Judge Indicted For Campaign False Filings

Forest Hill council discusses associate municipal judge's indictment
The Texas Star-Telegram by Elizabeth Campbell  -  May. 15, 2012

FOREST HILL, TX -- In closed session Tuesday night, the City Council discussed the indictment against Associate Municipal Judge Mario Perez, who is accused of falsifying campaign contributions to an Arlington school district trustee.  Afterward, Mayor Gerald Joubert said the council directed staff to continue the investigation. "We don't know if we can remove the judge just on the basis of the indictment," Joubert said. "Staff will give us a recommendation, and we will make a decision."  Before the meeting, City Manager Sheyi Ipaye said, "I don't want this indictment to be a black eye to the city," emphasizing that the council would have the final say on whether Perez keeps the job.  Perez's attorney, Greg Westfall, said neither he nor Perez was aware that the council intended to discuss the judge's position.  "It's just sad there is no presumption of innocence in Forest Hill," Westfall said.  Perez, a partner in the Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson tax collection law firm until late last year, was indicted in April on six counts of fraudulent tampering with a government record.  He is accused of falsifying entries on a campaign finance report during Arlington school Trustee Aaron Reich's 2009 campaign.  The campaign reported a donation of $1,000 and an in-kind contribution of $338.70 from Bassam and Leila Darkazally of Arlington, who at the time were Perez's in-laws.  The report also lists an in-kind contribution of $4,216.06 from a Mansfield man.  The two in-kind contributions total $4,554.76, which is the exact amount of a payment that the campaign reported making to the consulting firm Murphy Turner & Associates for "production, mailing, voter contact."  The indictment says all the filings were false.  No charges have been brought against Reich or the Linebarger firm. Reich was re-elected Saturday.  Perez was appointed Forest Hill's third municipal judge in April 2011. Municipal Judge Glenn Lewis had asked for a third judge and said it would be helpful to have one who spoke Spanish.  Elizabeth Campbell, 817-390-7696  -  liz@star-telegram.com