The Door: "I forgot to tell you, I'm locked"~Alice in Wonderland (Disney)

Political Pulse: 03.18.07

March 18, 2007

Work before play as Banales' supporters try to celebrate post


Brenda Baker, a supporter of District Judge J. Manuel Banales, stepped out of the County Courthouse's elevator on Friday decked out in sequins and beads. Baker looked around for county commissioners, saying it was her job to herd them to a limousine waiting to take them to a party celebrating Banales' swearing in as presiding judge of the Fifth Judicial Administrative District.

When it was explained to her that they were in closed session regarding a lawsuit against the county, she said, "Don't they know there's a party going on?"

Judge comes to defense of press

Thorns and Roses: 04.06.07

April 6, 2007

Judge comes to defense of press

District Judge J. Manuel Banales of Corpus Christi struck a blow for First Amendment rights on Thursday by quashing subpoenas for the two top editors of The Monitor in McAllen.


Editor Steve Fagan and Managing Editor Marcia Caltabiano-Ponce had been summoned to court over an editorial that called for a judge to recuse himself from a case against another judge. The subpoenas, which represented an implied threat to free expression, had been issued by prosecutors who are charging District Judge Rudy Delgado with misusing official information and of evading arrest.

Give a ROSE to Banales for dismissing an attempt to drag free expression into a court of law.

Ugly snub rejected