Latest news with #Padron
Ottawa Citizen
7 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Cyclist struck by vehicle in Ottawa awaiting surgery, no time frame for recovery
Journaling, meditating and cycling have all been steps on Ghost Padron's daily routine. Article content According to their mother, Leslie-Anne Barrett, Padron is a talented painter and poet who has put their art skills to use by helping Barrett with her freelance hair and makeup work. Article content Article content 'They're a very, very brainy person,' Barrett said of Padron. 'In our family we go, 'How's the big brain doing?' because it's hard to keep up with them.' Article content Article content On July 22, while cycling on Sweetnam Drive, south of Hazeldean Road and east of the Amberwood Village Golf and Country Club, Padron was struck by a vehicle before being transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Article content Article content An Ottawa Police Services investigation is ongoing. Article content Padron has been unconscious with brain and bone injuries at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital since the collision. As of the afternoon of July 31, they were getting slowly taken off sedatives and being prepared for orthopedic surgery, which Barrett said was expected within the next 48 hours. Article content Doctors could not provide the family with an estimated time frame for recovery, Barrett said. 'It's a waiting game now … We're just praying that there is a time frame.' Article content 'We can see a little light through the clouds,' Barrett added, 'but by no means are we out of the woods.' Article content Article content Barrett is the primary caregiver of her elderly mother, and Padron moved in with Barrett in April. A GoFundMe to support Barrett and Padron's family has raised more than $47,000 so far. Article content Before the accident, Padron was preparing to head back to work as an outreach worker with the Somerset West Community Health Centre, supporting people experiencing homelessness and substance addiction. 'Going back to this type of work was a big decision for them,' Barrett said. Article content 'But that's one thing I can say about my kid … They've never, ever made it about themselves,' she continued, adding that Padron didn't often let others take their photo. Article content The 'devastation' of the accident has had a 'significant' impact on Padron's family, with Barrett saying they've been unable to return to work since the incident. Article content One day after Padron's collision, one child on a bicycle and another child on a scooter were both struck by vehicles on Ottawa roadways. On July 26, a woman cyclist in her 70s was killed in a collision with a motor vehicle on Mitch Owens Road in the city's south end. Article content Barrett wants drivers to be mindful of the others sharing the road. Article content 'When you're driving a car or you're in a hurry and you want to cut through because your time is so important, remember that there could be an elderly person with a dog, there could be someone with a baby carriage, there could be children coming home from school, or there could be someone on a bicycle,' she said.
What's On
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
6 of the best restaurants in Dubai this week: July 7 to 10
In a city that moves fast and eats well, there's always something new to try – from chilled out hangouts to sky-high fine dining spots, low-key gems to the next hot table. Dubai's food scene doesn't sleep, and neither do we. Whether you're looking for the perfect place to catch up with friends, enjoy a long dinner with a view, or finally try that spot everyone keeps talking about, we've rounded up 6 of the best restaurants in Dubai to book this week. Go hungry. KIRA Images: Supplied KIRA's new Bar Bites menu is all about light, seasonal plates made to share – perfect for a mid-summer catch-up or a laid-back dinner. Designed around the crossroads of Mediterranean and Japanese flavours, the offering moves from crisp Padron peppers and tahina-miso aubergine to spicy tuna rolls, rock shrimp tempura, and wagyu skewers off the robata grill. Pair it all with a house cocktail (like the nutty Parmigiano Sour or the saké-forward Saké-Lini) and settle in for a refreshingly casual, quietly refined moment at the bar. Location: KIRA, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab Hotel Times: Sunday to Wednesday 12pm – 1am, Thursday to Sunday 12pm – 2am Contact: (0)4 379 7977. @ kira restaurant Reservations: kira - Hanaaya, Jumeirah Mina Al Salam Image: Supplied Tortuga is back – and for the summer only. The cult Mexican spot has returned as a seasonal pop-up at Jumeirah Mina A'Salam, taking over a corner of Hanaaya with all the hits: sizzling fajitas, chimichangas, street corn, and of course, tacos. It runs daily from lunchtime through to late evening, but Tuesdays are