The City of Baldwin Park Attempts To Coerce A Confession

The City of Baldwin Park attempted to coerce a confession from Julian Casas, head boxing coach.  Casas and I, his attorney, have brought to the public's attention many of the great abuses committed by the council members and the Parks and Recreation Director, Manuel Carrillo Jr.

Carrillo has given Casas a raise of 40 cents after 14 years.  Carrillo received a $40,000 raise in one year.

Carrillo has been caught laundering money through his non-profit corporation and doing it in the name of children.  You can read all about it here: Manny Carrillo is a money launderer.

But after we revealed these truths at the council meeting, the very next day Julian Casas was suspended with pay, pending an investigation for the charge of having behavior incompatible with being a Baldwin Park employee.  Read about it here: Boxing Coach Gets Suspended For Whistleblowing

It doesn't end there.  After suspending Casas, the City of Baldwin Park called him in for an interview.  He said he wouldn't be able to come until Thursday because his second attorney wasn't available until Thursday.  The Human Resource Manager stated that he didn't need his attorney.  Casas insisted it was his right, and she said she never really said that he couldn't have his attorney.

But while the city said it respected his wishes for Casas to have his attorney, the HR Manager kept insisting that Casas come into an interview on Wednesday.  Casas stated that his attorney wouldn't be available, but it kept pressing he had to come in.

I told Julian, "Leave it.  I'll come with you.  They won't be expecting me."

Dressed in my suit, we walked into the conference room, where Casas was being interviewed.  I couldn't believe they had two attorneys waiting for him, one being a partner.  They also had a court reporter there.

I sat directly in front of the partner.  Julian sat on my left hand side.  The partner asked if Julian could switch seats with me.  I said, "No - that's not happening."  I remained directly in front of him.

He didn't look too happy.

I couldn't believe the City of Baldwin Park was setting Julian up to have three people in the room without a lawyer.  I couldn't believe they were trying to tell him he didn't have a right to a lawyer.  Oh, Pacheco [the Council Member] and Carrillo [the Parks and Recs Director] and Taylor [Chief of Police and Acting City Manager] hit an all time low.

I kicked off the interview.  "What complaint or allegation do you have against Casas?"

The partner said, "We'll be getting to that later."

"You do understand constitutional law."

The guy looked offended.  "Yes, I do."

"Well, tell me what Miranda says then?"

"Why don't you tell us?"

"So, you don't really know - do you?"

"Look - we're not here to interview me."

He proceeded to interview Julian with a series of safe but trapping questions.  I objected to two of them.  Once for vagueness.  Second, for compound.  The lawyer was trying to confuse Julian by asking a whole bunch of questions - so he didn't know which one to answer.  Then he put words in Julian's mouth and said, "Mr. Casas 'you said . . .'"

I said, "Mr. Casas said no such thing.  You're putting words in his mouth."

I proceeded, "Look, we're really busy.  You have three questions to start asking serious questions.  Otherwise, I'm going to instruct my client that he has the right to remain silent, and we're going to walk out of here."

The partner said we had every right to walk out and every right to remain silent.

He asked a question on Julian's training.

I said, "That's your first question."

He asked another question on the rules and regulations.

I said, "That's your second question."

Then, he went to ask about the boxing students.

"That's your third question.  Julian, invoke your right to remain silent."

Julian said, "I have the right to remain silent."

I said, "Alright - we're walking out now.  That's all.  The interview is over."

He said, "Hey - this isn't a criminal case.  Miranda doesn't apply."

I responded, for the record, "Miranda applies towards any government custodial questioning.  You are no longer allowed to ask questions of my client now or in the future.  You need to go through me.  I represent Mr. Casas.  Good bye."

He tried to intimidate Julian by saying, "You know, if I conclude this interview -"

"Julian - go leave the room.  This is all over now."  Julian walked out.

I said, "Good bye again."  We both walked out.

The court reporter ran out and asked for Julian's address.  I said, "Hey - what don't you understand?  No more questions.  Go away."

As an attorney, that had to be one of the most dirty experiences I been through.  I can't believe they were trying to set Julian up like that.  I can't believe the City of Baldwin Park is in the United States.  I can't believe these lawyers were trying to put words in Julian's mouth so they could fire him for something he never did.  All these people need to be tried.

