Suspended Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2 Cesar Perez trial set for August 9th
By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
Suspended Maverick County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2, Cesar Perez, and his two former secretaries, Martha Zamarripa and Elisa Martinez, will have a jury trial of their pending state criminal charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and theft by a public servant on August 9, 2013 before 365th Judicial District Judge Amado J. Abascal, III, of Maverick County, Texas in Eagle Pass, Texas, with Docket Call set for August 9th and Jury Selection and Trial to commence on August 12th.
At an April 2nd Pre-Trial Conference hearing before District Judge Amado J. Abascal, III, Perez’s attorneys, Rogelio Munoz of Uvalde and Earl Herring of Eagle Pass, requested a hearing to argue their motion that the State of Texas charges against Perez be dismissed for having been filed after the five-year statute of limitations. A Maverick County Grand Jury issued a criminal indictment against Perez, Zamarripa, and Martinez on December 14, 2012 for engaging in organized criminal activity and theft by a public servant allegedly from August 20, 2007 through October 8, 2008. Perez and his two co-defendants were arrested on January 11, 2013 after self-surrendering to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department and were released subsequently on bond. After a contested hearing on April 2nd, District Judge Amado J. Abascal, III, denied Perez’s motion to dismiss and set the case for docket call on August 9th and jury selection and trial to commence on August 12th.
Justice of the Peace of Precinct 2 Cesar Perez was suspended from his publicly-elected judicial duties and responsibilities by the State of Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct in January of 2013 following his indictment and arrest pending the outcome of the criminal charges filed against him.
Former legal assistant to Justice of the Peace of Precinct 4 Teresa Melendrez, Dora Madera, was appointed temporarily Justice of the Peace of Precinct 2 by Maverick County Judge David Saucedo in January of 2013 pending finalization of Judge Cesar Perez’s criminal charges in the December 14, 2012 Maverick County Grand Jury indictment.
Perez is represented by former Uvalde County District Attorney Rogelio Munoz and local attorney Earl Herring. Zamarripa is represented by Laredo attorney Armando Roman. Martinez is represented by local attorneys Edgar Hugo Juarez and Rolando Salinas.
Perez, Zamarripa, and Martinez’s criminal indictment has been closely followed by Maverick County citizens.
