Last week in the Wall Street Journal there was a lengthy piece on the award, plaque and balloon industry in the United States. It was fascinating to read that big and small businesses across the nation spend no small sum awarding their employees and not for things like discovering a new antibiotic but for "Coming to work on time," "Having such a wonderful smile," "Just being you..." Did you know that there are businesses that do nothing but make confetti to throw at employees at "appreciation parties" and to go around the office "high-fiving" the employees? But why not believe it when we see it locally?
Last night the El Paso Bar Association held a banquet at the Santa Teresa Country Club (yes in Santa Teresa, NM, not in El Paso). We read that assistant district attorney Karen Larose, dutiful and loyal employee of Esparza, received the "State's Attorney Award." Sounds impressive doesn't it? Now why would Karen be so feted? Other than to testify at the Nancy Hollebeke Court of Inquiry as to why she was hiding behind a one way mirror directing the perniscious interrogation of a half-naked rape victim, I have not seen Karen Larose in a court room in years. My one salient impression of her reputation is based on news accounts of when the State Bar of Texas sued her for ethical violations. I heard Karen's sworn testimony, under penalty of perjury, at the Hollebeke Court of Inquiry and I blanched for her and grieved for the condition of my profession. Could Karen Larose be needing a public image face lift? Could Esparza need it for her? Nothing like a plaque and your name in the paper for getting an award to help that along.
The last time I was aware of Esparza getting and award was in 2005 when he was given the "Prosecutor of the Year Award." This was awarded to Esparza right after he spent a year fighting allegations of corruption and cover up and being sued in at least four civil rights lawsuits accusing him of serious abuses of the United States Consitution. This was also the year after the State released Brandon Moon from prison after serving a 17 year sentence for a rape he did not commit. (Esparza is now being sued for that too.) Esparza's award also came on the heels of appearing on the front page of the national section of the New York Times in a story about some of these scandals. The reporter, Ralph Blumenthal, asked Jaime Esparza in an interview if the rape victim his office directed the interrogation of from behind a hidden one way mirror had been told that she was being recorded, taped, and filmed. Esparza said yes, she had been informed. The reporter watched the taped interview (I was with him when he did so) and wrote in his article that no where in the recorded interview was the victim informed of the taping. It was noteworthy that the reporter included that observation in his story. What does it tell us about Mr. Esparza's veracity? What it tells us is that it is award time.
In September 2005, in the middle of the Hollebeke civil rights trial which had been calendered for months and to which Esparza had been subpoenaed and in which Esparza was slated to testify as the star witness, he just had to leave town to pick up, guess what, an award. Esparza got to kill two birds with one stone; he escaped a trial he had caused and he got to pick up an award that might make everyone think he is important and wonderful. Esparza actually flew into hurricane weather to go get the prize. -Not rain, nor sleet, snow or federal jury trial... Esparza hangs the the award which is a banner that says "Jaime Esparza, Prosecutor of the Year 2005, State Bar of Texas" over the mezzanine of the second floor of the county court house. If you come in the front doors , which is where hundreds of jurors pass every year, you will see the now sagging, aging banner hanging there while going through the metal detector.
Who actually gave the award to Esparza? The banner indicates that the State Bar chose Esparza. However, upon inquiry, the State Bar said it really didn't have anything to do with who got the award which was actually decided by the County and District Attorney's Association, a private, non-governmental group in which Esparza is a very active member and has a lot of clout. The State Bar said once the group made its selection as to who would receive the award, it donated some money and that was its only involvement. What a clever slight of hand. Get your friends in a private group to give you a prize and then get them to get a government entity like the State Bar of Texas to look like it gave you the award by having them involved in prize money and the printing of the banner. Get your friends at the county court house to let you hang your non-governmental flag over a wall to advertise that you are not really a crook. Nothing like an award to make people forget the unpleasant past. Could this be resume padding a'la MIT style?
In my experience, these awards to Esparza and choice members of his staff are red herrings meant to lead you away from seeing his and his staffers' true activities. Could it be that Esparza thinks that if he just throws enough confetti around, he will be able to dazzle and blind the voter to the truth? Amy Lujan, Esparza's personal secretary, gets awards too. She has to travel to central Texas to pick up her awards. This might explain why everyone is always wondering where she is. But we'll save that story for another day. In the meantime, El Pasoans, beware of prosecutors bearing awards.
