Torres raises questions of favoritism, and discrimination. Rene Rodriguez is pointing an accusing finger at Corpus Christi Police Chief Bryan Smith

KIIITV News

Story Created: May 19, 2008 at 11:09 AM CDT

Story Updated: May 19, 2008 at 11:29 AM CDT

May 16, 2008

3 News has learned that a high-ranking Corpus Christi Police officer has filed a whistle blower lawsuit against the city.

An attorney for Corpus Christi Police Commander David Torres' filed the suit late Thursday in County Court at Law #4 pointing an accusing finger at Corpus Christi Police Chief Bryan Smith.

From the impound lot scandal, to the Mauricio Celis Affair, to allegations of discrimination, this lawsuit involves a lot of key players at the Corpus Christi Police Department.

David Torres, in charge of the department's Criminal Investigation Division, is a long time veteran of the Corpus Christi Police Department.

The editor of 'We The People', John Kelly, first tipped us off to this story.

The 9 page lawsuit includes mentions of the impound lot scandal in which three Corpus Christi Police Officers were either fired or reprimanded last year amid allegations of wrong-doing at the city's impound lot.

In the suit, Commander Torres claims he became a suspect in April of this year after he underwent what Torres calls a blatantly inconsistent polygraph test connected to the case.

Here is some of what's written in the lawsuit:

"On April 22, 2008 Senior Officer Larry Serna conducted a polygraph examination of Plaintiff. According to Senior Officer Larry Serna, the polygraph examination of Plaintiff allegedly resulted in a finding of "deception Indicated" regarding three (3) areas of inquiry-(1) Did Plaintiff have knowledge that police officers were purchasing vehicles through the police impound lot prior to May 16, 2007; (2) Was Plaintiff being truthful to Internal Affairs during Plaintiff's two interviews and (3) Did Plaintiff have knowledge that Captain Jay Vesely had purchased a vehicle through the police impound lot prior to May 16, 2007. Plaintiff demanded a second polygraph from Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith, especially since the examination revealed "no Deception Indicated" regarding Plaintiff's assertion that he initially received the police vehicle impound information from Assistant District Attorney Jack Pulcher. Although the findings were blatantly inconsistent, Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith nevertheless denied Plaintiff's request and refused to allow a second polygraph examination.

"On April 23, 2008, Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith issued Plaintiff a letter of Contemplated Disciplinary Action in the form of Termination of Employment, stating in part that "honesty and integrity are paramount in the law enforcement profession." This contemplated Letter of Termination was essentially based on statements made by persons who committed criminal acts and on polygraph examinations allegedly revealing inconsistent findings. In addition, the Internal Affairs' file did not contain any interviews of vital witnesses that would prove that Assistant District Attorney Jack Pulcher, Captain Jay Vesely, Lieutenant Weldon L. Weber and Senior Officer Martin Jasso were not being truthful. It was patently obvious that the investigation by Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith and Internal Affairs was specifically intended to culminate in a predetermined conclusion-Plaintiff's guilt."

The second part of this lawsuit, involves embattled businessman Mauricio Celis.

The suit reads:

"On or about January 18, 2007, Detective Jason T. Smith and Plaintiff, who were investigating a sexual assault case, were ordered to meet with Assistant Chief Ken Bung and Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith. Detective Jason T. Smith and Plaintiff were told that a "high powered" attorney was going to handle the sexual assault case civilly and that they should terminated the criminal investigation. Plaintiff inquired as to the name of the "high powered" attorney. Although the Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith refused to identify the "high powered" attorney, the sexual assault victim later identified her lawyer as Mauricio Celis. At a later time, Plaintiff called Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith about his concerns about this meeting."

Another incident involving Mauricio Celis is mentioned in the suit, where Celis is alleged to have impersonated a sheriff's deputy in September of 2007.

