For the third time, the DA’s office has issued new indictments in her case in which she is accused of releasing alleged confidential information.

The DA’s office is trying to get the language correct in the indictment, which will be read during De Leon’s trial.

One technicality can get the case thrown out even before it starts.

There’s two ways this can go. “Third Times a Charm” or “Three Strikes and your out.”

The narrative of the police report taken at Sunshine Haven, regarding possible misuse of funds, is being withheld from the media although it should be public, according to Texas law.

The Cameron County District Attorney’s office is seeking an AG opinion on whether it can release the narrative. As AG opinions go, they can take up to six months or more to be issued.

Things that make you go Hmmm.

By the time an opinion is issued, the DA’s should have finished probe.

It will be interesting to see, which information makes it to the media first.

The price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas has gone down by $1 over the past three months.

As of Friday afternoon, a gallon was selling for $2.69. Who knows what it will be during the weekend.

Some think it’s a Republican ploy to get voters to vote for the Republican Party in November.

I don’t think your average driver cares whether it’s a ploy or not just as long as the prices continue to take a dive.

The presidential election has gone on for more than a year. Maybe it can be extended another year to see if the prices will dip below $2.

The police report obtained by the Brownsville Herald is very vague.

It only list the offense, the time it allegedly happened and the place where it is said to have occurred.

It fails to mention the dollar amount involved and the person or persons who allegedly committed the offense.

What is interesting to know is that the Board of Directors have terminated the director of Sunshine Haven.

The board has also pressed the Cameron County District Attorney’s office to investigate the alleged crime and to charge anyone who is involved.

With little to no information being released and no one willing to talk about it on the record, there’s only so much that can be accurately reported.

The District Attorney is bound by law and has been entrusted by the voters to investigate and prosecute those involved.

To not perform such duties would be an injustice to those who abide by the law and the voters who elect all elected officials into office.

The District Attorney’s office got a lot of slack from its investigation into the wrongdoings regarding the BND. It could take more heat because it is a Hospice - and end of live care facility - that is alleged to have been harmed.

Virtually every State District Court has at least one murder or capital murder trial on its docket set to begin this or in the next few weeks.

Some are going to require extreme experts if the DA wants to get a conviction in the case and this is why the DA’s office has asked the county for addtional money to help prosecute the cases.

At least one case dates back to 2003. It is the infamous John Allen Rubio capital murder trial slated to begin in November.

There’s about a couple more that date back to 2005 and the rest are from 2006 to the present year.

With the DA’s office expected to undergo more cuts by the end of the year, it will be interesting to see how these  murder cases play out.

If they are pushed back another year because of lack of prosecutors, could they cost the county more money. Afterall, the county has to pay for each day  the accused is incarcerated.

Maybe if people could get a grip on their emotions and anger, there might be less murders being committed.

Talk about wishful thinking.

Two county departments had to cut staff because the county doesn’t have any money to pay them.

The latest cuts are in the District Attorney’s office. Five employees were cut this week and another six will be out of a job  before the holiday season begins.

There will be no decking the halls here.

The state said no to  the DA’s office for a $500,000 grant it had been funding for the county’s drug task force. This money was used to fund the salaries and equipment of the task force that helps small towns work drug cases among other things. 

The Commissioners Court also told the DA’s office no. Simply put there is no money  for these salaries.

 Rather than doing away with the entire task force, which also works public corruption cases, some task force employees were cut as well as one assistant DA for now.

More are coming.

For years, the county had relied on its “cash cows” to make up budget deficits. These hefty moolas included money made for housing federal inmates and revenues from the international bridge system.

The cash cows have dried up and the county had no choice but to let these people go. The county even had to  replenish the road and bridge fund.

To balance the budget the county had to increase property taxes by one penny. Had it opted to fund the salaries of these cut employees, property owners were probably looking at another penny increase.

There’s nothing worse that a lot of angry taxpayers.

It will be interesting to see  how the cuts at the DA’s office will impact the thousands of criminal cases it prosecutes. Is one murder case more important than the other? What about the rapes, robberies and  DWI cases?

The DA’s office is going to do what it has to do, but at what pace?

So much for the “Holly, Jolly Christmas.”

Hurricane Ike was almost the size of the state of  Texas.

Hurricane Ike had no problem throwing strong punches at the Galveston/Houston area.

Early predictions are that the majority or at least half of Houston’s 4 million population is without electricity and it will be weeks before it is all restored.

Here in the Valley, residents were up in arms for being without electricity for a week. Geeezzz.

Local officials and residents are just now getting a glimpse of Ike’s fury. Officials have to wonder what would have happened if the Category 2/3 storm had hit here.

This is not only going to be a lesson forlocal  officials, but residents as well who refuse to leave their homes.

Some Galveston residents who chose to stay were later calling emergency officials asking for help in getting  rescued out.

The lesson here  is when the authorities say leave, you leave.

First there was lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. Now there will be lessons learned from Hurricane Ike.

With more than two months still left in the 2008 hurricane season one has to wonder if there will be more hurricanes and more lessons to learn.

The deadline has come and gone for the Democratic Party to nominate someone to be on the ballot.

The party was basically at the mercy of U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen. The  judge  could have moved up Constable Saul P. Ochoa’s sentencing before Aug. 26 or leave the sentencing at the original Sept. 22 sentencing date.

Well, he did neither. Ochoa will be sentenced before Sept. 22. 

Ochoa pleaded guilty over the summer to selling marijuana confiscated by the Precinct 1 Constable’s office. During his guilty plea  in federal court it was revealed that Ochoa had a drug habit.

His defense attorney Gilberto Hinojosa had filed a motion to get Ochoa’s sentencing moved up and the judge did, but probably not at the pace that some expected.

Court transcripts provided to Herald revealed that Zavaletta entered into a pre-trial diversion program with the District Attorney’s Office.

FYI: The transcripts were not provided by anyone involved in the case.

Under the agreement, Zavaletta basically agreed to a 12 months probation program offered by the DA. He also coped to making a $25,000 donation to Maggie’s/Monica’s House and write a letter of apology to them.

If Zavaletta completes his probation, the misdemeanor charge filed against him will be dismissed.

Zavaletta and his defense attorney had hoped the press wouldn’t find out about the deal. He even mentions this in the court transcripts.

The provider of the transcripts thought otherwise.

Also mentioned in the transcripts is Zavaletta’s decision to cooperate with the state and testify against De Leon in her criminal trial.

Sometimes you can cross your fingers too much and sometimes not tight enough.

Betancourt’s main stance was that he wanted his pay to be up to par with his fellow elected officials.

Betancourt opted for the grievance committee to meet behind doors, which now he probably is having second thoughts about.

He did this because the committee said they would be more comfortable with this.

Had Betancourt held everything in public, he might have had a better chance. He would have had a chance to jump in or back up his claim, if he saw them leaning toward a no vote.

Because the committee discussed this in executive session, Betancourt will probaby never know why they voted no.

Unless he is able to get inside information from the county. I’ll leave it at that.