My guess at this point

May 12, 2016

It appears as though the government is going to handle the prosecution of the recently indicted former EPISD officials as a conspiracy case.

There are two counts (lying to a grand jury and lying to the FBI) that look as though they apply to only one of the defendants.  The other defendants don’t seem to be involved.

There is one count of mail fraud (even though Federal Express was the carrier) that alleges an improper shipment on April 26, 2011.  The indictment implies that there is a five year statute of limitations on this type of mail fraud.  The indictment was filed with the court April 20, 2016.  If I read everything correctly that means that they waited 4 years and 51 weeks to bring the indictment.  It would seem to me that if what these people did was so horrible the government would want to put them in jail right away.

There are three counts of alleged conspiracy.  It looks like this is where the government is going to focus.  If they cannot get any of the defendants to give up before trial they will probably produce a “he said, she said” case.  I have heard on the street that some of the defendants did not/do not even know each other.

If they can get one or some of the defendants to fold, then their plea agreement will probably say their sentence will  depend upon “how well they cooperate at trial”.

Brutus

 

5 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Privacy of what we read

May 4, 2016

For the record after many calls, attempted calls, and web sessions the Times is finally delivering a print copy to me.

I notice that the content on the electronic site is sometimes different from the print version.

Some of our readers will probably tell me that I am out of date for saying that I don’t like the idea of the Times selling information about what I read from the electronic version when I have paid for the content.

Contrary to what the so-called Patriot Act allows I don’t believe that any government has the right to know what I have been reading.

We deserve better

Brutus

1 Comment | El Paso Times, Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

First they came … and I did not speak out

May 2, 2016

Once again I have no personal knowledge of what the five former EPISD officials that were arrested the other day did or did not do.

What troubles me is the massive machine that has been deployed to convict them before they have their day in court.

“Today’s actions by the FBI further places EPISD on a path to recovery after years of uncertainty.”

“The actions today by the FBI allow us to further put this incident behind us.”

These statements from EPISD officials imply that the five arrestee’s deserve what is happening.

Particularly troubling is that both of the statements came from EPISD officials who are lawyers.  Both of these officials have been doing good work at the district but seem to have forgotten their places in this situation.

It would have been appropriate to say something about the standards and expectations that the district has in place today, but to paint the defendants as guilty when a jury has not decided the issue is unfair.

I would hope that they stay out of it in the future and let the system work.

We deserve better

Brutus

22 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Perp walk

April 28, 2016

What a coincidence!

Just days after EPISD, one of our former mayors, and the Times complimented our former state senator for his fight against a “large criminal ring” the FBI has arrested five former EPISD employees on charges relating to the almost six year old  cheating scandal.

Somehow the local media people were on hand at the very moment the accused were taken to jail.

I don’t know what these people did or did not do.

I do know that they deserve a fair and objective process.

What bothers me is that it looks like they are being tried in the court of public opinion instead of in a courtroom.  Actually their chances of making it into the courtroom are slim.

More on that in upcoming posts.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

 

 

12 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times, Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Traffic destruction

April 26, 2016

Would someone be kind enough to explain to me why we must endure construction on I-10, Trans Mountain, Doniphan, and Stanton all at the same time?

We deserve better

Brutus

12 Comments | City government, Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »