Hell of a Mess

3/01/10 Democrats have control of Dallas County -- and look what they've done with their power!

Tuesday is an important day for Dallas County. Some county political races will be decided in the Dallas County Democratic primary because Republicans aren't running in those. Some county political races will go to runoffs. There have been allegations of voter fraud and illegal electioneering. There's a confessed felon on the Democrat's ballot for State Representative. There's one "pardoned" felon on the Democrat's ballot for Dallas County Clerk.

Democrat judges have been effectively granting "pardons" to criminals who come before them and who they are turning back to prey on Dallas County law-abiding citizens.

A former constable now running for Dallas County clerk is the beneficiary of a paperwork snafu in which the county's criminal-court judges granted unsolicited pardons to perhaps hundreds of convicted felons over the years.

County officials say the paperwork mistake went undetected for years. Until recently, some judges even pardoned defendants after they failed to follow the terms of their probation, court records show.

There's no way to know how many pardons were given out, county officials say, because the county doesn't track them.

Aurelio Castillo, a former Precinct 5 constable, was convicted in 2000 of receiving an illegal campaign donation.

In 2007, Judge Ernest White of the 194th District Court signed an order releasing Castillo from probation and setting aside Castillo's guilty verdict. That cleared the way for his candidacy this year. Castillo is running against County Clerk John Warren in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Castillo said he didn't know how it happened. He said he learned about it from his attorney and took the paperwork to Democratic headquarters when he filed for office.

... Warren said he is angry about Castillo being on the ballot, which also includes a third candidate, Darryl G. Brigham.

"It's kind of disheartening. Everyone is wondering how he can run if he's a felon," Warren said.

Clark Birdsall, who prosecuted Castillo when he was with the district attorney's public integrity unit, said he doesn't think White knew what the ramifications were when he signed the order wiping away Castillo's felony conviction.

... A little-used provision in state law gives judges the power of judicial clemency, which normally is granted after a detailed defense motion requesting it. As in Castillo's case, judges can set aside a defendant's verdict, dismiss the indictment and release the defendant from "all penalties and disabilities" resulting from the conviction.

It means offenders are no longer convicted felons and can own a firearm, run for office, apply for state licenses and seal their criminal records. ...

There's a pattern in this story. Castillo was a crooked District 5 Constable in 2000, before he was a convicted felon, before he became a "pardoned" felon. In 2010, Jaime Cortes is the current Constable over the same District 5, but is not a convicted felon, yet.

Democrat Judges are granting pardons to people who broke the law. Lawbreakers who can't be expected to follow the rules of their "lucky break" from the bench -- and they don't! To make matters worse, no one monitors or tracks these pardoned felons. Their prior conviction won't even show up the next time they break the law -- and they will!

The Dallas County Clerk (currently Democrat John Warren) is responsible for all filings in Dallas County courts, civil and criminal. Thanks to Democrat Judge Ernest White, Democrats may elect a convicted felon to be in charge of all those legal filings. Isn't that special?

Think about where we are in Dallas County. We've got Democrat DA Craig Watkins who doesn't like to prosecute criminals. We have Democrat Judge Ernest White who won't incarcerate the few criminals the DA does prosecute. We have convicted felon Aurelio Castillo on the Democrat's ballot challenging the County Clerk, also a Democrat.

Dallas County's constable races, usually overlooked and forgotten contests at the bottom of the ballot, have elements of interest and intrigue this year ? multiple challengers, political feuds, controversy and corruption investigations.

... Some party officials worry that the constable controversies could result in anti-incumbent sentiment at the polls.

... It's unusual to have a crowded field in constable races. However, allegations swirling around Democratic Constables Derick Evans and Jaime Cortes have attracted multiple challengers in those races.

... Darlene Ewing, the county's Democratic Party chairwoman, said Evans and Cortes have been highly visible and are campaigning aggressively. Both men are the subject of an ongoing county investigation into their employment practices.

... "I certainly don't think it's a good thing that there's all this negative slant when we still don't know the facts," Ewing said. "You'd think [Cortes had] already been convicted and is sitting in a jail cell."

... Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman said Evans and Cortes are getting attention because of serious concerns about their leadership.

... During the constable saga, concerns have extended to some of the county commissioners and the district attorney, he said. ...