I got depressed later.  All of this is such a gross miscarriage of injustice against an innocent person - all because he spoke the truth and a Council Member and the Director couldn't stand it.  And it's depressing to feel like nobody cares about all that's happening in this city.

I also realized that even though Marlen Garcia - the former matron council member - is gone, her legacy lives on.  She retaliated against employees who spoke out against her.  She intimidated and bullied employees by putting them on unpaid suspension.  Now, this Ricardo Pacheco has followed in her footsteps and her madness.

What's even more discouraging, is the city finds it fit to spend thousands of dollars to go on a witch hunt after Julian.  Why can't they just use this money to give our boxing coaches a raise?  Is it really that hard?

I've reached out to the Attorney General, the District Attorney, and now I've called the FBI - for tax evasion on these people.  I just wish someone would care.

We are not free in this City.  As Orwell stated, "Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

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Director of Parks and Recreation Suspends Employee For Whistleblowing

Parks and Recreation Director Manny Carrillo Jr. suspended Juilan Casas, head boxing coach, with pay, pending an investigation.  Carrillo stated that he couldn't tell Casas what the investigation was about, only that somebody filed a complaint.  He stated he would no longer be allowed on the premises and to not speak to employees or the boxing participants.

He forced Casas to sign a contract.  Casas was shocked at hearing the news.

The suspension came one day after Casas spoke at the City Council Meeting.  On that day, Casas told a full audience that Carrillo has given him a forty cent raise after 14 years.  He thanked the City, however, for the much needed increase in the hours of the boxing program.  He also mentioned that he's sued Baldwin Park for not releasing records, under Calfiornia's Public Records Act.

Also, at the Council Meeting, Paul Cook, Casas' attorney, passed out to the audience an article that proved that Manny Carrillo Jr. has been laundering money.  Manny Carrillo Launders Money.  He engaged in a public argument with Mayor Lozano, who attempted to cut speaking time for members of the public from three minutes to two minutes.

He also made four announcements to the Council.  One, the City Attorney has charged $50,000 in six weeks, which is almost half a million dollars a year.  The City Attorney has been drafting frivolous motions, which will cost the city three times the amount of a usual lawsuit.  That means, the Casas lawsuit can end up costing the City $300,000.  Cook mentioned he defeated Palm Springs to get the records of its corrupt Finance Director.  And four, he mentioned that Manny Carrillo was laundering money for those in power.

Several of the elderly ladies looked like they were going to cry after they heard the truth.  The audience was clearly upset at the City Council.

The next day, Casas was suspended, pending a trumped up complaint, with pay.

The question that runs through my head is why hasn't anyone else been suspended with pay.  Carrillo's Parks and Recs manager Armando Navo has been accused of sexual harassment.  More specifically, Navo's been alleged to have hired a woman just because he found her hot, started having sex with her, and forced her to have an abortion with his baby.  By the way, Navo's wife also works at Parks and Recs.

What about the fact that Carrillo's been caught red handed laundering money?  Why isn't he being suspended and investigated?  What about the fact that he can't account for the cash the kids have been paying into the boxing program?  What about the cash money that can't be accounted for at the concerts at the park?  Who knows why these people do what they do?  (I'm so convinced of all of Carrillo's stealing of money that I wrote a complaint letter to the District Attorney and to the Attorney General outing this director.)

As I keep realizing, over and over again, George Orwell was right.  "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

PS: If you're outraged by reading this, please send this story along.  You can also email the Council Members, Mayor, Carrillo, and the Acting City Manager below:

mlozano@baldwinpark.com, cbaca@baldwinpark.com, monica_garcia@baldwinpark.com, rpacheco@baldwinpark.com, srubio@baldwinpark.com, mcarrillo@baldwinpark.com, mtaylor@baldwinpark.com

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My First Trial Experience

Tomorrow's I'll have my first trial experience.  I can't believe, even before my anniversary of being a lawyer, I'm already getting trial experience.  Thankfully, it's pre-trial tomorrow and not the entire trial experience.

Yesterday, I was visiting my former trial teacher.  He's retired now.  He has over 25 years of training.

