Below is an e-mail Stuart Leeds wrote to El Paso Times editor Chris Lopez regarding a story Lopez published today entitled “Paralegal, husband indicted in $1 million law-firm embezzlement.” Read Stuart’s e-mail to learn what Lopez and his reporter Maggie Ybarra intentionally left out of the story they published. After the e-mail, I have pasted Lopez’ innacurate and slanted article so that you can compare information.
RE: Paralegal, husband indicted in $1 million law-firm embezzlement‏

7:57 AM
Reply ▼
stuart leeds
To chris lopez, milan simonich, mybarra@elpasotimes.com, Theresa McGill
Mr. Lopez:

How could you publish this story and not mention, not one time, the salient relationships, that by the way, the entire legal community and their families are aware of? This woman is being told she better plead to 40 years or else. And as Mr. Gibson correctly said, 40 years is more than what most murderers get. I would add, a lot more. So why the vehemence and the outrageous plea offer from Esparza? Because the alleged victims are his friends, political allies, and relatives of his lawyer, County Attorney Joanne Bernal. But then you should know all this. CA Bernal, Esparza’s lawyer and friend who has made a career covering up for Esparza, is a close relative of complainant Bernal. Do you know what that relationship is, Mr. Lopez? And if you don’t, why not? Shouldn’t this have been a basic question asked and answered in your story? Oaxaca is the same Oaxaca on the Ethics Commission who votes continously to keep Joanne Bernal as the Commission’s attorney thereby compromising the Commission’s independence. This is a debate that has been raging for 6 months, a debate I am confident you know not one whit about. And as the editor of the newspaper, you don’t care. The connections beteween the DA’s office and the alleged victims are profound. Esparza should have disqualified himself from this prosecution. And as long as you continue to hire insipid reporting staff and publish incomplete, stupid stories, the public will be defrauded of honest politicians.

You publish that Esparza said he never comments on a pending case, a lie by Esparza. You know this isn’t true when in May you published that he said Judge Arditti was going to plead guilty to nepotism, in A PENDING CASE, a quote that has been the subject of numerous pleadings and court hearings in that case. So which one is it Mr. Lopez? He talks about pending cases or he doesn’t? Both can’t be true. How can you allow a DA to publicly, in two cases in less than 3 months, threaten to indict people because they demand their constitutional rights? How does this go unnoted by you?
What’s your job down there? To suck up to Bill Sanders or to enlighten the public so that they go to the polls armed with the truth?

SLeeds

Here is the story pasted from the El Paso Times.

Paralegal, husband indicted in $1 million law-firm embezzlement
By Maggie Ybarra \ El Paso Times
Posted: 08/17/2010 12:00:00 AM MDT

Click photo to enlargeRosanne Stogner«12»EL PASO — A paralegal and her husband have been indicted on suspicion of embezzling more than $1 million from the law firm where she worked.

The suspects are Rosanne and Michael Stogner. A grand jury indicted them this month in a series of thefts from Oaxaca, Bernal & Associates between March 2001 and May 2007.

Rosanne Stogner declined Monday to talk about the charges and her attorney, Dolph Quijano, did not return calls.

Rosanne Stogner was employed at the law firm at 1515 Montana as a paralegal and an office manager from 1999 to 2007, according to a complaint affidavit by police. Her responsibilities included preparing case files and paying bills.

But she also allegedly paid herself money to which she was not entitled.

Police alleged in the affidavit that Stogner made out checks to herself, to her husband, to his fence company and even to her daughter’s personal trainer.

“The checks were not authorized by (law firm executives) Juan Oaxaca or Abelardo Bernal and totaled $1,002,050.47,” the police affidavit stated.

The Stogners have pleaded not guilty.

Michael Gibson, attorney for Michael Stogner, said the charges against his client were filed only after Rosanne Stogner refused to accept a plea agreement in which she would have gone to prison for 40 years. That proposal was more time than what most murder defendants received in plea bargains, he said.

Gibson said he suspects there may be a political connection between Oaxaca, Bernal & Associates and the

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district attorney’s office.
“I’ve already started going back in to the campaign contributions to the court and to the district attorney’s office to see if there’s any political influence there,” he said.

District Attorney Jaime Esparza declined to comment, saying he does not talk about pending cases.

The Stogners are scheduled to stand trial Jan. 21.

Maggie Ybarra may be reached at mybarra@elpasotimes.com;546-6151.