Judge comes to defense of press

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.