Pubdate: Wed, 18 Sep 2002
Source: Texas Observer (TX)
Copyright: 2002 The Texas Observer
Contact:  http://www.texasobserver.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/748
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm (Tulia, Texas)

LEARNING CURVE

At the very least, credit Tulia law enforcement with being consistent: They 
appear to discriminate equally against both blacks and Hispanics. First 
there was the now well-publicized bust of nearly 10 percent of the town's 
small black population in 1999 (see "Color of Justice," by Nate Blakeslee, 
June 23, 2000) based on the testimony of a single narc with a questionable 
history. Then last May, at the invitation of Tulia police, the Texas 
Alcoholic Beverage Commission busted up a predominantly Hispanic backyard 
high school graduation party. The officers had no warrant but insist they 
saw minors drinking from beer cans in an alley adjacent to the property. 
According to the owners of the home, there was a keg in the backyard but no 
beer cans at the party. They insist no minors were drinking alcohol.

Agents forced about 50 guests at the party, including a pregnant woman and 
children as young as six, to kneel with their hands above their heads while 
the officers checked identification cards. When the mother of the house, 
Silvia Rosales protested, an officer handcuffed her and hustled her to a 
squad car. Rosales was driven to the county jail but then quickly returned 
to the house. A total of 22 minors were cited for illegal possession of 
alcohol and three people were jailed for disorderly conduct. None of the 
kids at the party were tested for alcohol despite the requests of at least 
one parent present. Residents say at least two Anglo children from 
prominent local families were allowed to leave without being ticketed.

After listening to testimony from victims of the TABC raid, Swisher County 
District Attorney Terry McEachern wisely declined to prosecute any of the 
cases. Tulia authorities are already facing investigations from the U.S. 
Justice Department and the State Attorney General's Office for the 1999 
drug busts. Both LULAC and a local civil rights organization called Friends 
of Justice have mobilized to protest the TABC raid, and now to have the 
arrests expunged from the records of the victims.

In a public letter released August 15, TABC Executive Director Rolando 
Garza insisted that, while the agency should "have done things 
differently," race wasn't a factor. Nonetheless, two TABC agents who 
participated in the raid were fired. (They are appealing their dismissals.) 
Garza also promised that he would review how the agency conducts "future 
investigations of this nature."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager