County Attorney Press Releases

October 2008 - Posts

SUNDAY’S NEWSPAPERS TO PRINT THOUSANDS OF NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HOT CHECK WARRANTS
Arrest roundups to follow publication of the names
             On Sunday October 19, 2008, the El Paso County Attorney’s Office will be publishing names of more than 4,500 individuals with outstanding hot-check warrants in the two main local newspapers: El Paso Times and Diario de El Paso. The 4,626 individuals owe local merchants almost 4 million dollars. 

             At any time after the publication of the list, officers from the El Paso Sheriff’s Office, Texas DPS Rangers, Constables, and investigators from the County Attorney's Office will conduct hot-check warrant roundups, arresting individuals at their homes and place of employment.
 Since Friday October 3, 2008, when the amnesty week was announced, the El Paso County Attorney's Office has received more than $98,000 in payments for outstanding hot checks.

             Individuals with outstanding hot-checks may attempt to avoid arrest in the upcoming roundups by paying as soon as possible. However, the amnesty period is over, and law enforcement officers can conduct arrests at any time without prior notice.  

            
To make payments individuals need to go to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, 5th floor of the County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Forms of payment accepted include most credit cards, money orders, cashiers checks, and cash, however those paying cash would have to bring the exact amount (cashiers can’t give change). 

             
For more information regarding hot check payments and balances please contact the El Paso County Attorney’s Office Hot Check Unit at 546-2051. The complete and updated list of individuals with theft by check outstanding warrants will remain posted in the El Paso County web site at: www.epcounty.com/CA.  


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Hot Check Warrant List Publication Press Release.pdf 

 

WEEK-LONG DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS EVENTS FOR THE ***,GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY
No Fear, No Guilt, No Shame Campaign
             El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodriguez today announced a week-long series of events aimed to inform the ***, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community about resources available in our community to combat domestic violence.

             The “No Fear, No Guilt, No Shame” campaign was organized by the County Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the organization “Puentes LGBT Resources” to reduce the incidence of domestic violence among members of the LGBT community. Gay and *** community members will receive information about programs and agencies that can provide help to victims of intimate partner violence.

             The series of events are structured in a way that allows members of the legal and law enforcement agencies to answer questions and present information on available services to members of the LGBT community. At the same time, service providers will be able to learn about specific issues affecting victims within the LGBT community, and how to help them more efficiently to cope and recover from domestic violence experiences.

             Gay and *** couples experience domestic violence like everyone else. Often, victims struggle with the pain on their own, fearing that law enforcement and other agencies will judge them harshly or ignore their complaints.                        

             
The campaign will begin on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, at the El Paso County Courthouse with a community forum where the organizers will discuss the results of a survey that reveals the prevalence of LGBT domestic violence in El Paso.

 
            The week-long activities will end on Saturday October 25, 2008 with a presentation on the domestic violence movement in LGBT communities at the state and national levels. “This conference is the latest in a series of efforts focused on raising domestic violence awareness in the community; previous conferences have been directed towards teens and the general population. This conference will focus on another, perhaps more, vulnerable population: the gay and *** community,” explained County Attorney José R. Rodríguez.   

WHO:       El Paso County Attorney's Office and Puentes LGBT Resources
WHAT:     No Fear, No Shame, No Guilt CampaignWHEN:     October 21 thru the 25, 2008
WHERE:  Several locations 

Tuesday October 21, 2008                                    6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Community Forum: Domestic and Dating Violence in LGBT Relationships
El Paso County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, 3rd floor 

Wednesday October 22, 2008                               7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Roundtable Discussion: Legal Aspects of LGBT Violence
The Percolator, 217 N Stanton St. (by invitation only) 

Thursday October 23, 2008                                   6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: LGBT Issues in Domestic Violence
Center Against Family Violence, 580 Giles Rd. 

Friday October 24, 2008                              6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Presentation: Legal Advocacy for LGBT Communities
Metropolitan Community Church, 216 S. Ochoa St. 

