A former boss and mentor to Michelle Barrientes Vela, the convicted former Bexar County constable, told the judge who will sentence her that he would hire her back into law enforcement.
The sentencing procedures have been spread over months of hearings, but state District Judge Velia Meza had given both sides until the end of the week to finish presenting their cases, and lawyers said they expected to make their closing arguments as early as Wednesday.
Vela, 48, chose to be sentenced by the judge. A jury convicted the former constable in September of two counts of tampering with evidence related to her office’s handling of cash.
Appearing Tuesday, Richard James was the first of five defense witnesses set to testify on Vela’s behalf. One of her former law enforcement academy instructors, he said he has known Vela since about 2007 or 2008 and ended up hiring her at the Somerset Police Department.
“She was very helpful to other people when she was taking courses,” James said. “If she got her license back, I would hire her.”.
On ExpressNews.com: ‘A cancer in her own office:’ Deputy who worked for Bexar Constable Michelle Vela testifies at sentencing
Vela’s trial lasted eight days and saw a Texas Ranger charged with contempt of court for mentioning aspects of the investigation that the judge had decided could not be part of evidence presented to jurors. Meza convicted the Ranger and fined him $500.
On ExpressNews.com: Witness: Ex-Bexar constable Michelle Vela interrogated manager of a Family Dollar store who’d accused her son of stealing
The pre-trial aspects of the case were just as strange.
Vela, a Democrat, was forced to resign as constable after publicly announcing a campaign for Bexar County sheriff while still under investigation by Texas Rangers and the FBI.
The agencies were looking into allegations that Vela shook down a patron at Rodriguez Park at an Easter Sunday gathering in 2019 for security fees on a pavilion he had already paid for. The size of the crowd at the pavilion allowed Vela to charge extra for security, but the probe found problems with Vela’s cash-only system that were aired at trial.
Vela also was charged with three counts of official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor, in connection with her treatment of two deputies — Leonicio Moreno, once Vela’s chief deputy, and former Deputy Constable Christopher De La Cerda. Each man accused her of harassment and retaliation.
The jury that convicted her was not allowed to hear about the official oppression charges, which Meza is taking into consideration in the punishment phase. But the trial testimony covered Vela’s often testy relationship with employees and the complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by the two deputies. The complaints eventually were settled with Bexar County.
Defense attorney Jason Goss called witnesses to praise Vela’s character, including James, her sister-in-law Norma Villarreal, who works with Vela at Vela’s husband’s business, Ruben’s Auto Sales, and another worker there, Anthony Muniz.
Each described Vela as a nice person. Muniz said she helped employees and customers and worked more than a 40-hour week at the business.
His testimony seemed to conflict somewhat with Villarreal, who said Vela was homeschooling her youngest child, an 8-year-old girl.
Bexar County assistant district attorneys Dawn McCraw and Oscar Salinas are prosecuting the case. Vela, who has no prior criminal record, has applied for probation. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
James, her former instructor, testified that the constable department Vela inherited was in disarray, “in a horrible condition,” and she had to fight “a culture of laziness,” when she wanted one of cohesiveness. She received a lot of pushback from her staff, he said.
After she was elected constable, James said, he reached out to her and eventually was hired to work for Vela.
ezavala@express-news.net| Twitter: @elizabeth2863