Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Many of those attending the hearing where City of Brownsville incumbent District 2 commissioner Jessica Tetreau tried to have the court remove challenger Catalina Presas-Garcia from the ballot were intrigued to see 404th District Judge Elia Cornejo's husband Leo filming the proceedings from the front row.
Local media know that it takes permission from judges before they are allowed to film inside the court. The response to their requests in he past has always been the same: no.
Other observers say that the only way people can be allowed to film inside the courtroom is to file a Motion for Leave first and then and can do so only if the judge gives them permission to take pictures, recordings or videos.
"Upon careful review of all the pleadings no such motion was filed," wrote a local blogger. "This appears to be a sua sponte (on her on accord) act by Elia Cornejo."
And despite the fact that visiting judge Robert Pate ruled that the intent of the voters - whether Presas-Garcia was present or not when they signed her petition - was to have her on the ballot, advertising being what it is one can just imagine that the "juicy" parts will end up as a negative campaign ad for Tetreau's social media campaign.
Things like the testimony of the woman who said she did not see Presas-Garcia's name on the petition when she signed it, or when she admitted in court that it was she, not her husband, who signed his name under hers. The exculpatory parts, where voters said they wanted the challenger on the ballot despite the candidate not being present when they signed it, will probably not make the cut.
Elia-Cornejo's role at the hearing - instructing the commissioner's lawyer Rick Zayas through written notes and conferring with him from her seat - struck some observers as inappropriate since it was her, sitting as a district judge, who reviewed her lawsuit and then simultaneously recused herself from hearing it.Pate was then appointed as visiting judge, but Cornejo-Lopez's prints were already on the case.
In a previous post we noted that if a complaint to the Commission of Judicial Conduct was filed against Cornejo-Lopez, ample proof existed in the recording made by her husband showing her taking an active part in Tetreau's prosecution of her motion for injunctive relief.
But now Presas-Garcia's supporters say the hearing may have been taped for campaign ad spots that may appear on mainstream and/or social media
"We've heard that they are going to edit and splice the recording and use it as campaign advertising," said a District 2Presas-Garcia supporter. "The recording was made without the court's permission - which is not legal - and Tetreau should not benefit from an illegal act by a district judge or her husband."