He made me drive over his house and watch an episode of Bones with him.  He actually said, "We ain't talking about your trial until you watch this with me."

The case that I'm defending is right here.  Latino Mechanic Falsely Accused

Earlier in the day, when I called my trial teacher up, he said, "We've already been through this case twice.  I don't know what else there is to go over."

I said, "I need to know how to execute better."

He said, "Well, I might be flying my plane into San Luis Obispo.  I'll call you if I have time."  He did have time for me.

At his house, while watching television, I said, "Did you know that one of our friends no longer wants to be a lawyer?"

"I know."

"Why do you think that happened?"

"Same reason, you don't like the profession.  It's goddamn hard.  I told you early on not to get yourself into this mess."

"Do you ever stress out about the fate of your clients?"

"Paul, when I did all this stuff, I was stressed all the time.  They're real people.  They've [the defendants] fucked up.  And now you gotta take care of it.  Of course, it wears on you."

After Bones was finished, the teacher drove me to our favorite Thai restaurant.  He ordered some noodle dish.  I ordered their fried catfish in coconut curry.  It was wonderful.  The whole scene felt like it was from am movie.  

We rehearsed my questions.  At one point he said, "Why the hell you gonna say that?  No!  No! No!"

I asked, "Well what should I say?"

Then he broke it down for me.

He also told me, "Look, Paul, the whole thing is a drama.  It's a play.  You gotta see it like that.  And remember, whoever owns the court wins the case.  Got it?"

I said, "See, I told you it'd be worth it.  I told you that I still needed some pointers."

We talked about trial strategy.  He told me how to sharpen my questions.

Then I went to his house and told him good bye.

Today, I asked another mentor, "Is there anyway I can have a job that's not so stressful?"

He said, "Only if you want to be mediocre."

The Parks And Recs Director Is Really A Money Launderer

The money laundering parks and recs director:
Manny Carrillo

Why does a Parks and Recreation Director who gets paid $200,000, promotes sexual harassment, engages in sexual harassment, and is totally under-performing not disciplined by the Mayor and City Council? 

Simple.  Because, he launders money.  And this is how he's been doing it.  Carrillo is the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Baldwin Park.  Therefore, he works for the City of Baldwin Park.  He's also the President of the non-profit corporation the Baldwin Park Community Center Corporation (BPCCC).

As the President of the BPCCC, Carrillo collects donations from businesses that are connected to the City.  At the end of the year, they put on a sham event called the Santa Clothes - where poor children get a Walmart Gift Card of $50.  Carrillo purchases tens of thousands of dollars worth of cards.

At most, a hundred kids show up.  You do the math.  100 x $50 = $5,000.  The rest of the gift cards go back to Manny Carrillo.  And he gives them out to no doubt people in the City.  And that's how money is laundered tax free back to Manny Carrillo.

When I did a public records request, asking for the kids who have received these gift cards, I received a privacy exemption.  Then, the administration then threw Carrillo under the bus by asking him to respond directly to the request, instead of having the City respond.

During this time, Carrillo took one week off of administration leave.  Then, he emails me a list of 320 kids, all have the strange names like Alexxander Gomez.  A few weeks later, Carrillo's manager Rudolph Galindo resigns from his job.

Casas has had to sue both the City of Baldwin Park and the BPCCC because it refused to give out any more information on these fake children.  It's already been confirmed that the list of children are a fake.

Furthermore - thousands of dollars are unaccounted for for the food sales regarding the Concerts at the Park and the gym and boxing memberships the city collects.  Everything is done in cash, so again, the question is where did the money go?

So - there you go.  Now you know why Carrillo gets paid $200,000 a year, has two company cars, and such great perks.

Now that the Baldwin Park Unified School District is being probed, I hope they pick up the Carrillo case as well.

His behavior, has generally been disgusting and intentionally ignored by the City Council.  From 2009 to 2010, the Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Carrillo Jr. received a pay raise of $40,000 a year.  In contrast, he's given the head boxing coach a forty cent raise an hour after 14 years.

Recently, Julian Casas confronted Carrillo regarding why he couldn't get a larger raise.  In other cities, the standard pay for boxing coaches is $20 an hour.  Carrillo had a number of things to say.