Now, I understand party loyalty, but Darlene Ewing's attitude is part of the problem. There are two Democrats running against Jaime Cortes. If she were defending an incumbent Democrat against a Republican challenger, her position might be understandable. But, she is defending an incumbent Democrat who has behaved badly in office. Have you heard the Democrat's County Chair speaking out against the potential disaster of Castillo as County Clerk?

Ewing defended Terri Hodge, long after Mrs. Potashnik plead guilty in Federal Court to paying bribes to Hodge in exchange for favorable votes in the Legislature. A whole bunch of elected Democrats hung with Hodge right up to her plea deal. They knew what she did and was doing. None of them reported her crimes. They just kept supporting another crooked politician.

Ewing certainly has not defended County Judge Jim Foster, who is also challenged by two other Democrats. Ewing is just a puppet of Royce West and John Wiley Price, both of whom crossed some serious lines in their shakedown efforts regarding the Inland Port.

West, Price and Craig Watkins are backing a guy from Waxahachie against Judge Jim Foster. Former Councilman Larry Duncan is also in that race, but has been shut out of campaign dollars and publicity. West and Price want Foster out because he interfered with their Inland Port shakedown. Watkins wants Foster out because West and Price want it. Watkins does little thinking for himself.

Waxahachie lawyer Clay Jenkins is the Ellis County Democrats "best hope"- in Dallas County. But Jenkins comes from a very prominent legal family. He's listed in Gromer Jeffers' Dallas Morning News piece today as having claimed Dallas as his hometown since 2001.

Oh yeah?

Ellis County Elections Dept officials show that Jenkins only recently became a Dallas County voter. In May 2007, Jenkins (whom I have never met) voted in an Ellis County municipal election. In Nov. 2007, he registered in Dallas County.

He might have listed his hometown as Dallas 'since 2001,' but he's been an Ellis County voter as recently as May 2007.

Did the wannabe County Judge commit voter fraud in 2007 by voting in Ellis County when he claims to have lived in Dallas since 2001? Or, is he just a liar who voted in Ellis County in 2007 because that's where he lived?

There's an allegation of illegal electioneering in Elba Garcia's campaign against Rose Renfroe for the Democrat's nomination against Commissioner Ken Mayfield. The below mailer appears to offer a free lunch in exchange for voting.

You're on shaky legal ground when a campaign furnishes food or goodies to get people to the polls on a candidate's behalf. Not to worry in Dallas County. DA Watkins will not allow his staff to go after Elba or Domingo Garcia.

What about a political campaign staging an event at an early voting location? Martin Weiss Rec Center was an early voting location.

Fox 4's Shaun Rabb had several blockbuster reports last week, one was Dist. 5 Absentee Voting Draws Suspicion (MyFoxDFW.com). Mail ballot harvesting apparently did not die with the late Joe May. It is now illegal to take or offer money for collecting vote by mail ballots. But, whose going to prosecute crooked electioneering in Dallas County? Rabb found one house where mail vote ballots were sent to dozens of adults who did not live at the house.

Two crooked Democrat constables out of 5 county constables, and the other 3 constables are being unfairly tainted by association. The Democrat County Chair is defending the 2 crooked Democrat constables, but is throwing Judge Jim Foster to the wolves.

Shaun Rabb reported obvious election fraud in two Democratic primary races, but it is unlikely Democrat DA Watkins will do anything about it.

The Dallas Managed News has another interesting story, Dallas Tea Party rouses crowd at City Hall rally by Michael Young (DallasNews.com2/27/10). Over 2000 people rallied at City Hall to commemorate their one year anniversary. Young is pretty straight forward about the day's events, but the reader comments are something else. Many are so mean and nasty, they clearly indicate the Tea Party has the attention of local politicians who do not want anyone rocking their status quo of crime and corruption.

I vote in the Republican Primary. If you vote Democratic, you can do a lot on Tuesday to clean up the mess in your party, and by default the mess in Dallas County government. You can vote for Mike Orozco for Constable in District 5 and rid us of Jaime Cortes. You can vote for anyone other than Derick Evans for Constable in District 1. You can vote for Justice of the Peace Luis Sepulveda in Precinct 5 (he was instrumental in exposing Cortes). In the County Judge race, you can vote for honor and integrity by supporting County Judge Jim Foster.