the big one. Expect favourites like carne asada with cheese crust and taquera salsa, or the crispy Baja-style fish with chile arbol emulsion. It's loud, laid-back, and full of flavour – just how it should be. Location: Hanaaya, Jumeirah Mina A'Salam Times: Daily, 12:30pm to 10pm Cost: Taco Tuesdays priced at Dhs150 (unlimited tacos) or Dhs250 (with 3 drinks) Contact: 800 323 232 J ou Jou Brasserie Images: Supplied Available Monday to Friday, La Pause is a three-course midday menu guided by Chef Gioia's refined Italian sensibility. Starters include dishes like ricciola hamachi with espelette vinaigrette or a crisp artichoke salad, followed by mains such as fregola alla norma, oxtail ravioli, or Provençale sea bream with mussel jus. To finish, there's a standout chocolate and olive oil slice cake by Chef Nicolas Lambert – indulgent, buttery, and just the right amount of sweet. Location: Jou Jou Brasserie, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach Times: Monday to Friday, 12:30pm to 5:30pm Cost: Dhs165 per person, Add Dhs120 for two beverages Contact: (0)4 270 7950 @joujoudubai Jamavar Images: Supplied Jamavar has launched Spice & Spirits – a new four-course tasting menu where every dish is matched with a cocktail that does more than just sit pretty on the side. It's all about contrast and balance: smoky prawns with apricot palomas, rich butter chicken offset by a kaffir-lime-spiked daiquiri, and dessert paired with an espresso martini laced with saffron. Available from June 19, guests can choose between vegetarian or non-veg options – both deeply rooted in Indian culinary heritage but reimagined through flavour-pushing drinks. The setting? Intimate, warm, and already MICHELIN-starred less than a year since opening. Location: Jamavar, Address Residences Opera District, Downtown Dubai Times: Daily from 12pm to 12am (from 12:30pm on weekends) Cost: Dhs395 per person Contact: 04 553 7852. @jamavardubai Magadan Seafood lovers, this one's calling your name. Magadan's Aphrodisiac Time is a daily ritual built around fresh oysters and free-flowing house wine. Here, it's unlimited oysters and house wine – simple as that. It's relaxed, easy, and ideal for a sunset session on Palm West Beach that feels a little indulgent, in all the right ways. Location: Magadan, Radisson Beach Resort, Palm West Beach Times: Daily Cost: Dhs225 per person Contact: (0)52 101 1075. @magadandubai North Audley Cantine Images: Supplied The French bistro everyone in Dubai keeps returning to just launched a fresh all-day breakfast menu. North Audley Cantine (NAC) in Al Safa is now serving breakfast from 9am to noon, Monday to Thursday – perfect for whether you're starting early or craving some comfort food later. Expect light, fresh, and flavourful dishes like shakshuka poached eggs, Turkish eggs, and scrambled eggs with Monterey jack and jalapeño mayo in a brioche bun. Can't pick just one? The NAC Breakfast Plate has a little bit of everything. If you're after something green, try their signature kale and cabbage salad with parmigiano, pine nuts, golden raisins, and honey za'atar dressing. Sharing plates also make a comeback with favourites like honey sweet potato, popcorn chicken with spicy mayo, crushed burrata, and chicken sliders with sriracha mayo. For dessert, choose from crushed milk chocolate cookies with frosties soft serve, speculoos French toast with raspberries and clotted cream, ricotta pancakes with dulce de leche and banana, or a daily pastries basket – perfect alongside your coffee. Location: H Residence, Al Safa Times: Monday to Thursday, 9am to 12pm Contact: (0)43791774 @nacdubai Reservations:
South Wales Argus
17-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Alembic Mediterranean tapas restaurant at Bristol Airport
Alembic, a new tapas restaurant, will officially open at Bristol Airport on July 3 in the departure lounge and offers a menu of small plates and sharing boards influenced by Mediterranean flavours. Dishes include Padron peppers, focaccia, Gambas al Ajillo, and Spanish meatballs, with a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available. Kate Gwyther, head of retail at Bristol Airport, said: "We're really pleased to be able to add this premium experience for customers to enjoy in stylish and relaxing surroundings. "It's also great to be able to offer a completely different dining option whether it's brunch, lunch, or dinner, alongside some great South West drinks brands, which will also be available for customers to purchase from the World Duty Free store if they've tried something they like." The restaurant will offer Tapas-style food (Image: Bristol Airport) The restaurant aims to support regional producers and offers a selection of locally sourced drinks, including cocktails made with South West rum, gin, and whisky, as well as coffee from a regional supplier. For those flying out early, the breakfast menu