Mena Appears In Court Without Attorney

By ABC-7 Reporter Martin Bartlett

EL PASO — A former member of the El Paso Independent School District’s Board of Trustees was in court Tuesday to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty, but Salvador Marcos “Sal” Mena, Jr., showed up without an attorney, slowing down the process and frustrating the judge.

Mena, who was recently arrested on an eight count federal indictment alleging public corruption, cannot formally enter a plea until he has an attorney, according to Federal Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney who re-set Mena’s arraignment for Friday.

“I’ll have one tomorrow,” Mena told Garney.

That drew a handful of sharp responses from Garney including: “You told me ten days ago you’d have an attorney (Tuesday).”

Later in the hearing, Garney asked Mena which firm he planned to contact. After hearing the response, Garney said he had already talked to the firm.

“They told me they do not and will not represent you,” Garney told Mena.

Mena later back-pedaled, telling the judge he couldn’t actually afford one and wanted a public defender.

After determining that Mena met the qualifications, Garney told him a public defender would contact him before then.

In the indictment, the federal government said Salvador Marcos “Sal” Mena, Jr., took bribe money in exchange for his vote and in some cases stashed it in a desk drawer in his office until he learned about the federal government’s public corruption investigation, at which point, the government says, he took it to a safe deposit box at his bank.

Mena was expected to be the first person involved in El Paso’s public corruption case to enter a not-guilty plea and to be indicted.

The following nine who authorities have publicly charged pleaded guilty to informations:

*John Travis Ketner, the former chief of staff for County Judge Anthony Cobos.

*Former County Commissioner Elizabeth “Betti” Flores.

*Bernardo Lucero, a local contractor who had contracts with EPISD.

*Former EPISD trustee Carlos Cordova.

*BearStearns employees Christopher Pak and Bobby Ruiz, who admitted to trying to rig bids for county contracts.

*Local businessman Raymond R. Telles, who said he tried to bribe officials on El Paso County Commissioners Court and the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees.

*Local lobbyist Anthony Dill.

*Fernando Parra, a well-connected EPISD computer technician who was originally arrested on pornography charges.

Representatives of the Federal Government have said in the past that informations are often used when a person has been cooperating with the government, but indictments are frequently used when that person hasn’t been cooperating.

Meantime, Mena remains in federal custody.

No sentencing dates have been set for the other nine.