Update: Attorney Nat Perez Finally Gets Cornejo-Lopez Recused from Cadriel Case

From the Editor: A Brownsville Herald article dated 11/4/2012 by Emma Perez-Trevino reported that Attorney Nat C. Perez was finally successful in getting Judge Cornejo-Lopez recused from the sexual assault trial of Ernie Hernandez relative Aroldo Cadriel.  Perez argued that Cornejo-Lopez held a bias against Cadriel that would interfere with his right of a fair trial.  Initially, Perez claimed that the bias was based on the attorney's refusal to buy Girl Scout cookies from Cornejo-Lopez' daughter.  Below is the MMB story from August 25, 2012:

Ernie's In-Law Wants Cornejo-Lopez Recused Over Girl Scout Cookie Vindictiveness

Aroldo Cadriel

It may not be a coordinated family effort to denigrate or ruin the reputation of 404th District Judge Cornejo-Lopez by the Hernandez-Cadriel families, but it seems so.

The latest verbal missile aimed at Lopez comes from the lawyer representing Ernie's brother-in-law Aroldo Cadriel in a murder case, Nat Perez.

Mr. Perez claims in a Brownsville Herald article by Jacqueline Armendariz that his refusal to buy girl scout cookies from Cornejo-Lopez resulted in banishment from Cornejo-Lopez' courtroom.  Left unexplained was why Cornejo-Lopez wasn't banning Perez now.  Instead, it is Perez who is trying to get Cornejo-Lopez recused from hearing the case.  

Nat (Cookie) Perez

Jerry Mchale, publisher of the Brownsville Blues blog first broke the story on June 28th that Ernie Hernandez was spreading a vicious rumor about Cornejo-Lopez to ruin her marriage and discredit her, paving the way for his daughter Erin to run for the district judgeship in the next go-around.  Is Ernie now orchestrating the recusal of Cornejo-Lopez for her alleged vindictiveness when Perez failed to purchase cookies her daughter was selling?

As Perez explains in his motion, when Judge Cornejo-Lopez saw him in the halls of the courthouse, she directed him to see her court coordinator about a matter.  Perez complied, only to be dunned by the coordinator to buy Girl Scout cookies being credited as sold by Cornejo-Lopez' daughter.  With Perez refusal of purchase came harsh reprisals in the courtroom according to Perez, stating that on three occasions Cornejo-Lopez prevented him from practicing his craft in her courtroom:  

"This conduct is an open, blatant and obvious indication of Judge Elia Cornejo-Lopez's animosity,  dislike and disdain for counsel and her desire to not have counsel practice in her court before her, possibly exacerbated by his refusal to purchase a case of Girl Scout cookies from her daughter's troop."