features scrambled eggs on sourdough, bacon croissant rolls, Greek yoghurt, and Mediterranean options such as avocado on focaccia and shakshuka. Beth Brewster, senior coordinating director for Avolta F&B & Essentials, said: "This is our first opening at Bristol Airport, so a very proud moment for us. "We are also delighted to be introducing Alembic, as this is our second opening of this exciting new restaurant concept this year. "It showcases what we do brilliantly – creating delicious dishes using the best produce and complementing them with some locally sourced spirits and coffee. "We're confident that travellers visiting Bristol Airport are going to love Alembic's Mediterranean vibe, delicious food, and great customer service."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Children among seven dead as migrant boat capsizes
Credit: Reuters Two five-year-old girls were among seven people killed when a migrant boat capsized as it reached a port in Spain's Canary Islands. The victims drowned after migrants waiting to disembark the overcrowded boat accidentally capsized it by crowding on one side in what was the latest tragedy on the perilous route, emergency services said. Juan Miguel Padron, the mayor of El Pinar municipality, told local television that around 150 people were on the boat. It was being escorted by a rescue ship to La Restinga harbour on El Hierro, the archipelago's smallest island, when tragedy struck. As it neared the port, the vessel tipped over and some of the migrants 'were trapped in the boat and others died while being saved', Mr Padron added. Four women, two girls aged five and another girl aged 16, were killed. A three-year-old boy and a third five-year-old girl almost drowned before being transported by helicopter to a hospital in Tenerife, the emergency services wrote on X. Two three-month-old babies, a pregnant woman and three minors were in hospital on El Hierro, they said. RTVE, the Spanish public broadcaster, aired footage of rescuers throwing lifebuoys to people clinging onto an overturned boat and treading water off El Hierro. Spain's maritime rescue service told AFP in a statement that a rescue ship had found the boat that morning and accompanied it to La Restinga. 'During the disembarkation, some of the people travelling on the boat crowded on one of the sides, which caused it to tilt and capsize,' the service said. 'The transfer of people is the most delicate moment of the operation and, with the vessels being overloaded and with precarious security conditions, the difficulty increases notably.' Alpidio Armas, the head of El Hierro's local government, questioned how the migrants could be saved on the high seas but die in the apparent safety of a port. 'We are doing something wrong,' he told reporters. Each year, Spain takes in tens of thousands of Europe-bound migrants who arrive in the Canary Islands from West Africa, with Malians, Senegalese and Moroccans the most common nationalities. Strong ocean currents and ramshackle vessels make the long crossing dangerous. According to Caminando Fronteras, an NGO, at least 10,457 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea between Jan 1 and Dec 5 last year. Anselmo Pestana, the central government's representative in the archipelago, explained that the migrants' fatigue complicated the emergency response in the water. 'If the rescue was not immediate, they probably sank very quickly,' he told journalists. Local authorities have consistently warned of unsustainable pressure on their resources and complained about a lack of solidarity. 'We ask for decisive action from the European Union,' Fernando Clavijo Batlle, the Canary Islands' regional leader, told reporters in La Restinga. 'This is unfortunately what we experience... those who are very far away in offices are incapable of understanding it.' Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, wrote on X that the deaths 'should move us all'. 'Lives lost in a desperate attempt to find a better future. We must rise to the occasion. It's a question of humanity,' he said. Almost 47,000 irregular arrivals reached the archipelago last year, breaking the annual record for the second year running, as tighter controls in the Mediterranean pushed migrants to attempt the Atlantic route. But numbers are down so far this year, dropping 34.4 per cent between Jan 1 and May 15 compared with the same period in 2024, according to the latest interior ministry figures. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Times
25-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Forgotten in Jail Without a Lawyer: How a Texas Town Fails Poor Defendants
