the Wiggington Law Firm for barratry. The allegations include soliciting cases and a conspiracy to obtain cases in South Texas on a grand scale. A monopoly for years has been whispered to exist in South Texas included hush money, easy money to law enforcement, funeral directors, fireman, and politicians as well as justice of the peace officials who pronounce individuals dead in the rural areas. The vast network established by Mr. Huerta has led to referrals to Watts, Wiggington, and others involved in the club. El Defenzor has investigated the Texas Rules of Professional conduct and has learned that solicitation under any circumstance is illegal and that an attorney who refers a case must remain significantly involved. Will attorneys who have received cases from Huerta with he being temporarily or God forbid permanently impaired try to cut Huerta out. Will his children who have not blazed their own trail been able to straddle the mantle. Many believe not. El Defenzor begins to launch its investigation of the power base that have run cases starting with the Huerta law firm. Perhaps the struggle for cases and the monopoly has come to an end. In the end perhaps it is an era that has come and gone of Huerta and his runners Calderon and Big Bob Deleon. El Defenzor is carefully investigating cases and is asking for anyone who has information that would shed light on the monopoly of cases and possible barratry to contribute to the discussion. Do Attorneys like Bill Edwards need to police other lawyers. Did Thomas J. Henry start an avalanche that may baptize lawyers who solicit cases in fire?