Hearing on indictment
turns chaotic

RAYMONDVILLE, Texas - A county prosecutor who brought indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge Friday. The table-pounding rant by Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra alleged special treatment for high-profile defendants as a routine motions hearing descended into chaos.

Guerra is accusing the public officials of culpability in the alleged abuse of prisoners in a federal detention center. He is asking Presiding Judge Manuel Banales to recuse himself. Guerra accused Banales of giving the defendants special treatment in allowing motions to quash the indictments to be heard before the defendants were arraigned.

"Now all of a sudden there is urgency," said Guerra. "Eighteen months you kept me indicted through the election."

The charges against Guerra were dismissed in October. Guerra lost re-election in the March Democratic primary. Banales called a recess to contact the chief justice of the state Supreme Court for suggestions on how to proceed, and ordered Guerra, who had slipped out once before in the hearing, to remain in the courthouse.

Guerra said he would refuse to obey, but when Banales implied he could keep Guerra in court by force, the prosecutor agreed to stay if the judge asked him respectfully. After the recess, Banales said he spoke with the general counsel for the state Supreme Court who said the chief justice and next most senior justice were not available. Banales adjourned court this afternoon after announcing that he would send all documents pertaining to the recusal motion to the chief justice. Banales tentatively scheduled the parties to return to court Wednesday morning.