One serious problem in the El Paso Judicial System is Judge Yahara Lisa Gutierrez of the 65th Judicial District Court. The 65th is the largest court at the court house, supervising three and half court masters (judges), having jurisdiction over the entire juvenile case load and the entire CPS case load, and until recently 1/3 of the family law case load. The 65th possesses control over 4 and a half court rooms, four and half bailiff’s, four and half court coordinators and four and half court reporters. This is a huge staff. Many hundreds of thousands of tax dollars are spent on the upkeep of these courts. Would you be interested in seeing a few facts about Yahara Lisa Gutierrez, the judge in control of this whole operation whom El Pasoans elected and who took the bench in January 2008? You will not read this in the El Paso Times.
-Yahara Gutierrez ran on the platform that her opponent, the incumbent, had neglected his family law docket and that she would right this wrong and “Put El Paso Families First.”
-One of the first things Gutierrez did when she took office was to abandon her family law docket and shunt it over to the 171st Judicial District Court. So much for caring for El Paso families. So much for telling the electorate the truth when she was running for office that her idea of taking care of El Paso families was to kick their cases to another, very busy judge.
The question now is, what does Gutierrez do all day in that big empty court room we pay for? All the CPS cases are heard by a court master. All of the juvenile cases are heard by two court masters at the juvenile hall building on Delta Street. The protective orders are heard by a court master. Gutierrez has relegated herself to be the supervisor of court masters. The 65th used to be such a busy court with juries coming and going. Now, with Gutierrez on the bench, it is as quiet as a library up there.
However, in Gutierrez’ defense, it could be that she got rid of her complex family law cases because she knew they were out of her league. I personally thank God she removed herself from these cases and gave them to a competent judge, the Judge of the 171st.
If you were about to be divorced with your children’s custody on the line and property division at stake, would you not want a respectable, truth-telling, sober, intelligent judge making decisions on your case and determining your family’s fate? Or would you want the following? Someone who the police said they arrested for driving drunk, traveling 90 miles per hour? Someone the police said swerved across two white lines, twice? Someone the police said popped a mint into her mouth during a DWI investigation? Someone who the police said had glassy, bloodshot eyes, an odor of alcohol about her breath and person? Someone who the police said had slurred speech? Someone who was not able to produce a driver’s license? Someone who the police said could not maintain her balance when exiting her vehicle? Someone who the police said placed her hand on her car to prevent herself from staggering? Someone who the police said informed them that she was unemployed when in fact she was working as a prosecutor, an assistant county attorney (for Jose Rodriguez and her pal Jo Anne Bernal) prosecuting juveniles for DWI? Someone who the police said told them she used to work for the County Attorney as a clerk, when in fact she had business cards in her purse that said she was an assistant county attorney? Someone who refused to take the field sobriety tests or the breath tests?
Someone who ran on the campaign platform with the above on her record, while criticizing her opponent for keeping a decanter of alcohol in his chambers (not illegal by the way)? That someone would be Yahara Lisa Gutierrez.
Keep in mind the El Paso Times knew and knows all about the above and refuses to properly inform you. Even while it publishes articles about the budget deficit, it remains silent on Gutierrez’ fallow court, how she abandoned her family law docket and how she still receives her full salary. Gutierrez is also not on the list of elected officials volunteering to take furlough days. Gutierrez draws the same pay as her predecessor and provides fewer services. Because after all, who will ever find out? The El Paso Times is too stupid to do a story or too dishonest. They have bigger fish to fry with all this controversy about idiot city reps arguing to legalize marihuana.
Gutierrez’ police report and color booking photo are attachments at the bottom of this blog. Do not miss them. I showed my brother her booking photo, which was published by El Diario, and asked him to not read the article but at first glance, what did he think this woman had been arrested for? He answered promptly: “prostitution.”
I will write more this week about our Yahara Lisa Gutierrez, the Honorable. And yes, there is more.