Fernando Padron was stuck in a South Texas jail cell. Accused of stealing credit cards that he used to buy diapers, a bike and other goods for his family, he had not been brought into court or spoken to a lawyer. He did not hear anything about his case for nine months. Finally, in March 2023, prosecutors charged him with a misdemeanor, and he was released. But his ordeal had just begun. Over the next two years, he would be arrested repeatedly in connection with the theft. He was pressured into a seemingly improper plea deal in one court, only to be charged again in another. At one point, he was in jail for six months before officials involved in his case realized he was there. Mr. Padron, 27, is a U.S. citizen with no prior convictions, and his offense was minor enough that elsewhere in Texas, he might not have been jailed at all. But he was in the dysfunctional Maverick County court system, where basic tenets of American justice often do not apply. Officials here openly acknowledge that poor defendants accused of minor crimes are rarely provided lawyers. And people regularly spend months behind bars without charges filed against them, much longer than state law allows. Last year alone, at least a dozen people were held too long uncharged after arrests for minor nonviolent crimes, interviews and records reviewed by The New York Times show. Some defendants seem to have been forgotten in jail. Two men were released after The Times asked about them, half a year after their sentences had been completed. 'The county is not at the level that it should have been for years,' conceded Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantú, who oversees misdemeanor court. He said he had been trying to 'revamp' and 'rebuild' the local justice system since he was elected in 2022. 'It's been a challenge for me,' he added. 'But at the end of the day it is unjust.' Under the U.S. Constitution, people facing jail time are entitled to a lawyer — paid for by the government if they cannot afford their own — and a fair and efficient court process. But these protections are tenuous, especially in rural parts of America, studies have shown. In Texas, one of the states that spend the least on indigent defense, The Times found recent examples of people held beyond deadlines without charges or lawyers in six rural counties. Maverick County stood out. It is in one of the state's poorest regions, and many defendants cannot afford a lawyer; some spend months in jail because they cannot pay a bail bondsman $500 or less. Yet over the past two decades, state auditors have repeatedly noted the county was failing to adequately provide indigent counsel. In 2023, when more than 240 misdemeanor defendants requested representation, the county judge appointed lawyers in only a handful of cases, records show. Nonetheless, the state has imposed no consequences. With no one to guide them, defendants enter a disjointed justice system where it can be perplexingly difficult to figure out why someone is in jail, if there even is a reason. Misdemeanor court files are almost always missing key documents. Felony court files are often not available until more than a year after a defendant's arrest. The jail sometimes reported having no record of people despite recently holding them for months. Defense lawyers and constitutional law scholars, responding to The Times's reporting, called the county's practices 'atrocious,' 'Kafkaesque' and 'not a criminal system at all.' 'The lack of transparency and the lack of public defenders in this jurisdiction has allowed this completely inept system to persist,' said Rachel Kincaid, an associate law professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and former federal prosecutor. 'There's no pressure on them to do anything differently.' In jailhouse interviews, some defendants said they had no idea what was happening in their cases. 'They haven't told me anything,' Juan Sanchez, 21, said in Spanish in May, shivering on a jail stool without a shirt or pants in a knee-length suicide prevention vest. He had pleaded guilty in November 2023 to trespassing at the local mall in exchange for his release, but was not let out until June, shortly after The Times asked officials why he was still there. 'They really don't give you information here,' said David Burckhardt, 36, who had been jailed for five months without charges after being arrested in August 2023 on accusations of vandalizing his neighbor's car. 'You just got to do your time.' But it is what happened to Mr. Padron that best illustrates the repercussions of the county's lapses. Told details of his case, four veteran Texas defense lawyers said that in other counties they most likely could have secured a sentence of 30 days or fewer, with some chance he would get no jail time. Mr. Padron has now spent 20 months in jail, missing his son's first two birthdays. His case is still not resolved. 'I got out and I was doing things right,' he said at the jail after his third arrest stemming from the theft. 