The 14 year issue between Cameron County Commissioners’ and the District Attorney’s Office is now in court.
The issues at hand, commissioners’ want to choose who will represent the county legally.
But the D.A.’s office says it’s much more than that, in fact, they claim it’s personal.
“You can’t just take over my duties because you don’t like the person coming in,” explained Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos. “That’s like me saying I don’t like the county judge, we don’t like the commissioners, were going to take their duties."
But Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos stated that couldn't be further than the truth and adds the decision to opt for outside representation was about what's right.
“Does the ounty attorney have the legal right and sole responsibility to represent the commissioners’ county? We believe he doesn’t," said Cascos.
But according to Armando Villalobos, the actual truth is an audio recording presented Friday in court, in which Judge Cascos is heard saying, “It was created out of spite and it was created basically to impede the performance of a new D.A. coming in."
When asked about the recording Casco’s told Action 4 News “It was created out of spite and I have not denied that but in retrospect its worked out well for us."
But Villalobos said that it’s not working out for county tax payers.
“It’s worked because they get to do what they want to do, said Villalobos. “That’s why they don’t want to give it up. If we’re sitting there, we’re not going to be doing what they want us to do, we’re going to do what’s correct."
Villalobos pointed out, so far outside representation has created numerous legal problems for the county, such as the Red River contract in 2006 and the county jail contract in ‘98.
Both men however, do agree on one thing, they both want to settle this dispute once and for all.
The judge in the case has made no ruling yet as to if this case will go to trial and has until Tuesday at 5 p.m.
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