SAENZ MAKES WHOLESALE CUTS AT COUNTY DA'S OFFICE

By Juan Montoya
Some are calling it the Friday Massacre, while others say that the new Cameron County District Attorney is simply cleaning house and getting his team in place.
Whatever version you may prefer, the fact of the matter is that this Friday morning, December 14, 2012, District Attorney -Elect, Luis V. Saenz, exercised his option not to rehire 30 DA Office employees.
The blood and tears ran down the corridors of the second story of the Cameron County Courthouse's judicial wing. Eyewitnesses told of DA employees crying in the hallways after getting the news that – contrary to their expectations – they were told that their services were no longer required.
One of the most notable casualties was Chuck Mattingly who was the Republican contender for DA this past November.
Mattingly had been hired, and then rehired, by indicted DA Armando Villalobos who had let the chief assistant counsel go for not showing up to work as the campaign for the office heated up and he faced Saenz.
Also not rehired were 10 investigators, most of them from the Villalobos Special Operations Group.
Among those not rehired were 15 secretaries, including Office Manager, Michelle Garcia.