Rosales Flees Interview; Owes Public Answers

No one would blame you if you watched news coverage last week and thought it was the Ghost of News Stories Past revisiting the Borderland. Its easy to see how you might think the Ghost of Christmas Past was replaying the Darren Hunt / Norma Chavez running in the parking lot interview. 

But it wasn't. 

Embattled District Attorney Yvonne Rosales refused to answer questions regarding a case her office just lost in which court documents cite "Prosecutorial Vindictiveness" from Saul Saenz of KVIA.  

KTSM has also been asking questions of the DA and she somehow is never available. But she seems to always be available for community events - so long as she's not asked a question I'm guessing. 

Yvonne Rosales is a classic case of an elected official who's position has gone to their head, and in my option is failing by every measure. She is obliged to give answers to the public - she's not doing favors by answering questions. 

The case in question in many ways encapsulates the desmadre that has been the DA's office under Rosales' leadership. The case kept getting passed to various attorneys in her office because people kept leaving her office. Rosales has had a real problem with retention of staff. First she got rid of a chingo of them by telling everyone they needed to reapply for their positions. Therefore, a lot of folks chose not to reapply. But even after she took over, she can't seem to keep even her own hires. 

Finally Curtis Cox ends up with the case. That guy and I tangled a few times while Rosales was running for office. I don't know of another attorney who talked as much shit about how the previous DA's office was run and about "justice". This guy goes through the hearing offering to let the defendant out of county jail on a PR bond in exchange for a continuance. His lawyers push back and essentially say thanks but no thanks, we'll take the fair speedy trial for $100 please. 

The appropriately named prosecutor then threatens that they will pursue the death penalty if they don't get the continuance. The defense says nope and later death penalty charges are filed. 

The judge rules on a defense motion to dismiss and rules in favor of the defendant. 

Thats a bid deal and its a big case. So naturally - following all the other controversies coming from the DA's office, the media call the DA's office to get their side of the story. And as has been true for quite a while now, the DA is not available for comment. 

So Saul Saenz channeled his inner Darren Hunt and went to go find Rosales who apparently is rarely in her office according to all the news stories that mention how they reached out to her office and she was unavailable. And apparently Rosales decided to channel her inner Norma Chavez and ran away from the cameras and occasionally made nonsensical comments as she sped away.

Earlier this year I mentioned a statement her office put out and it was apparently from a guy named Paul Ferris. He's her media guy and if I were her, I'd fire him and find someone who knows what they are doing because he doesn't appear to have the first clue about crisis management. In fact, she should fire anyone telling her not to answer questions to the media. 

Which brings me to a really important point. Probably the most offensive thing that Rosales has done is try to dictate to KVIA when and with whom she will interview. No elected official should be trying to shape their coverage by playing hardball with the institution of media companies. And right now, local media - which is slowly shriveling away - need to band together and show some solidarity by not rewarding that bad behavior. 

Every single media outlet should make it a point to demand accountability to the public. KVIA's package on the interview did a good job of reminding us all that as a candidate, she said accessibility was one of the platforms on which she was running. 

Those were her words - no one forced them out of her. 

And the worst thing you can do as a politician is become the stereotype of the politician that says one thing as a candidate and does another as an elected official. 

Rosales has had to deal with scandals relating to expenditures of drug forfeiture funds which may be a crime. She literally has one job - prosecute crime. The fact that she may have broken the law alone should be a disqualifier for reelection. She can't keep staff she hired, and we are talking senior staff. Its no wonder that cases are bogged down and judges are frustrated with her office. 

And here's the really frustrating thing about Rosales - according to her nothing is ever her fault. Everything that happens is always someone else's fault and never hers. Its like being in a bad relationship where your significant other gas lights you and blames you for everything, no matter how much its their fault. You know, La Tóxica. 

I've often spoken about how formidable Latina female candidates are in an election - but Rosales is already in a bad situation. You gotta figure State Rep Joe Moody is watching all the mistakes she's making and he'd win in a cake walk against her.