"On or about September 17, 2007, Captain Paul Rivera from the Nueces County Sheriff's office contacted Plaintiff inquiring why only a contact report (verses a police report) was made regarding an incident involving someone that may have been impersonating a Nueces County Sheriff's deputy. The individuals involved were Damon Bentley and Mauricio Celis. Not knowing what Captain Rivera was referring to , made inquiries and determined that Lieutenant Michael Markle was the supervisor involved in the incident. Plaintiff ordered Lieutenant Michael Markle to write a report of the incident. Plaintiff then called Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith to inform him of the situation. Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith became agitated and asked Plaintiff why the Police Department had to be involved in the matter. Plaintiff told the Chief that since the Nueces County Sheriff's Department was investigating the matter and Corpus Christi Police Officers were involved in the incident a few nights before, a report was mandatory."

Torres also questions why no investigation was initiated in a 2004 incident, involving Mauricio Celis for allegedly impersonating a police officer.

"On or about October 2007, Lieutenant Jason Brady informed Captain Robert Bridge that in 2004 he initiated an investigation of a person named Mauricio Celis for allegedly impersonating a police officer. He informed Captain Bridge that he notified Captain John Moseley (now a Commander) of his investigation of Mauricio Celis. On at least two different occasions Plaintiff reported to Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith that an investigation should be commenced to determine why the then supervisors, Captain (now Commander) John Moseley and Commander Mike Walsh failed to pursue the investigation involving Mauricio Celis. In fact, Plaintiff, who was on Absent Leave, ordered Captain Robert Bridge to inquire of Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith as to the status of the investigation of Commanders John Moseley and Mike Walsh regarding this matter. No investigation was initiated."

As 3 News reported, a possible piece of evidence connected to that case, a January 2004 recording of Celis, made by Corpus Christi Police, in which he reportedly claimed he was a licensed reserve deputy sheriff, was destroyed September 28Th 2007. That's the same day when Thomas J. Henry first appeared on our airwaves in a commercial denouncing Celis as a fraud.

The next issues Torres raises is the promotion of officers. Torres raises questions of favoritism, and discrimination.

"On or about November, 2006, there were three (3) openings for lieutenant in the Criminal Investigation Division. Plaintiff, as Commander of the Criminal Investigation Division, was responsible for filling these positions. Assistant Chief of Police Ken Bung gave Plaintiff a list of four (4) lieutenants, stating that these individuals should be the ones considered for the positions. It was apparent that these individuals were friends of Assistant Chief Ken Bung. Plaintiff reported to Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith that the list provided by Assistant Chief Ken Bung consisted of only Anglo officers and was discriminatory. Plaintiff told Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith that he could not accept the recommendations."

"On or about September of 2007, there was as opening for a temporary detective position in the Criminal Investigation Division. Commander Brian Uhler gave Plaintiff a list of six (6) "deserving" individuals for consideration to the position of detective. When asked by Plaintiff why he could not find at least one non-Anglo "deserving" individual for consideration, Commander Brian Uhler immediately contacted Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith to complain about Plaintiff's position regarding his recommendation. Plaintiff complained to Chief of Police Bryan P. Smith about the recommendations submitted by Brian Ulher. Thereafter, Plaintiff was subjected to a hostile working environment for not acquiescing to Assistant chief Ken Bung and Commander Brian Uhler's recommendations.

We tried to contact all the parties involved,including Chief Smith, but as of news time they had not returned our calls.

Texas Monthly Web Press: Fil & Junior John ( the Two Juniors) dont give a hoot about a VA Hospital or Children’s Healthcare, they dont care about S TX

On the lamb........
Posted on December 23, 2007 at 07:27:59 AM by Borrego/Laurels Acres sold ....?title


Post 1 December 23, 2007 at 6:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What a superficial column! This is never about anything substantive- never discusses any real political issues. This lady is just a groupie at council and commissioner's meetings, reporting the stupid things they do or say.

