Jury Deliberating In Jones, Sanchez Corruption Trial

The fate of attorney and former County Judge Luther Jones and former District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez is now in the hands of the jury.

Closing arguments in their federal corruption trial concluded early Tuesday afternoon. Jones is accused of conspiring with Sanchez to steer a county contract to Altep in late 2003 through 2004. Sanchez and Jones are being tried in federal court on two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and deprivation of honest services.

Defense attorneys for Jones and Sanchez were given 45 minutes to make their closing arguments in front of a completely packed courtroom. The government was given an hour-and-a-half total, including a final rebuttal, before the case was handed over to the jury at about 2 p.m.

In the government’s initial closing argument, they detailed the two charges against Jones and Sanchez – conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, which each carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Laura Gregory pointed out that in a conspiracy, only two people — in this case jones and sanchez — have to agree to conspire, and both parties must know of the unlawful plan.

Gregory said it was clear by the communication between Jones and Sanchez, including numerous allegedly incriminating emails the government presented during trial, that they knew of the plan to steer a digitization contract for the district clerk’s office toward Altep.

Jones’ attorney Stephen Peters then gave his closing argument, stating right off the bat, “Luther Jones was not a member of a conspiracy to commit a crime. There was no conspiracy to commit a crime. There is no evidence he had any understanding he was committing an unlawful act.”

Peters pointed out the government spent a lot of time presenting evidence which he said had nothing to do with this case, including Jones’ alleged dirty dealings with the Ysleta Independent School District and the Catalina Land Deal.

U.S. attorneys said during closing arguments that those matters did have relevance because it showed the complete picture of what Jones was up to.

Like Peters, in Sanchez’ closing argument, his attorney, Orlando Mondragon, said there is no documentation or proof that his client engaged in a conspiracy.

Mondragon said the only two witnesses to testify that there was a conspiracy was Sanchez’ former office manager, Fernando Parra, who is facing child porn charges, and former County Commissioner Betti Flores, who has pleaded guilty to receiving a bribe. Neither has been sentenced, which Mondragon told the jury, “Should be a big red flag.”