Prosecutor/Candidate ANGELICA HERNANDEZ FAILS TO BRING DOWN MAURICIO CELIS !

ALICE, TX — Yesterday, Mauricio Celis who had been accused of a third-degree felony (that is, Impersonating a Public Servant) for the most part beat the charge. Angelica Hernandez, who was prosecuting the case for the Nueces County District Attorneys Office, failed in her attempt as “the person that would bring down Celis” – as many a conservative radio station believed and touted she would.

“She felt flat on her former ‘jack ass’ (representing the donkey-Ms. Hernandez was a former Democrat) and then tripped over her new mascot’s snout (the Elephant-representing the Republican Party). She was trying to use the Celis Case to posture herself and get elected in her race against incumbent District Judge Manuel Banales by this stunt of media publicity, ” a Banales supporter commented.

As mentioned above, Celis beat the charge of IMPERSONATING A PUBLIC SERVANT (a thrid-degree felony) and instead was found guilty of a watered down Class B misdemeanor – that is, for incorrectly identifying himself as a peace officer – which carries a fine of $2,000 and up to six months in jail (but the authentic sentencing is at the broad discretion of the judge).

A former employee of the Sheriff Department told El Defenzor: “I remember when the incident was brought before the Sheriff Department. We weren’t going to do anything about it. Larry Olivarez, former Sheriff came into the office with a letter from Duval County Sheriff Barrera asking that the badge which had been confiscated by us be given back to Celis.”

The same source continued: “Nueces County Sheriff Jim Kaelin was not going to do anything about it. I told Larry Olivarez to cool it – that Kaelin was getting upset. Kaelin, upon reflecting on the matter, decided to capitalize on the din. Later Fil Vela (who had turned Republican became a new variable in the Republican Party): he used it politically to make other Democratic Party Candidates running seem guilty by association (specifically, for receiving contributions).”

Visiting Judge Richard Terrell will have the final say when it comes to Celis’ sentence. However, it appears that Terrell, who signed a GAG ORDER (attempting to quail Angelica Hernandez to try Celis before the media) is clearly upset. He did mention during the trial: “The media is taking a tiny piece of this case and blowing it beyond proportion, into something it is not.”

Terrell is aware of the political currents in Nueces County politics and feels they have no place in a courtroom. One source involved in this issue said: “I believe Angelica Hernandez appeared on the Lago Show and accused Celis of things that were not true. She' poisoned' the well so to speak. I believe the judge is up in arms by unseemliness and lack of decorum of it all.”

“This bad stinch is all over the courthouse now – from massive firings via reorganization tactics at the Nueces County Courthouse to ruses of media manipulation that compromise defendants from having fair trials. Many who hover around the new Republican Chair – Ron McLain – claim that it was the LOYD NEAL NETWORK that tainted the traditional platform of the Republican Party. Many feel Neal made a deal with former Democrats, bestowing them control of the District Attorney’s office in return for their support in his re-election for county judge in the November election.”

Celis’ attorney -- Tony Canales -- was elated after the case ended. He felt the verdict was a victory in that “… the theory of the government was discarded on the impersonation charge,” he explained.

(A recap of the case: The case is related to an early September incident in 2007. A nude woman (Lyndie Sines) left Celis’ resident in the South Side of Corpus Christi and troted to a nearby Stripes Convenience Store. A spectator phoned in the incident to law enforcement. Celis drove to the cited store while in a bathrobe and revealed a badge. He asked the officers at the scene to allow him to drive her home. After that incident, charges were filed by former Attorney Carlos Valdez against Celis for IMPERSONATING A PUBLIC SERVANT… The paradox was that Celis still appeared on the list of reserve deputies in Duval County. Celis was not removed from the list until after the cited incident).