The last week of the year is when people are making their final decisions to run for office. Something could have been written about attorneys thinking of challenging the rude Judge Longoria or what happened about possible opponents to Juan Garcia but no she'd rather talk about nonsense. If she wants to learn more about what commissioners are thinking when they dress the same perhaps she can do a series hiding out in each politician's closet and watching and listening to them dress- and the Caller - Times can get someone to deal with the more serious issues.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes post 1 , it may be superficial , but is that earning the money we paid for them to "work harder"?

How much does faux "cleric" Tyne r Little earn? Enough for him to be elevated by the County Judge to "Reverend, are you all set?"

When did this happen? Dress rehearsal for another Loyd (Insurance) deal perhaps, but it was whatever "Kneel" wanted it to be.

What is 9/10th's of the law? Abandonment?
WACO?!?

This is criminal why does Jaime Powell not report "eminent domain" this crime fraud? Paul Jones & Ennis Joslin land giveaway?

Or the Pat rick Birmingham CCCC discrimination?



"A-B-C.....easy as 1-2-3.....it-is -free, it is wise to remember, no one rides for free.

We can always tell when you lie, your lips move.

Paid to fluff, all that is tough....


I'll take......
Posted on December 23, 2007 at 12:27:41 PM by Jaime Kenedeno



prime rib for 1000 Alex.

I mean, really..... we need to give Alex Garcia the boot and find somebody who will not only unite but to invigorate the State of the County Politics and engage the Citizenry of Nueces County Voters Voting.

We need to realize the one's who profit from division and it is not the average Nueces County Citizen.

We have State of the County events held with the publics money; yet the public was never invited.

We have the hyenas circling and making advances (but we do not see them). They are dressed in Lambs Clothing.

Texas Monthly Web Press: Fil & Junior John ( the Two Juniors) dont give a hoot about a VA Hospital or Children’s Healthcare

Fil Junior only seeks a Federal Bench for Rose

South Texas Chisme: Could it be true, Is Fil Vela involved with Connie Scott?

Treasurer?

TLR hates South Texas, does that include Connie and her Hubby?

WATTS his name? Mike Scott?

The Two Juniors represent not a mainstream Texas but they represent the Transplanted Texans (like Bush) and the Elite Texans (like K.C.Rove).

Junior John will say WATT ever it takes to get re elected.

>Why hasn't anyone gone after Filemon personally as a way to derail Rose?
>If you go to www.fec.gov and follow the instructions on finding out who
>gave to whom, how much, and when, then load up Filemon Vela as an
>Individual Search you'll see he's made significant contributions to two
>notorious politicians. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Senator Robert
>Menendez (D-NJ). Hunter is an undicted coconspirator in the very same mess
>that sent ex-rep "Duke" Cunningham's ass to prison recently, and Menendez
>is currently under federal investigation for shady real estate dealings by
>renting a building he owns to a non-profit and pocketing $300, 000.00 in
>taxpayer subsidies.



Junior John is working with Fil Vela Jr. & Federal Prosecutors (in the Valley, CC, SA & Houston) to Manufacture White Collar Crime and use it as a Political Strongarm when the Political Strongarm should be accomplishments and the actual construction of a VA Hospital in the Valley.

Junior John has got to figure in this mix and Fil is the inroads (for Cornyn) into South Texas. We need to put a Big Stop Sign up in Robstown and inform them about Connie Scott as I understand Fil Vela is her campaign manager or treasurer and Mike Scott is a TLR guy with a title

We dont need to speculate or debate how Junior John will vote

, who he will benefit and who he represents. No if ands or buts about it Junior John’s Record is who he is, how he votes, who he represents and it is not the average Texan

fourteen Rio Grande Valley mayors have endorsed Mikal Watts

14 Mayors Endorse Watts

Filed by Matt Glazer on August 16th, 2007

The Monitor is reporting fourteen Rio Grande Valley mayors have endorsed Mikal Watts.

The list of endorsing mayors include: Alamo, Alton, Edcouch, Edinburg, Elsa, Granjeno, La Joya, La Villa, Palmhurst, Palmview, Peñitas, San Juan, Sullivan City and Weslaco.

