El Paso City Council clashes over whether to censure Sam Morgan for domestic violence arrest
EL PASO, Texas -- A resolution to censure and condemn a city representative accused of hitting his wife is being held up for a couple of months while council members await guidance from city staff on the censure process.
But council did vote Tuesday to remove Sam Morgan from his additional role as Alternate Mayor Pro-Tem, and installed Cissy Lizarraga as a replacement.
Council members Alexsandra Annello, who represents central El Paso, and Cassandra Hernandez, who represents parts of east El Paso, had introduced a resolution that “censures and condemns Representative Sam Morgan for conduct that violates the values of El Paso in a way that is not befitting of an elected member of the council.”
Lizarraga, however, made a motion to delete the resolution from the agenda, saying she believed in due process. The motion prompted council to move to executive session to discuss what to do.
Morgan, the target of the resolution following his arrest earlier this month, had some very impassioned words for his fellow council members: "We’re all entitled to due process... No one knows what I’m going through. I love and support my family. I represent northeast El Paso, and will serve them until the end. I believe in process and will make sure process is not violated."
Council members ultimately voted to postpone considering the resolution for eight weeks to allow city staff an opportunity to further research the censure process and make recommendations to council on how to proceed.