'And then, all of a sudden, you have an arrest warrant. And I left my girlfriend and son by themselves.' The Free State of Maverick About half of Maverick County's residents live in the city of Eagle Pass, which is on the Mexican border, about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio. Most residents' first language is Spanish, and people who live in the neighboring Mexican city, Piedras Negras, cross often to work, shop or visit relatives. The county has a history of scandals, including a federal investigation into bribery and contract-rigging a decade ago that sent four of five commissioners to prison. A veteran police officer said locals jokingly call it 'the Free State of Maverick' because officials tend to do what they want and deal with the ramifications later. The region is also at the forefront of America's crackdown on immigration. Since 2021, Texas police officers have arrested thousands of migrants in Maverick County for trespassing, in an effort to deter crossings and boost deportations. After legal challenges, the state created a special criminal system to expedite the process by quickly charging migrants and assigning them lawyers. The justice system for local residents shows far less urgency. It took on about 350 cases last year, a vast majority of them misdemeanors or felony drug possession. The police and the Sheriff's Department often take weeks or months to report an arrest to prosecutors. The prosecutors then take months to decide whether to go to court, for charges as simple as resisting arrest or trespassing. During this time, prosecutors are not told, and typically do not check, whether a defendant is in jail. Neither law enforcement agency answered questions about the delays. Jaime Iracheta, the county attorney, said misdemeanors in Maverick County go through layers of vetting. Some other jurisdictions file such charges within days, if not hours. Although those leading the justice system are all Democrats — a relic of the party's historical strength with Hispanic voters — they are divided into rival factions. Mr. Iracheta, whose office prosecutes misdemeanors, endorsed Judge English Cantú in his 2022 run for county judge. Sheriff Tom Schmerber, who has overseen the jail since 2013, is an ally of the judge's predecessor, David Saucedo. When Judge English Cantú ran against Mr. Saucedo, his second cousin, he called Mr. Saucedo a 'bully' who gave his 'cronies' big salaries 'not to do anything.' Mr. Saucedo called his opponent 'self-serving' and accused him of helping spread an 'almost comical' rumor that he was a murderer. In interviews, officials did not dispute that the county had not released some people on time, but blamed one another for the failures. 'The unfortunate inability of communication between the Sheriff's Department and the prosecutor's office, I think, is what has delayed this situation,' Judge English Cantú said. He added that misdemeanor court, where he presides about once a month, was held less often under Mr. Saucedo. Mr. Saucedo said his own predecessors held misdemeanor court even less frequently. Mr. Iracheta said the Sheriff's Department was the problem. 'We have extreme issues over there, but I can't control who the people elect,' he said. The sheriff did not respond to interview requests, but the jail's case manager, Daniella Ramos, criticized the magistrates who set bail. She said she sends them weekly jail rosters so they can order defendants to be released, but they go 'into the abyss.' Kina Mancha, the county's longest-tenured magistrate, countered that the jail had sometimes failed to follow orders to let people go. 'They're not doing their job,' she said. Without public defenders, the county relies on local lawyers to represent poor defendants, paying a few hundred dollars per case. But in felony court, the few willing lawyers are often not appointed until defendants appear before a judge — typically months or years after their arrest. In misdemeanor court, lawyers are rarely appointed at any time. Often, the only lawyer in the room is the prosecutor. Judge English Cantú's primary job is serving as the county's chief executive, akin to a mayor. Like most Texas county judges, he does not have a law degree. The First Arrest Born in San Antonio, Mr. Padron has spent most of his life in Piedras Negras. He dropped out of school around age 12, when his mother was killed, and in recent years has regularly crossed the international bridge to look for day labor in Eagle Pass. On the night of his arrest in June 2022, Mr. Padron needed diapers for his infant son, Fernandito, but had no money. He recalled telling his girlfriend: 'I'm going to go to someone and see what I can do. I'll take any job right now.' He entered the United States and saw a house where he thought he might offer to clean the yard or wash the truck. But it was dark outside, he said. When he noticed the truck door was unlocked, he snatched the wallet inside. Later, he would describe the decision as rash, adding that he wished he could apologize and work to repay what he took. 