Appeals court affirms La Joya election overturn

A state appeals court ruled Thursday that the La Joya school district’s 2007 school board election was corrupted and agreed with a state district court judge who overturned that election and ordered a new one.

The case was a continuation of last fall’s contentious, complex election challenge, which pitted western Hidalgo County factions against each other in court.

View the 36-page appeals court decision.

The school board members who were declared the winners last May — Esperanza “Espie” Ochoa and Arturo Gonzalez — remained in their seats, attending meetings and voting on matters before the board, while their attorney appealed the first judgment.

Now, it is up to state District Judge Fred Hinojosa to decide when Ochoa and Gonzalez will face Elma Garza and Domingo “Mingo” Villarreal again on the ballot.

His original ruling scheduled a vote for Feb. 16, but as the appeal process dragged through January, Hidalgo County elections administrator Teresa Navarro worried she would not have time to organize and run the election. She said she had originally planned to have early voting begin earlier this week.

Attorneys involved in the case disagreed on whether it would be possible for Ochoa and Gonzalez to carry their appeal further.

Because there have been few other election challenges in Texas courts, they cannot challenge the decision based on established precedents, said Oscar Longoria, an attorney who worked with Garza and Villarreal’s attorney, former county judge Ramon Garcia, on the original case.

Opposing attorney Adam Poncio vowed to file an appeal, saying it was possible for the Texas Supreme Court to hear the case.

After more than nine months in limbo, Garza said she was ready for a new election and to get this battle behind her.

“Two courts have found these people guilty of corruption,” she said. “I think it’s time to return justice to the people of La Joya.”

“Something is seriously wrong there,” she said.

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Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472.