For one, he said it was unorthodox.  By the way, Carrillo is from Mexican descent, not a Jewish one.  When Casas pressed him about what that meant, he couldn't explain himself, except to say that management like himself would be undermined by paying industry standard.

He next went to blame other council members, like Ricardo Pacheco, for not giving out the raises.  Pacheco agreed with Carrillo and stalled in addressing the outstanding fourteen year issue.

Carrillo then went to blame the Acting City Manager and Chief of Police Michael Taylor for not giving Casas a raise.  He stated that Taylor wanted to wait as well.  (Incidentally, Michael Taylor - a raging drunk, who has filed for bankruptcy twice, attempted to get a $200,000 salary for himself).  It just goes to show you how disgusting these administrators are.

The real issue is that Carrillo has the discretion to give out pay raises.  He just doesn't want to.  But the Council is fully comfortable giving him a raise, even though he has a poor history of performance during his tenure.

To Casas, Carrillo said, "I feel like there's a trust issue here."

Really?  What has this man done that is so worthy of him being trusted?

Brian Tracy said, "Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'"

Guess, what kind of people run Baldwin Park?

A Gift For The Lawyer

My canvas messenger bag I had was constantly running through my mind.  The bag was made of a beige canvas, and I had it for awhile.  Over time, however, especially with the amount of travel I do, the bag began to show signs of aging, wearing, and literally tearing.  Me - being one who doesn't believe in buying new things unless absolutely necessary - had those tears patched up with leather. 

The patches didn't last, nonetheless.  The tears kept widening.  I thought - oh, how am I going to find another messenger bag that looks as nice?  The bag was made by Calvin Klein, and I hadn't seen any design like it before or after.

I thought to myself that I should have it re-upholstered by my convertible top guy.  He's worked on both my 1967 Mustang Convertible and my BMW Z3.  I trust in his work.

But, he was even busy now.  The spring season - he told me - had brought him a flood of clients.  Everybody wants to be seen in Los Angeles with the car top down.

Being buried in legal work, I was unable to find the time to look for a new bag.  I mean - how important could it be for one to have a bag?  It's just that - a bag.  So, I buried the unfinished task at the bottom of the list.

Then, the day came where it no longer could wait.  I had my torn canvas messenger bag with me in court.  I sat in the lawyer's area, and the bailiff didn't believe I was a lawyer.  Yes, part of it was because I wasn't dressed in a suit, and I allegedly look young.  I was there to witness the judge's style and the way he ruled on decisions.  She also glanced at my torn bag and questioned if I was really an attorney.

The incident left me feeling embarrassed and ashamed.  Here, I was, a graduate of a great law school.  I was taking on cases for the poor, often times.  I took on cases that mattered - cases that have made it to the attention of senators, newspapers, and television.  But, I had never thought getting paid for them would be so hard.  My clients were just that - poor.

The way that bailiff judged me by my accessory kind of stung.  Yet, in my soul, I had made my resolve.  I'm a good lawyer.  I get things done.  Just starting my own law office, which I never planned on doing, came with some set backs.

So, I contacted customer service at Calvin Klein.  I thought it was the fastest way to get a new bag without using up tons of time to search for a new one.  Just a replacement would stop making me feel so shabby.

The excellent customer service representative asked which bag I wanted because the one I had was no longer in their inventory.  So, I chose a leather commuter bag from a picture she showed me.  She called me the day it came and the day before and told me that Calvin Klein had fedexed it to my place.

I thought that wasn't very necessary, but it was nice. 

After working hard that day, on boring stuff - like reviewing documents and thinking through the strategies for my cases - I found the package waiting for me.  I opened up the box.

And the actual leather bag was more impressive upon seeing it in person than in the photo.  The texture, grain, design, and quality were all outstanding.  I was astonished.  Really, I was.

When I saw it, I felt like God was telling me - No, I'm showing you your new identity.  This is the type of lawyer you are.  You're no longer a law student.  You deserve this for all your hard work.

In the ancient scriptures, you may know that Joshua - one of God's high priests, was on trial before Satan - the great adversary and accuser.  God rebukes the accuser and tells Satan that Joshua has great enough value to him that he snatched him from the fire.  As his life was tried before him, all Joshua could do is stand in filthy clothes to listen and watch.  God declares Joshua worthy and orders his filthy garments replaced with new clothes. 

