VII. Personal Continuances

Some continuances were of a more personal nature. At least six lawmakers claimed continuances in cases naming themselves or apparent family members as defendants.

Rep. Carlos Uresti appears to have filed continuances in two cases involving citations against members of his family. Bexar County officials cited an Alberto V. Uresti in May 2005 for continuing to store junk vehicles at his property after he was ordered to remove them. When contacted about the case, the court clerk said, “Let me see if this is the case in which there has been one continuance filed after another.” The clerk said nothing developed from this citation and prosecutors filed a second one against the same property owner for the same violation five months later.¹³

Rep. Uresti also claimed a continuance in a case involving defendant Lorenzo N. Uresti. While Lorenzo Uresti was driving a Uresti Sons Trucking vehicle in January 2005, a trooper cited him for a defective light, failing to use seat belts and not displaying valid insurance and inspection credentials. That truck was registered to Alberto Uresti at the same address cited for junk vehicles. One of Rep. Uresti’s legislative aides declined to say if the lawmaker is related to defendants Alberto Uresti and Lorenzo Uresti. She directed TPJ to call Rep. Uresti’s law office. Rep. Uresti—who is the son of an Alberto Uresti—did not respond to inquiries left there.

Rep. Roberto Alonzo, who has a brother named Victor, filed a continuance last year in the State of Texas v. Victor Alonzo. The State Office of Administrative Hearings, where Rep. Alonzo filed this continuance, referred questions about the case to the Texas Department of Public Safety division that revokes drunk drivers’ licenses. That office told TPJ that it could not access information on the case without the defendant’s driver’s license number or date of birth.¹⁴ Rep. Alonzo did not return calls about the case.

Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) filed a continuance in 2003 as an attorney defending his daughter from a lawsuit filed by Melange Fine Cuisine. Melange alleged that Melonie Dutton failed to pay half of a $46,067 bill that she incurred in 2000, when Melange catered her 500-guest wedding at Houston’s Rice Hotel.¹⁵

Rep. Craig Eiland (D-Galveston) filed a continuance last year after being sued by an inmate who is serving an 18-year rape sentence. Rep. Eiland sued prisoner Robert Holzwarth first on behalf of the woman that Holzwarth raped in 1993. Although the victim dropped her lawsuit, Holzwarth counter-sued Rep. Eiland and is appealing a summary judgment against the prisoner in that case. Houston’s 151st District Court said it could not immediately provide case documents, which were being scanned.

Rep. Robert Puente (D-San Antonio) also claimed a continuance last year in a lawsuit filed against him by a plaintiff whom the lawmaker described as “a rogue tenant” of a building that the lawmaker owns. The lawmaker said he prevailed in this case by arguing that this plaintiff, who subleased space from another tenant, had sued the wrong defendant. Rep. Puente says he successfully argued that the plaintiff should have sued the original tenant rather than the building’s owner. The Bexar County Justice of the Peace clerk did not respond to repeated requests for filings in this case.¹⁶

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) claimed a continuance in 2004 in a paternity lawsuit. A legislative aide said the lawmaker is handling this case pro bono for his five-year-old niece.¹⁷

^{13. Prosecutors filed both citations with Bexar County justices of the peace. The citations are No. 50-N-05-00379-01 and 50-N-05-00640-01.}

^{14. Case No. 2004-1250882, State Office of Administrative Hearings, Dallas County.}

^{15. Case No. 756209 in Harris County Civil Court At Law No. 1.}

^{16. Loren Lombardi v. Robert Puente, Bexar County Justice of the Peace Precinct One, Place Two, case number 12-S-04-000212-01.}

^{17. Case No. 2000-EM5-05078 in the 166th State District Court in San Antonio.}