'I got carried away,' he said in Spanish. After buying diapers at a grocery store, Mr. Padron went to a Walmart and bought a bike, a hair straightener and a 'Frozen' coloring book before the accounts were frozen. He was heading back toward the border at around 10 p.m. when the police, responding to a call from the credit cards' owner, found him and chased him down. The police reported recovering goods worth a little more than $300. They arrested him on several potential charges: the misdemeanors of fleeing the police and stealing the wallet, and multiple counts of using stolen credit cards, a low-level felony. A magistrate met with Mr. Padron, noted on a form that he wanted a court-appointed lawyer and set his bail at roughly $40,000. He probably could have paid $4,000 or less to a bail bondsman and been released, but Mr. Padron did not have that. He was sent to the county jail. Texas law lays out what should have happened next. His form requesting a lawyer should have reached Judge English Cantú within 24 hours and been ruled on within days. Prosecutors had 30 days to officially charge him with any misdemeanors and 90 days for felonies; after both deadlines, he should have been released. None of that was done. Judge English Cantú said in an interview that he does not get the attorney request forms. This surprised several county magistrates, who said jail staff had promised a year ago to begin consistently forwarding them to the court. 'Was that being done? I don't know,' said Jeannie Smith, a magistrate of nearly 15 years. 'Is it being done now? I don't know.' Without a lawyer to follow up on his case, Mr. Padron stayed in jail for nine and a half months. Misdemeanor prosecutors finally charged him in March 2023 with one crime, evading arrest. He was released and a month later reported to court, where he was offered a plea deal: a year of probation, along with a $600 fine, $270 in court costs and a monthly $40 fee. Mr. Padron hesitated. He knew he could not pay, he said later, and he had already been jailed so long. Shouldn't he get credit for that? he recalled asking the prosecutor. The prosecutor most likely should not have offered Mr. Padron a deal at all. State law bars Texas prosecutors from speaking in court to a defendant who has asked for a lawyer before a judge rules on the request. (Although prosecutors said they only talk to defendants who have waived their right to counsel, the law specifies those waivers are invalid if a request for a lawyer is outstanding.) A defense lawyer could have pushed for Mr. Padron to get time served, a sentence equal to the months he had spent in jail, ending his case without probation. Or asked the court to waive fines and fees, given his inability to pay them. But Mr. Padron did not have a lawyer, and the prosecutor warned him the next offer could be worse. He took the deal. 'It's Almost Over' Six months later, in November 2023, Mr. Padron was arrested for violating his probation as he crossed into Eagle Pass for work. He had not attended his monthly check-ins or paid his dues. This time, he was in jail for six and a half months, apparently by mistake, before anything happened in his case. 'I found out he was in custody because he called me from the jail,' the probation officer told Judge English Cantú in a May 2024 hearing. The judge called the delay 'unacceptable.' 'We need to move these individuals as quickly as possible, especially if they are inmates,' he added. Mr. Padron stood expressionless. The 10-minute back-and-forth was in English, which he does not understand. In Texas, misdemeanors like Mr. Padron's evading arrest charge have a maximum sentence of one year, and judges are required to credit defendants for time already served. Mr. Padron had been incarcerated for a total of 16 months. Still, the prosecutor asked for another 44 days in jail. Judge English Cantú switched to Spanish to ask Mr. Padron why he violated probation, and he responded that with a baby and little work, he could not afford the fees and was afraid to check in without them. The judge paused, and then sentenced him to 34 additional days. (The judge declined to comment on individual cases.) 'The good news is it's almost over,' Mr. Padron said at the jail a couple of weeks later, desperate to reunite with his family. In July, he was released for what he thought would be the final time. A month later, he was again stopped at the border and sent back to jail. More than two years after his initial arrest, he was now being charged in felony court for using the credit cards. Delays on Delays By then, the victim of Mr. Padron's crime had moved on. Yaqueline Salinas had been furious in 2022 when she got an alert that her credit cards were being used at the nearby Walmart. She drove around until she saw Mr. Padron, whom she recognized from her neighbor's security cameras, and flagged down the police. But it took felony investigators a year to ask for her credit card statements, she said. The bank had refunded her money, so she never responded. 