It's said in Korean culture too that when someone is worthy enough to enter into Heaven, God will give him a new set of clothes.  So, I say this to you.  From the time I've passed the bar, until now, has been a trying year - full of conflict, hardship, and new experiences of pain, which called for great endurance.  But, endure.  The endurance will reveal character - and that character will go rewarded and be seen.

Below is a reproduction of an article by the Desert Sun on how the boxers sued for Baldwin Park's Finance Director's File.

Craig Graves, ex-Palm Springs official probed

Skip Descant, The Desert Sun 

April 9, 2014

Baldwin Park attorney Paul Cook says he has yet to receive a response from Palm Springs officials related to a public records lawsuit he filed against the city on Feb. 20 in Riverside County Superior Court.

“I haven’t heard anything from them,” Cook said on Monday.

Cook is representing Erik Garcia, described in court documents as a Baldwin Park activist, college student and boxer. Garcia has asked for a number of a personnel records for Craig Graves, a former finance director in Palm Springs and who is now employed by Baldwin Park. The request is part of a probe into Graves’ professional past. Cook made the lawsuit known to city officials during the public comments portion of the Palm Springs City Council meeting on March 19.

The Palm Springs City Attorney’s office did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment on the case. However, following the March 19 council meeting, Palm Springs city attorney Doug Holland said he was previously unaware of the lawsuit and had not reviewed it.
A status hearing is set for April 22.

Read the original story here: Probe Into ex-Finance Director's File

The Boxers Sue The City Of Baldwin Park Again

At the City Council Meeting in Baldwin Park, college student and amateur boxer, Lyle Ibarra, 18, opened up a gym bag and pulled out three manila envelopes.  He had the envelopes handed out to Michael Taylor - Acting City Manager; Manuel Carrillo - President of the Baldwin Park Community Center Corporation (BPCCC) and Director of Parks and Recreation; and Craig Graves - Secretary of the BPCCC and Acting Finance Director.

After handing out their lawsuits, Lyle went up to podium and proudly announced: "The City of Baldwin Park has been sued."

Once again - the City of Baldwin Park refuses to release records.  Only this time - everything is getting much more serious.  It's excuse: the City has no records but the BPCCC - its alter-ego corporation might.

Before Lyle spoke, Julian Casas - the city's head boxing coach and plaintiff in the case, stated, "I don't really like getting up here to speak . . . But a boxing coach in other cities get $20 an hour.  I get $8.80."  The Director of Parks and Recreation has given Casas a forty cent raise after 14 years.  Additionally: it's the only raise he's received, and it was given after 14 years.  In contrast, the Parks and Recs director was given a $40,000 raise in one year.

The attorney at law, Cook, spoke after and stated, "We told you, we would do something.  The lawsuits are multiplying against Baldwin Park.  I guess the plagues of Egypt have fallen on Baldwin Park."

He added, "I have the power to sue you - which is the power to hold you accountable - which is the power to make you look stupid and evil."

At issue in this lawsuit, is a list of names that the BPCCC and the City released.  It's been alleged that the BPCCC, a non-profit shell corporation, has been engaged in a money laundering scam.

The city employees run the non-profit.  The same directors are on the board of the BPCCC.  It collects money from local businesses - to not pay taxes on them.

Then - at the end of the year - Carrillo spends all the donation money by buying Walmart gift cards.  Thousands of thousands of dollars worth.  Then, he distributes them or keeps them for himself.  He claims it's for poor kids selected by the school district.

So, Casas asked for the names of these kids, and a list of the most bizarre names came back.  Such strange names included: "Nelcit Lopez, Oskee Phoebe Pena, Danaly Guillermo, and Betsaida Mirafuentes." 

Casas asked Carrillo to provide records on these kids.

The City stated it has no records, but its alter-ego may have them. Carrillo - the President of the BPCCC - ignored Casas' record request.  So, the City and the BPCCC both got sued.

If these names turn out to be fake - it's rather clear that the City of Baldwin Park has been laundering money by buying gift cards through a shell non-profit corporation.  As Cook has been saying - "Baldwin Park is the shame of the San Gabriel Valley."

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