Saturday October 25, 2008                                   1:45 -2:30 p.m.

Presentation: Reaching Out to LGBT Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Region 19 ESC Head Start Multi-Purpose Center, 11670 Chito Samaniego  

For more information about a particular event please call Sam Aguilera at (915) 526-1350. 

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LGBT Domestic Violence Press Release.pdf

HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HOT-CHECK AMNESTY WEEK
Hot-Check Writers still can Avoid Arrest by Paying by Friday
El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez announced today that more than 300 hot-check writers took advantage of the amnesty week.

 
            Since Friday October 3, 2008, when the amnesty week was announced, more than 300 El Paso residents took advantage of the program paying $50,088 in outstanding hot-checks. Individuals who paid by today’s deadline will have their names deleted from the list of hot-check writers that will be published in the local newspapers on Sunday October 19, 2008. The list will include more than 4,200 names of individuals who owe local merchants almost 4 million dollars.

            Although the amnesty period is over, individuals with outstanding hot-checks still can avoid arrest in the upcoming warrant roundups by paying by this Friday October 17, 2008. However, their names will still appear in the hot-check warrant list that will be distributed inside Sunday’s El Paso Times and Diario de El Paso.

            At any time after the publication of the list, Officers from the El Paso Sheriff’s Office, the US Marshals, Texas DPS rangers, and investigators from the County Attorney's Office will conduct hot-check warrant roundups, arresting individuals at their homes and place of employment.
 

            Residents still interested in paying their outstanding hot checks by this Friday October 17, 2008 can make their payments at the  El Paso County Attorney’s Office, 5th floor of the County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Forms of payment accepted include most credit cards, money orders, cashiers checks, and cash, however those paying cash would have to bring the exact amount (cashiers can’t give change). 

           
For more information regarding hot check payments and balances please contact the El Paso County Attorney’s Office Hot Check Unit at 546-2051. The complete and updated list of individuals with theft by check outstanding warrants will remain posted in the El Paso County web site at: www.epcounty.com/CA.

Amnesty Week Collections Press Release.pdf

DUE TO COURTHOUSE EVACUATION, HOT CHECK AMNESTY PERIOD EXTENDED UNTIL MONDAY
              El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez announced today that, due to the evacuation of the courthouse, the amnesty week for hot check writers has been extended until Monday October 13, 2008. 

              Individuals who pay their outstanding checks by Monday at 5:00 p.m. will not have their names printed in the newspapers on Sunday October 19, 2008.
 County Attorney Rodríguez made the decision to extend the amnesty period after an electric fire forced the closing of the courthouse around noon today. Shortly after the Courthouse was evacuated, the County Attorney’s Office started to receive dozens of phone-calls from individuals who were not able to enter the building to make their payments and who were concerned about the publication of their names in the local newspapers. 

              
Residents with outstanding hot check warrants can make their payments at the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, 5th floor of the County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio. The payment window at the County Attorney’s Office will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p. m.  In addition to avoid the publication of their names in the local newspapers, individuals who make payments during the amnesty period will save money by avoiding the payment of many fees, such as court costs, attorney fees, and the payment of bonds. Most importantly, they will avoid incarceration during the upcoming countywide arrest warrant round up. 

             
Forms of payment accepted include most credit cards, money orders, cashiers checks, and cash, however those paying cash would have to bring the exact amount (cashiers can’t give change). For more information regarding hot check payments and balances please contact the El Paso County Attorney’s Office Hot Check Unit at 546-2051. The complete and updated list of individuals with theft by check outstanding warrants will remain posted in the El Paso County web site at: www.epcounty.com/CA.

