Reprint from the Progress Times - March 14, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

 

Judge reinstates Elma Garza to LJISD Board

 

With the court-ordered election date of March 25 fast-approaching, Team USA candidates Esperanza Ochoa and Arturo Gonzalez suffered yet another blow this week. Judge Federico Hinojosa of the 275th District Court ordered Elma Garza reinstated to the La Joya ISD school board effective immediately. In the same order, the judge required that Ochoa step down from the board.

The action restored the school board positions to the same members that made up the board prior to the May 12, 2007 election, which Judge Hinojosa earlier ordered void due to voter fraud and voting irregularities. Gonzalez and Garza were incumbents on the board prior to the voided election, and will now serve on the board until the new election, just 11 days away. Early voting begins even sooner, starting March 17 and continuing through March 19.

Garza and Domingo Villarreal Jr. reported the judge’s action on Monday, March 10, the day he issued the new order. A call to the office of Ramon Garcia, attorney for the contestants, confirmed the action, although the written order was not yet available from the district clerk’s office.

Just last week, the Texas Supreme Court denied the request by contestees Ochoa and Gonzalez to hear an appeal. This action appeared to be the last-ditch effort by the Team USA candidates to stop the court-ordered election from going forward.

One month earlier, the Team USA candidates failed to get any help from the 13th Court of Appeals when the appellate court upheld the ruling by the 275th District Court declaring the original election void and calling for a new, court-supervised election. This time the court is requiring the election to be conducted by the Hidalgo County Elections Department, rather than by the school district.

The appellate court agreed with Judge Hinojosa. The three-judge panel found that there was voter fraud and election violations in the May, 2007 election, and ordered the 275th District Court to immediately set a new election date.

Early voting will be held Monday through Wednesday, March 17, 18 and 19, according to Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Teresa Navarro. Polling hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. On election day, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Polling sites for both early voting and on election day will be at Sam Fordyce School, La Joya ISD Fine Arts Center and E.B. Reyna Elementary School.