Felony protection legal professional Shannon Locke defended his plans to prosecute Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers in the course of the first Bexar County District Lawyer debate at Our Girl of the Lake on Saturday after criticism by his opponents.
Through the debate, Locke justified his place by pointing to an October ruling by U.S. District Court docket Decide Xavier Rodriguez, through which he dismissed a case introduced by the federal authorities towards a Honduran immigrant on account of “outrageous” authorities conduct.
“If against the law happens by an ICE agent, and it’s an intentional act they usually don’t have the authority to do this, then we will prosecute them and indict them,” Locke mentioned. “The federal government will then transfer it to federal courtroom, and we’ll seem in entrance of a federal judiciary.”
Locke’s feedback in the course of the discussion board hosted by the Bexar County Democrats got here amid controversy over whether or not the District Lawyer’s workplace truly has the ability to analyze federal companies.
Locke has mentioned on quite a few events over the previous week that he’ll prosecute ICE brokers, Gov. Greg Abbott, and even President Donald Trump if related immigration operations as these seen in Minneapolis have been applied in San Antonio.
“Now we have to analyze the ICE raids,” Locke mentioned throughout a discussion board hosted by the Northwest Democrats on Saturday morning. “I’m the one candidate calling for investigations into ICE raids. There have been crimes dedicated by federal brokers that must be investigated. That’s not taking place now. However it must.”
Unbiased candidate Jason Wolff, additionally a felony protection legal professional, criticized Locke for his ICE remarks on TikTok final week.
“You understand rattling properly that you simply don’t have the overall jurisdiction — nor do our courts have basic jurisdiction — over federal staff performing of their official capability,” Wolff mentioned within the clip. “All you’re doing is grandstanding for voters to get your self forward of the sport.”
Prosecutor Oscar Salinas, a candidate operating for District Lawyer as a Democrat, additionally accused Locke throughout this weekend’s debate of utilizing ICE to pander to voters. In the meantime, Jane Davis, who presently serves because the chief of the juvenile part on the Bexar County District Lawyer’s workplace, accused Locke of mendacity to voters.
“I don’t need you to be misled, I don’t need you to be fooled, and I feel it’s essential to not waste sources on issues that may’t be accomplished the way in which you need to do it,” Davis mentioned of Locke’s plans. “We have to encourage the cops to guard protesters. We have to work collectively to do what we will inside the regulation.”
Nevertheless, Locke fired again at Davis, insinuating that she was misinformed.
“Jane, you’re flawed. You’re simply plain flawed,” Locke quipped. “You don’t observe federal regulation, Jane. You simply don’t.”
Candidate Veronica Legaretta, of the Legaretta Legislation Agency, then fought again towards Locke’s notion that he was the one candidate with any expertise in federal courtroom.
“I simply need to say, I observe in Federal Court docket, Shannon,” Legaretta quipped earlier than going into her historical past of serving to immigrants at her observe.
“What Bexar County wants is somebody who’s going to be agency on crime, however honest to everybody,” Lagaretta mentioned. “What we’d like is somebody who is aware of learn how to be a prosecutor, somebody who’s seen the flawed [done] by a protection legal professional, somebody who’s been a Justice of the Peace choose and sees how, on the very starting, it may change.”
One other debate between the Democratic candidates for Bexar County DA is ready for six p.m. on Feb. 3 on the Carver Group Cultural Middle.
Subscribe to SA Present newsletters.
Comply with us: Apple Information | Google Information | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Fb | Twitter | Or join our RSS Feed
Associated Tales
Act4SA is elevating cash to revive the mural, in accordance with organizers.
Felony protection legal professional Shannon Locke has come beneath fireplace for saying he would prosecute ICE if elected District Lawyer.