             At the beginning of the amnesty period there were more than 4,600 names in the County’s hot checks warrants list, who owed local merchants more than 4.04 million dollars.  During fiscal year 2007-2008 the County Attorney’s Hot Check Unit collected 1.4 million dollars in outstanding hot checks

Hot Check Amnesty Week Extended Press Release.pdf

AMNESTY PERIOD AND MASSIVE OUTSTANDING HOT-CHECK WARRANT ROUNDUP ANNOUNCED
El Paso County Sheriff Jimmy Apodaca and Assistant County Attorney Kent Sutton announced today an upcoming massive warrant roundup and amnesty week for individuals with outstanding hot check warrants in El Paso County.  The amnesty period runs from Monday October 6 thru Friday October 10, 2008. Individuals with outstanding hot check warrants who pay during the amnesty period will avoid the publication of their names in a special insert to be distributed in the El Paso Times on Sunday October 19, 2008. Additionally, individuals who make payments during the amnesty week will save money by avoiding the payment of many fees, such as court costs, attorney fees, and the payment of bonds. Most importantly, they will avoid incarceration during the upcoming county-wide arrest warrant round-up. Residents with outstanding hot check warrants can make their payments at the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, 5th floor of the County Courthouse, 500 E. San Antonio. The payment window at the County Attorney’s Office will be operating with extended hours Monday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Forms of payment accepted include most credit cards, money orders, cashiers checks, and cash, however those paying cash would have to bring the exact amount (cashiers can’t give change). For more information regarding hot check payments and balances please contact the El Paso County Attorney’s Office Hot Check Unit at 546-2051. The complete and updated list of individuals with theft by check outstanding warrants will remain posted in the El Paso County web site at: www.epcounty.com/CA.               There are currently more than 4,600 names in the County’s hot checks warrants list, who owe local merchants more than 4.04 million dollars. During fiscal year 2007-2008 the Hot Check Unit collected 1.4 million dollars in outstanding hot checks

2008 Hot Check Amnesty Week Press Release.pdf

Teen Dating Violence Seminar: Hip-Hop and Violence

INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED FILMMAKER COMES TO EL PASO TO DISCUSS THE VIOLENT CULTURE OF HIP-HOP

Will lead discussion on how rap music is fueling dating violence among teens             El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodriguez is proud to invite members of the media to participate in a press conference with award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, and anti-sexist activist Byron Hurt.             Mr. Hurt will be in El Paso on Wednesday October 1st, 2008 to participate in the County Attorney’s Office Annual Teen Dating Violence workshop, which this year will feature his documentary “Hip-Hop: Beyond the Beats and Rhymes.”             The filmmaker will conduct a pre-screening discussion of the film, followed by a viewing of the film, and a post-screening discussion of such pressing issues as women and violence in rap music, representations of manhood in hip-hop culture, what today’s rap lyrics reveal to their listeners, and homoeroticism in hip-hop. Hundreds of local teens are expected to participate in this seminar aimed at reducing the incidence of dating violence in El Paso.             Because of his busy schedule, Mr. Byron will only be available for interviews during a scheduled 30-minute press conference, so we encourage interested members of the media to be punctual. Right after the press conference reporters will also have an opportunity to speak to some of the teens who will be participating in the workshop.  WHO:       Award-winning Documentary Filmmaker Byron HurtWHAT:     Press Conference on Hip-Hop and ViolenceWHEN:     Wednesday October 1, 2008 at 11:35 a.m.WHERE: Auditorium of the YISD Cultural Arts Center9600 Sims      # # #  

About the film “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes”: Sparking dialogue on hip-hop and its declarations on gender, HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes provides thoughtful insight from intelligent, divergent voices including rap artists, industry executives, rap fans and social critics from inside and outside the hip-hop generation. The film includes interviews with famous rappers such as Mos Def, Fat Joe, Chuck D and Jadakiss and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. The film discloses the complex intersection of culture, commerce and gender through on-the-street interviews with aspiring rappers and fans at hip-hop events throughout the country.

  “I sometimes feel bad for criticizing hip-hop, but I guess what I am trying to do is get us men to take a hard look at ourselves”. Filmmaker Byron Hurt 

Byron Hurt Press Release.pdf