'I felt bad, honestly,' Ms. Salinas later said in an interview in Spanish, remembering the Pampers that fell off the bike Mr. Padron was riding. 'He's already missed so much time with the baby.' She assumed his case had been resolved long ago. 'He went back to jail?' she asked a Times reporter. 'Oh my god.' Even without her records, felony prosecutors carried on. But it would be another year before Mr. Padron was indicted. Last year, felony indictments in the county were brought, on average, nearly 14 months after a crime, more than twice the time it took for misdemeanor charges, a Times analysis shows. Felony prosecutors work for the district attorney and rarely coordinate with the county attorney's misdemeanor prosecutors, they said. As a result, defendants like Mr. Padron sometimes plead guilty to a misdemeanor, thinking they will be freed, only to be rearrested — or never let go — because the police had also listed a potential charge for felony prosecutors to consider. That is why Mr. Sanchez, the man held for trespassing at the local mall, was not released until seven months after his guilty plea: The jail was still holding him on an outstanding burglary allegation that prosecutors later said they were not pursuing. Another man, 22, was arrested last April, accused of smashing his father's car windows and running from the police. In September, he pleaded guilty to evading arrest, a misdemeanor, for time served. But the jail continued to hold him, waiting for the district attorney to charge him with vandalism. In February, when The Times asked the district attorney why the man was still there, he said his office had no record of the case. The man was released that day. The Right to an Attorney In interviews, Judge English Cantú and Mr. Iracheta, the county attorney, were quick to point to improvements they had made. Mr. Iracheta said he had sped up misdemeanor prosecutions in recent years by requiring the police to send him cases within 30 days. Still, in 2024, his office took half a year on average to file charges. 'Filing within six months is reasonable,' he said, noting that the statute of limitations for misdemeanors is two years. 'We are actively working to improve efficiency,' he added. Last fall, Judge English Cantú accepted a state grant to hire a coordinator to help appoint lawyers; the coordinator started this month. From July to December, the judge also assigned lawyers in 31 cases, according to audit reports, compared with none in the first half of the year. He denied one request. Still, almost all those appointments came after defendants appeared in court; scores of additional requests logged by magistrates earlier in the process had gotten no response, state reports through December show. In felony court, Mr. Padron's case continued. He was finally given a lawyer, Luis De Los Santos, in August 2024. Mr. De Los Santos was initially appointed to handle Mr. Padron's felony charges about five months after his first arrest, according to a court administrator. But Mr. Padron said he never heard from the lawyer, and nothing was ever recorded in his court file. Twenty-one months later, after Mr. Padron was indicted, Mr. De Los Santos was assigned to the case again. (He did not respond to questions about his first appointment.) In October, after Mr. Padron's first felony court appearance, Mr. De Los Santos seemed unsurprised that his client had been in jail so long. Moments later, the judge, Maribel Flores, said that she does not usually know how long a defendant has been held until late in a case. But asked by a reporter about Mr. Padron's time in jail, she said that in such situations, 'usually we'll just do time served.' In November, the prosecution agreed for Mr. Padron to be released on bail without cost. But the charge hung over him. 'I really don't want to get probation, because for any little thing they're going to lock me up,' he said the next morning. 'I'm going on two and a half years for the same thing.' He reported to court again in December, when the prosecution offered Mr. Padron a plea deal: not time served, but five years of probation, which typically involves nearly $4,000 in fees. Mr. De Los Santos told Judge Flores that he considered the offer 'fairly reasonable.' But Mr. Padron was hesitant, and the lawyer asked for more time to explain the deal to him. Judge Flores put the case off again until January. Mr. Padron missed that hearing. The next day, outside his home, he said he had overslept and found his bike missing when he awoke, leaving him no way to get to court on time. His son was about to turn 3, and Mr. Padron was despondent at the idea of being sent to jail again. Across the border, a new warrant was written up for his arrest.
