Bañales selects Gonzalez as for Barnhart case

RAYMONDVILLE — The region’s top state judge has chosen a special prosecutor to handle the case of Willacy County Judge Eliseo Barnhart, set to go to trial next month in a highly publicized case that accuses him of aggravated perjury.

Last week, state District Judge Manuel Bañales, the Fifth Judicial District’s administrative judge, selected Vincent Gonzalez, a Corpus Christi attorney, to prosecute the case.

Bañales’ selection came more than a month after District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra recused himself from the case.

Gonzalez said he wasn’t ready to discuss whether he would request moving the trial to another location.

“I don’t know yet,” Gonzalez said when asked about a change of venue.

Court officials are preparing to oversee one of the largest jury pools in recent years for the trial that’s set for Jan. 22, District Clerk Gilbert Lozano said.

But Gonzalez said the trial date could be pushed back.

“I have a lot of work to do,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t think I’ll be going to trial on the currently scheduled trial date. I would anticipate it may get postponed.”

Bañales has ordered court officials to call a jury pool of 300 to 500 prospective jurors, Lozano said. Officials call about 200 prospective jurors for other trials, he said.

“It’s going to be a big case,” Lozano said.

In the county of 10,000, many residents know Barnhart as a trailer park owner and longtime grade-school teacher who served a three-year stint as justice of the peace before winning the county judge’s post last year, Lozano said.

“We anticipate many people will know Judge Barnhart and anticipate many excuses because they know the judge as a schoolteacher, justice of the peace and businessman,” Lozano said.

In October, Guerra recused himself from the case, citing Barnhart’s control over the district attorney’s budget.

In September, a grand jury indicted Barnhart on a charge of aggravated perjury, to which Barnhart pleaded not guilty.

The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended Barnhart with pay as a result of the indictment.

The indictment charges that Barnhart lied when he told a Texas Ranger that he didn’t become sexually aroused when he fondled a secretary.

In February 2006, Andrea Sias Espinosa filed a complaint in which she accused Barnhart of exposing himself to her while she worked as a secretary in his office.

The accusation came as Barnhart ran as a candidate in a bitter race for the county judge’s bench.

Noe Garza, Barnhart’s attorney, could not be reached for comment Monday.