Castillo also seems unfazed by the criminal charges against him. ("I'm still here, aren't I?") More than two years have passed, and the cases still haven't been tried. They have been reset nearly a dozen times for nearly as many reasons -- legislative continuances by Domingo Garcia, new lawyers entering the case, conflicts in scheduling. There seems to be little political will on the part of the government to get Castillo to trial.
Perhaps the cases are just plain weak: Last November, the prosecution offered to reduce the two felony charges to misdemeanors in exchange for Castillo's guilty plea. Sources close to the case say Castillo was ready to take the deal until he learned that he would lose his peace-officer certification and be forced to resign. The case was then reset for trial February 7.
Mark Graham
x
Mark Graham
Acting Cockrell Hill Police Chief Mike Dupree is running against Constable Castillo in the Democratic primary on March 14. He has been accused of being part of a conspiracy to oust the constable from office.
Related Content
More About
Although Castillo refuses to speak about the charges, his newest lawyer, John Read, is quite outspoken about them. "In the bribery case, he was getting donations for his nonprofit corporation -- every dime can be tracked," Read says. "Whatever he got didn't go into his pocket -- we can prove that." As far as the illegal campaign contribution is concerned, Read claims his client did nothing wrong. "He has a friend all his life that has let him use his corporate credit card to pay for some campaign signs and supplies. He reported it as a loan, but not from a corporation. Well, it's not a campaign contribution if it's a loan."
Clark Birdsall, the assistant district attorney handling the case, has refused to comment. Read maintains, much like his co-counsel Garcia, that the prosecution is politically motivated. "The constable is a pusher, a doer, and he didn't make the best of friends on the commissioners court. Anything to kick out a minority and get some white folk in there."
The only "white folk" running for Precinct 6 constable in the Democratic primary is Mike Dupree, the acting chief of police in Cockrell Hill. That Dupree was a reserve deputy under James Paschall might lend some credence to his being part of some political cabal that is trying to unseat Castillo -- except for the fact that Dupree also ran against Paschall in 1996.
"Bottom line, under Paschall, the office was a respected, efficient law-enforcement agency, and after a few months of Constable Castillo, that reputation was destroyed," Dupree says. "His department has become the laughingstock of every law-enforcement agency in the county."
Dupree may make a formidable opponent: He has been campaigning in the precinct for months, walking door-to-door; he has raised more than $15,000 and has more than 20 years of law-enforcement experience; he has the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, the Teamsters, and the Stonewall Democrats, a gay and lesbian political action committee.
One endorsement Dupree didn't receive was from the Tejano Democrats, who, despite Castillo's lingering problems, threw their support behind the constable. "We have certainly had our share of black and Anglo candidates that have been sued and indicted, and they get supported," says Adelfa Callejo, vice-chair of the Tejano Democrats. "I was impressed with Castillo's commitment and his sensitivity to the community."
Although the Tejano Democrats held a news conference on January 3 and endorsed 11 candidates in the Democratic primary including Castillo, Callejo is now hedging on the group's endorsement of the constable, saying it was not an "official endorsement" but more a show of encouragement.
But as strong a player as Domingo Garcia is within the Tejano Democrats, there is little question the group will endorse Castillo, if it hasn't already. And as deep a rift as there is between Garcia and Roberto Alonzo, there is little question that Alonzo won't. But that shouldn't make much difference, says Hispanic activist Joe May. "You can say all the nasty things you want to about the guy, Castillo is still going to get the votes. They are voting for the homeboy."
"It's the same concept as Al Lipscomb," political consultant Jake Fuller says, referring to the black councilman convicted last week of taking bribes. "You have to stand behind your people and convince the voters that the white system is persecuting one of your own."
The voters will decide on March 14 whether this strategy works -- unless, of course, a jury decides first.
