Only One Word for It

Gacho.

I hadn't realized until the other day just how really bad it is that a sitting District Court judge with the reputation that Judge Herrera has is pursuing another seat.

Yeah, he has all that stuff hanging over his head about his own divorce sitting in his own court, which sucks because if his own spouse can't get justice in his court, in my opinion it undermines the public's confidence in the judiciary, but there's another layer.

No, I don't mean the fact that all of this is really about lining his pockets on the public dime with another pension tax payers will pay for.

I mean what it says about the lengths he will go to in order to actually get that tax-payer funded additional income.

Jesus Rodriguez is also running for that seat and was one of the first candidates out of the gate for the seat. Why is that a big deal?

Because Rodriguez is Herrera's associate judge.

He's like Herrera's assistant judge. Sorta underneath him on a flow chart. So you have a district court judge, but because there is so much work in family law, they appoint associate judges to help with the case load.

Herrera is trying to go from a District Court, down to a County Court, that is still practicing family law. Its not like he's trying to go after an appellate seat or something. He is blatantly in this for the extra pension and it blows my mind that the media isn't asking him questions about that. Its absolutely a news story.

But what is worse, the absolute worst about it, is that he's going against his own associate court judge.  Completely unheard of.

Its hard for me to come to any other opinion about this other than its nothing but selfishness on the part of Judge Mike Herrera.

Now word around the courthouse elevators is that Herrera is acting like he's doing Rodriguez some sort of favor in all of this by saying that if Herrera wins the seat, then Rodriguez can be appointed to complete his unexpired term and be well-placed for re-election to that seat.

If you're dumb enough to believe that then I have a bridge to sell you in Tornillo.

A vacancy in that seat would be filled by the Governor. You know, the Republican governor of Texas. You think he's appointing a Democrat? No, Judge Hicks will probably get it again. (I like Judge Hicks, this should in no way be interpreted as a diss to Hicks). There's no way in hell Rodriguez would be getting it.

Yet another reason why elections matter.