Hector J. Liendo

Hector Javier Liendo, Sr. (born 1951),is a prominent Democratic justice of the peace in Laredo, the seat of Webb County in the border country of south Texas. He is one of three elected officials in Webb County charged with driving while intoxicated between 2006 and 2007.

In 1992, Liendo was first elected in Precinct 1 as one of now five JPs in the county. He is a candidate for a fifth four-year term in the primary scheduled for March 4, 2008. During his sixteen years on the bench, Liendo has focused upon youth truancy and drug awareness programs. He served on the Laredo City Council from 1988-1992.

In the upcoming contest, Liendo faces a challenge from businessman Margarito M. Benavides (born 1962)who served on the Laredo Council from 1984-1990. He and Liendo were council colleagues from 1988-1990. Benavides ran unsuccessfully for JP in 2006. He declared pupil absenteeism, juvenile delinquency, and teenage pregnancy as the major problems facing the Laredo JP court. He promises to hold court a night for the convenience of parents of wayward youth. Benavides vowed that he will not be a part of the "culture of corruption"
in Laredo.

On September 2, 2006, Liendo was arrested on a charge of DWI and being in possession of an open alcohol container. He is attempting through a new program to have the arrest expunged from his record.

Laredo-native Liendo is a graduate of Martin High School. He is a decorated United States Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, having earned three citations. Thereafter, he procured an associate of science degree in computer science from Laredo Community College (then Laredo Junior College). Justices of the peace are not required to be lawyers; only 5 percent of the nearly one thousand JPs in Texas have law degrees. Most of the JP workload consists of traffic cases. As JP, Liendo has also handled more than ten thousand truancy cases, small claims, civil suits under $5,000, disposition hearings, emergency protective orders, search warrants, and bond reductions. While Texas JPs issue warrants, the elected constables in their districts serve the warrants.

As JP, Liendo has also worked in food-distribution programs for the elderly poor as well as shoe drives, graffiti cleanups, Christmas toy drives, and school-supply drives.

Liendo expressed "regret" over his DWI arrest: "It gave me some perspective that everybody makes mistakes, but we need to correct them," he told the Laredo Morning Times.JPs in Texas do not handle DWI cases, which fall under the jurisdiction of the county courts, known as courts at-law in the more populous counties.

In addition to Liendo, fellow JP Ricardo Rangel was arrested in a separate DWI incident on February 15, 2007. The two have entered a pretrial diversion program that could clear the charges from their legal records. The pair reports monthly to probation officials and completes courses on the hazards of DWI. The office of the district attorney, headed by outgoing DA Joe Rubio, Jr., decides who can enter the diversion program. Liendo's arrest occurred when he was stopped at 1 a.m. for speeding and following too closely, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. He refused a Breathalyzer and failed a field sobriety test. Rangel was stopped for a defective taillight and like Liendo failed a field sobriety test and refused a Brethalyzer Still another Webb County elected figure charged with DWI is Juan Gonzalez, the mayor of tiny Rio Bravo south of Laredo.

Liendo has proposed to expand programs to require wayward youth to clean streets and the houses and yards of the elderly. Liendo said that his program would teach youth the value of education and the consequences of poor decisions. Liendo is seeking matching funds from the City of Laredo, Webb County, and the private sector to establish his program.

Liendo's younger brother, Oscar Rene Liendo (born 1957)is also a Webb County JP in Precinct 1.

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