No statement has been issued at this time.

As I have said before Mikal Watts has a lot of grassroots support in South Texas. More to come. In the rural areas small counties like Brooks,Keberg,Jim Wells, etc.And a lot more to come in Nueces County. No offense to Rick Noriega
but Mikal is a more viable candidate than Rick is . He,Mikal, can beat John Cornyn.I really do not believe that Rick Noriega can.

Comment by nuts101 — August 16, 2007 @ 1:46 pm

I don’t think Mikal is more viable than Rick. They are both excellent candidates. I think that one is running a campaign that might have more general election appeal and the other is running a campaign that may have more primary appeal, but that doesn’t make one more viable than the other.

Comment by WestHoustonDemocrat — August 16, 2007 @ 3:16 pm

You may be right. We are lucky that we do have two very viable Democrats running against Cornyn.I have been disturbed
at the anti-Watts rhetoric.If I as a good Democrat and Hispanic and female can support Watts and still accept that
Noriega is a viable candidate what is it with Noriega’s
supporters? “You think your’re better than me?”

Comment by nuts101 — August 16, 2007 @ 3:38 pm

You may be right. We are lucky that we do have two very viable Democrats running against Cornyn.I have been disturbed
at the anti-Watts rhetoric.If I as a good Democrat and Hispanic and female can support Watts and still accept that
Noriega is a viable candidate what is it with Noriega’s
supporters? “You think your’re better than me?”

Comment by nuts101 — August 16, 2007 @ 3:43 pm

Disregard second one.That is an interesting analysis of how the race is being run.Which candidate’s campaign do you depict
as having more general election appeal and which as having more primary appeal. It doesn’t really matter because the
horse comes before the cart.You have to appeal to those primary voters first.

Comment by nuts101 — August 16, 2007 @ 3:53 pm

Noriega has some passionate loud and aggressive supporters who support and respect his decisions.

I believe Rick should convey a message throughout the network which supports him. The Democratic Underground blatantly violates the 1st Amendment to advantage themselves in political discourse. To delete the input because that input is damaging to their agenda. Just think if we got a few of these censoring types as attached to a Noriega ascension to Senate.

Then they would wield their power to censor any Texas Voice who differed from their agenda.

Noriega continues to Acquiesce, ignore and buffer himself from answering the questions himself.

This will not fly well as the news will Snowball if he continues to Acquiesce.

Nobody will answer or defend the allegations and nobody will deny them.

Does Rick Noriega support the censorship tactics employed by the Democratic Underground?

Tell em they are wrong and to reinstate the accounts.

Comment by Jaime Kenedeno — August 17, 2007 @ 7:41 pm

hegemony

Theories of hegemony

Theories of hegemony attempt to explain how dominant groups or individuals can maintain their power -- the capacity of dominant classes to persuade subordinate ones to accept, adopt and internalize their values and norms. Antonio Gramsci devised one of the best-known accounts of hegemony. His theory defined the State by a mixture of coercion and hegemony, between which he drew distinctions. According to Gramsci, hegemony consists of socio-political power that flows from enabling the "spontaneous consent" of the populace through intellectual and moral leadership or authority as employed by the subalterns of the State. The power of the hegemony is thus primarily through coercion and consent rather than armed force. Such conceptions are sometimes referred to as "cultural hegemony."

Recently, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe have re-defined the term "hegemony" as a discursive strategy of combining principles from different systems of thought into one coherent ideology.

[edit] Hegemonies in history

The word "hegemony" originated in ancient Greece and derives from the word hegeisthai (meaning "to lead"). An early example of hegemony during ancient Greek history occurred when Sparta became the hegemon of the Peloponnesian League in the 6th century BC. Later, in 337 BC, Philip II of Macedon became the personal Hegemon of the League of Corinth, a position he passed on to his son Alexander the Great.

In ancient China during the Eastern Zhou dynasty the Zhou kings appointed hegemons (known as "Ba"). This was due to the increasing chaos that resulted from the weakening of Zhou authority. The hegemons - initially from the powerful state of Jin - were men with sufficient strength to impose Zhou rule. In return they got prestige and legitimacy they would not otherwise enjoy. The office of hegemon had vanished by the time the last Zhou king was deposed in 256 BC.

The term hegemon is also used to describe Japan's three unifiers in the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century. Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu each had different titles (and held many different posts during their lifetimes), but each had in common that they exercised hegemony over all or much of Japan (and in Hideyoshi's case much of Korea at one point). For ease of reference they are collectively referred to as the three hegemons or the three unifiers.

To the extent that hegemony appears as a cultural phenomenon, cultural institutions maintain it. The Medici maintained their hegemony in Tuscany through control of Florence's major guild, the Arte della Lana. Modern hegemonies also maintain themselves through cultural institutions, often with allegedly "voluntary" membership.

The dominance of the British Empire during the 19th Century can be considered the first emergence of a global hegemon whose influence reached all over the globe. The hegemony, or dominance, of Britain during this period stemmed not only from its large military power on the seas, but also from its financial and ideological power in both its Empire (the colonies) and elsewhere.

In more recent times, analysts have used the term hegemony in a more abstract sense to describe the "proletarian dictatorships" of the 20th century, resulting in regional domination by local powers, or domination of the world by a global power. China's position of dominance in East Asia for most of its history offers an example of the regional hegemony.

The Cold War (1945 - 1990), with its main avenues of coercion — the Warsaw Pact led by the USSR and NATO led by the United States — often appears as a battle for hegemony. The details of the parties' respective ideologies have no relevance to whether they are hegemons: both sides featured superpowers (supported by their clients) battling to dominate the arms race and become the supreme world superpower. The details of the ideologies do come into play to the extent they determine the persuasiveness or efficiency each hegemon.

Since the end of the Cold War, analysts have used the term "hegemony" to describe the United States' role as the sole superpower (the hyperpower) in the modern world. However, some scholars of international relations (such as John Mearsheimer) argue that the United States does not have true hegemony, since it lacks the resources to impose dominance over the entire globe. Also, China, India, and the European Union are considered by some to be emerging superpowers capable of competing with the U.S in their own regions, and, in the case of the EU, worldwide. British historian Niall Ferguson has reviewed Patrick Karl O’Brien, the Centennial Professor of Economic History, London School of Economics comparative analysis of hegemony vs. empire.^[2]

[edit] Hegemony in fiction

The novel Valis by the science fiction writer Philip K. Dick treats the concept of hegemony as one aspect of what he calls the Black Iron Prison, a totalised system of social control.

Orson Scott Card used the title 'Hegemon' to describe the office of world leader taken by the fictional character Peter Wiggin, the brother of Andrew (Ender) Wiggin. The story of Peter's rise to dominance is (partly) told in the science fiction novel Ender's Game, and more fully in the 'Shadow' series. Peter uses his great intelligence and political savvy to manipulate public opinion by publishing under the pseudonym of "Locke". Peter persuaded his sister, Valentine Wiggin, to publish opposing viewpoints that were widely supported by the common people under the guise of "Demosthenes". The educated and political communities, fearing the power Demosthenes held with the common people, consequently supported Locke, a more moderate writer in their opinion. Ironically, once Peter attains the office, he finds that it has little actual power, contrary to what the title would lead one to believe.

Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos also features an interstellar society called 'The Hegemony of Man'. The Hegemony includes all of the several hundred planets colonized by the human race, as well as space stations and outlying colonies. The Hegemony funds and maintains an interplanetary military/police entity called FORCE, and two hundred or so Hegemony planets are linked together by the farcaster network to comprise the WorldWeb. The TechnoCore and the Ousters are not included in the Hegemony.

Robert A. Heinlein referred several times to the "Chinese Hegemony" in his novel, "Starship Troopers".

