"If I missed anyone, you can stand up and declare your fame."

Political Pulse: 01.07.07

January 7, 2007

Judge Jack Hunter is dressed like younger Don Johnson


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At a recent retirement party for District Judge Jack Hunter, Dr. Allen Garrett noticed the judge's suave appearance in black pants, a black shirt and a black jacket.

"You look like Don Johnson, only a little bit older," Garrett said, grinning.

A little while later, Judge Marisela Saldana offered a toast to Hunter before the crowd gathered at insurance agent Stephanie Waterman's house.

"And he doesn't look a day over 40," she said.

Nueces courts must be

housed in an ivory tower

Grousing about a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get new license plates to replace the judge's plates on his car, Hunter said he was surprised when the clerk there handed him a sticker for the windshield.

"What's this?" he queried.

Hunter, who for two decades has had judge's plates which did not require a windshield sticker, said the clerk asked him where he had been.

"The ninth floor!'" he replied, laughing at his own joke.

Several spectators at the party wandered up and asked him whether he was referring to the ninth floor of the courthouse or the ninth floor mental ward at a local hospital.

Titanium hip caused

problems at security

Hunter said one perk of leaving his judgeship behind, is that he won't have to go through electronic security anymore, which went haywire when he went through because he has metal hip replacements.

"You make them beep extra with your platinum hips," Judge Saldana observed.

"No. They are titanium," Hunter corrected.

Judge's survival kit:

meds, shot glass

Hunter put together a "judge's survival kit" for his replacement on the 94th District Bench, Bobby Galvan.

"Hmmmm . . . Aleve, Pepto-Bismol, Tums and a shot glass," Galvan enumerated. "A lot of painkillers."

Pletcher loses his

train of thought

Monday morning, local lawyer and former Port of Corpus Christi Commissioner Tony Pletcher gave an introductory speech at Saldana's swearing-in as district judge.

"I didn't know what my purpose was," Pletcher said. "But it said 'thoughts.' "

A snickering Saldana broke the silence among the reserved crowd.

"Think, Tony! Think!"

Saldana recalls childhood

memories with her sister

Saldana's older sister Mary Ortegon helped her into her new judge's robe.

"I remember when I was in junior high and she helped me do this (get dressed)," Saldana joked.

Galvan described as

'do what we have got to'

After the pomp and circumstance of Saldana's swearing-in, which lasted nearly an hour, Judge Hunter, a long-time running buddy and close friend of Saldana's stood before the crowd gathered to swear in Bobby Galvan.

"My colleague Marisela Saldana is a consummate politician," Hunter said referring to Saldana's ceremony, which included a singer, speakers and a video of her campaign for district judge.

"Judge Galvan is more like me," Hunter joked. "Come in, do what we have got to do and go out the door."

Yowell: Sanchez takes

money, Nardini spends it

At 13th Court of Appeals Justice Rose Vela's swearing-in, former Nueces County Republican Party chairman Joel Yowell introduced San Patricio County Tax Assessor-Collector Dalia Sanchez and joked, "She takes the money and (San Patricio County Commissioner) Fred Nardini spends it."

Yowell points out how

Kaelin will revamp jail

Looking to the back of the room, Yowell pointed to Nueces County's Republican with the badge.

"Sheriff Jim Kaelin, the man with a big broom and a mop," Yowell said, referring to Kaelin's Herculean task of revamping the ailing county jail.

20 counties by day,

Antler Inns by night

At the podium, Justice Vela gave Yowell big kudos for traveling a 20-county campaign circuit with her that helped elect her to the 13th Court of Appeals.

"We stayed in a lot of Antler Inns," she said. "Not in the same room!"

Vela saves best for last

at her swearing-in

Vela thanked her friends, family and in-laws as well as her staff and supporters, shortly before the crowd at her swearing-in was set to head over to a reception in her honor at the Blucher House.

Vela waved her hands and looked awestruck.

"I can't believe I did this, but I forgot to thank my husband, Fil," she gasped. "I saved the best for last!"

Lawyer Filemon Vela grinned as he shook his head and shrugged.

Is there a bomb dog

in the house, please?

County Judge Loyd Neal was joined at his swearing-in Tuesday by dignitaries including U.S. District Judge Hayden Head. Josie Hero, County Commissioner Chuck Cazalas' secretary, joked about the need for security:

"Did we run the bomb dog through here for all the dignitaries? Someone could wipe them all out."

Neal puts college rivalry

aside for two colleagues

Introducing Neal, Port of Corpus Christi Chairman Ruben Bonilla took note of Neal's "Aggie maroon" jacket.

"He won election as Nueces County judge, but more importantly, the Aggies defeated the Longhorns. Judge Hayden Head and I are Longhorns and we have been in mourning since then. That's why he allowed us to participate today."

Head shows off UT

pride minus the song

County Judge Neal, a diehard and boisterous Aggie supporter, joked that federal Judge Head had showed off his UT orange phone prior to the swearing in and promised to turn it off so the Eyes of Texas ringer would not go off during the ceremony.

'Guy that sends tax bills'

gets little recognition

Introducing the elected officials in the audience, Bonilla told Nueces County Tax Assessor-Collector Ronnie Canales that he could stand up and be recognized.

Canales stood and Bonilla pointed, grinned and said, "This is the guy that sends the tax bills. You can sit down now, Ronnie."

Bonilla: Anyone I

missed can stand up

Staring around the room after introducing his umpteenth politician, Bonilla observed, "If I missed anyone, you can stand up and declare your fame."

Political Pulse is compiled and written by Caller-Times politics reporter Jaime Powell. Have a tip? Contact Powell at 886-3716 or powellj@ caller.com