IMAGINE ERIN AND LINDA SALAZAR AS COMPETING CUPIDS!

By Juan Montoya
Now that we know that Erin Hernandez Garcia will be in charge of the Justice of the Peace 2-2 position, can we expect the same kind of performance from her that we are getting from her kindred soul Linda Salazar?
Courthouse regulars report that the modus operandi of the Salazar court consists of dodging cases filed by the Cameron County Sheriff's Department, constables and Department of Public Safety troopers against offenders.
They say that Salazar – who has been on the campaign trail for the past few months – at all costs tries to avoid and reject these thorny and unpopular cases and has her staff steer them toward the court now headed by Kip Van Hodge. Kip, a workaholic who – since he did not run for the office –doesn't care about the political fallout that results when he applies the law equally to everyone.
As a result, these observers say that the staff at JP 2-2 has been overworked since they don't turn away constables, troopers or sheriff's deputies to avoid the unpopular cases.
Hodge, who is known to apply the rules by the book, has borne the extra load because he is not in competition for the money-making functions of the office like marriages as is Salazar next door.
The fact that Salazar was busy running for office against Libertarian Marlene Daughtery simply shifted more of the case load to Hodge's office.Troopers, sheriff deputies, and constables have now started to turn in tickets only to Hodge's court because they know he won't dismiss them, as Salazar is wont to do.
We have commented on Ms. Salazar's affinity to money-making marriage cases, but the lengths to which she has her staff hunt them down in the halls has reached the point where it has become embarrassing to courthouse employees. She reportedly sends her employees to look for likely couples and guide them to her court lest they knock on Hodge's door.
Salazar even has instructed the employees at the county clerk's office to physically walk them to her court if they happen to ask for the Justice of the Peace office to make marriage arrangements.
In the picture at right, an employee from Salazar's court was photographed sitting and waiting to steer potential matrimony cases wandering down the courthouse corridors to Linda Salazar's door.
Come January, will Erin Hernandez Garcia allow this potential windfall to be steered past her door or will she insist that Linda share the pie with her, unlike Hodge is doing now?