In Battletech, there is an interstellar government called the Terran Hegemony, lasting from the early 24th century to the late 28th century. The government is more akin to a constitutional monarchy than anything else.

In Star Control 3, the player struggled against the Hegemonic Crux, a hegemony of races dominated by the Ploxis, an intelligent, bird-like race of aliens.

In Star Trek (especially Deep Space Nine), the Breen race is represented by a government called the "Breen Hegemony". In one Next Generation episode, the "European Hegemony" is described as a loose alliance of states in the early 22nd century, and is assumed to no longer exist.

In Iain M. Banks's Culture novels, a "Hegemonising Swarm" is a hive-like organism that seeks to make everything in the galaxy a part of it. It is described as one potential Outside Context Problem for the Culture.

[edit] Geography of hegemonies

Hegemony does not leave geography untouched. Henri Lefebvre's theory of space, as articulated in "The Production of Space", insists that space is not a passive locus of social relations and that space is trialectical. That is space is comprised of mental space, social space and physical space. This said, hegemony can be read as a spatial process. (See Edward Soja, David Harvey, Chantal Mouffe)

Geopolitics influences hegemonies. Ancient hegemonies developed in fertile river valleys (an example of hydraulic despotism): Egypt, China and the succession of states in Mesopotamia. In China during the Warring States Era the state of Qin created artificial waterways (such as the Chengkuo Canal) in order to give itself an advantage over its neighboring rival states. Hegemonic successor states in Eurasia tended to cluster around the Middle East for a period, using either the sea (Greece) or the fringe lands (Persia, Arabia). The focus of European hegemony moved west to Rome, then northwards to the Franks and the Holy Roman Empire. The Atlantic seaboard had its heyday (Spain, France, Britain) before the fringes of the European cultural area took over in the twentieth century (United States, Soviet Union).

Some regions show continually fluctuating areas of regional hegemony: India, for example, or the Balkans. Other regions show relative stability: northern China offers a case in point.

Long-lived hegemonies (China, Pax Sinica; Rome, Pax Romana) offer a contrast to shorter dominations: the Mongol Empire or Japan's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

[edit] Resistance and survival

Conrad Phillip Kottak, in Window on Humanity (2004), explains hegemony in terms of ideologies that offer explanations about why the existing order is in everyone's interest. Many things are promised, but are said to take time and patience in order for them to happen.

[edit] References

1. ^ Joseph, Jonathan (2002). Hegemony: a realist analysis. New York: Routledge, 1. ISBN 0-415-26836-2.
2. ^ Niall Ferguson, Hegemony or Empire? "Two Hegemonies: Britain 1846-1914 and the United States 1941-2001." Patrick Karl O'Brien & Armand Clesse. Aldershot, U.K.: Asghate, 2002, 365,Foreign Affairs, September/October 2003, http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20030901fareviewessay82512/niall-ferguson/hegemony-or-empire.html

[edit] See also

[edit] Hegemony

• Cultural hegemony
• Monetary Hegemony
• Dominant ideology
• Posthegemony
• Hegemonic masculinity

• Hegemony or Survival, a book by Noam Chomsky
• The Prince, a book by Niccolò Machiavelli
• Spartan hegemony (404 B.C.E. - 371 B.C.E.)
• Theban hegemony (371 B.C.E. - 362 B.C.E.)

[edit] Power

• Major powers
• Power (international)

• Middle power
• Great power
• Superpower
• Hyperpower

[edit] Other related concepts

• The White Man's Burden
• Liberal elite
• Groupthink

[edit] External links

• Hegemonism Hegemony at the Open Directory Project
• Stuart Hainsworth, "Gramsci's hegemony theory and the ideological role of the mass media"
• Mike Dorsher, Ph.D., "Hegemony Online: The Quiet Convergence of Power, Culture and Computers"
• Hegemony and the hidden persuaders - the power of un-common sense

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony"

Categories: Cleanup from May 2007 | All pages needing cleanup | Accuracy disputes | Political philosophy | Marxist theory | Forms of government | Hegemony