Last night the El Paso Bar Association held a banquet at the Santa Teresa Country Club (yes in Santa Teresa, NM, not in El Paso). We read that assistant district attorney Karen Larose, dutiful and loyal employee of Esparza, received the "State's Attorney Award." Sounds impressive doesn't it? Now why would Karen be so feted? Other than to testify at the Nancy Hollebeke Court of Inquiry as to why she was hiding behind a one way mirror directing the perniscious interrogation of a half-naked rape victim, I have not seen Karen Larose in a court room in years. My one salient impression of her reputation is based on news accounts of when the State Bar of Texas sued her for ethical violations. I heard Karen's sworn testimony, under penalty of perjury, at the Hollebeke Court of Inquiry and I blanched for her and grieved for the condition of my profession. Could Karen Larose be needing a public image face lift? Could Esparza need it for her? Nothing like a plaque and your name in the paper for getting an award to help that along.
The last time I was aware of Esparza getting and award was in 2005 when he was given the "Prosecutor of the Year Award." This was awarded to Esparza right after he spent a year fighting allegations of corruption and cover up and being sued in at least four civil rights lawsuits accusing him of serious abuses of the United States Consitution. This was also the year after the State released Brandon Moon from prison after serving a 17 year sentence for a rape he did not commit. (Esparza is now being sued for that too.) Esparza's award also came on the heels of appearing on the front page of the national section of the New York Times in a story about some of these scandals. The reporter, Ralph Blumenthal, asked Jaime Esparza in an interview if the rape victim his office directed the interrogation of from behind a hidden one way mirror had been told that she was being recorded, taped, and filmed. Esparza said yes, she had been informed. The reporter watched the taped interview (I was with him when he did so) and wrote in his article that no where in the recorded interview was the victim informed of the taping. It was noteworthy that the reporter included that observation in his story. What does it tell us about Mr. Esparza's veracity? What it tells us is that it is award time.
In September 2005, in the middle of the Hollebeke civil rights trial which had been calendered for months and to which Esparza had been subpoenaed and in which Esparza was slated to testify as the star witness, he just had to leave town to pick up, guess what, an award. Esparza got to kill two birds with one stone; he escaped a trial he had caused and he got to pick up an award that might make everyone think he is important and wonderful. Esparza actually flew into hurricane weather to go get the prize. -Not rain, nor sleet, snow or federal jury trial... Esparza hangs the the award which is a banner that says "Jaime Esparza, Prosecutor of the Year 2005, State Bar of Texas" over the mezzanine of the second floor of the county court house. If you come in the front doors , which is where hundreds of jurors pass every year, you will see the now sagging, aging banner hanging there while going through the metal detector.
Who actually gave the award to Esparza? The banner indicates that the State Bar chose Esparza. However, upon inquiry, the State Bar said it really didn't have anything to do with who got the award which was actually decided by the County and District Attorney's Association, a private, non-governmental group in which Esparza is a very active member and has a lot of clout. The State Bar said once the group made its selection as to who would receive the award, it donated some money and that was its only involvement. What a clever slight of hand. Get your friends in a private group to give you a prize and then get them to get a government entity like the State Bar of Texas to look like it gave you the award by having them involved in prize money and the printing of the banner. Get your friends at the county court house to let you hang your non-governmental flag over a wall to advertise that you are not really a crook. Nothing like an award to make people forget the unpleasant past. Could this be resume padding a'la MIT style?
In my experience, these awards to Esparza and choice members of his staff are red herrings meant to lead you away from seeing his and his staffers' true activities. Could it be that Esparza thinks that if he just throws enough confetti around, he will be able to dazzle and blind the voter to the truth? Amy Lujan, Esparza's personal secretary, gets awards too. She has to travel to central Texas to pick up her awards. This might explain why everyone is always wondering where she is. But we'll save that story for another day. In the meantime, El Pasoans, beware of prosecutors bearing awards.
on April 30, 2007, 6:45 am
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