Judge drops parts of lawsuit against Celis, others

CORPUS CHRISTI -- A judge has dropped South Texas Democratic donor Mauricio Celis from parts of a Zapata County lawsuit in which a McAllen firm disputed attorneys fees with him.

District Judge David Peeples signed an order Monday dismissing Celis, his firm CGT Law Group International, former partner Chris Pinedo and Owen & Associates law firm from parts of the suit.

Gonzalez & Associates and their client Priscilla De Los Santos had accused Celis and his firm of negligence, unauthorized practice of law and contract interference. A message left for the firm's attorney on the case wasn't immediately returned Wednesday.

Celis, a longtime donor to state and national Democratic candidates, has come under fire as the subject of several legal challenges based on allegations he practiced law without a license.

On Monday, Peeples dismissed the negligence charges as well as some allegations that Celis violated civil practice laws. He also dismissed Gonzalez & Associates' claim of unauthorized practice of law - but not De Los Santos' claim. The contract interference claim will stand against Celis and the other defendants.

``This is yet another example that shows that Mauricio Celis is the victim of a baseless hue and cry,'' Celis' attorney, Andrew M. Greenwell, said in a news release. ``There was so much smoke in all these cases, I guess people could be excused for thinking there was fire. But there's no fire, there's just a lot of artificial smoke and mirrors.''

The lawsuit is one of several around the state involving Celis, who came under scrutiny after a local lawyer ran television ads starting in September alleging Celis did not have a law license. Celis has said that he never represented himself as a licensed lawyer in the United States.

Celis, 36, since has been sued by the Texas Attorney General's Office and the state Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee.

A Nueces County grand jury indicted him in November on felony charges of perjury, theft, falsely holding oneself out as a lawyer and impersonating a peace officer.