I had to laugh when I saw Alfredo Amezcua’s latest frantic email newsletter, which arrived in my in-box today. In it he stated that “We deserve a safer city.” I guess Amezcua forgot what he does for a living.
According to the California State Bar, Amezcua is a criminal defense lawyer. He also appears to handle family law. There is no mention of other specialties on his State Bar page.
Amezcua has made a living for over twenty years getting gang bangers, drug dealers, and sexual deviants out of jail. Now don’t get me wrong, they are entitled to a defense. However, how can he cry about public safety when he has been undermining public safety throughout his long career?
A friend of mine has heard Amezcua describe himself as a former gang member. He is said to have been the top lawyer for the head of the Mexican Mafia, Peter “Sana” Ojeda. In fact the L.A. Times identified Amezcua as an adviser for the Urban Gangs Council, in a 1993 article that also mentioned that Ojeda was a leader of this organization.
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I’ll take Amezcua over that thieving, low-life, corrupt little dictator Pudrido. Art, how can it be so easy for you to forget the multitude of scandals that skunk is involved in? You’ve skewered him in this blog for years but all of a sudden your short-term memory gives out and you now spend your days suckling at his teet. You’re not fooling anyone, he bought you off. That makes you as big a scumbag as he.
Hector,
But Amezcua is the one who has been allied with criminals, not Pulido.
I had heard rumors about Amezcua’s ties to gangs but I was shocked when I searched and found those L.A. Times articles. How can anyone take this guy seriously?
As for being bought off, ask Lomeli. I met with Amezcua, as did Sean Mill. We were just staring our New Santa Ana blog. We offered to give him an account so he could blog about his campaign. A week later his public relations consultant called and said Amezcua wanted us to stop blogging about him. A few weeks after that he was running with the Usual Suspects.
When I saw Amezcua at the Com Link meeting last week he said he should have hired me. Well, I was never for hire. But the last thing he should have done was give me the back of his hand by allying with the Usual Suspects, the Lib OC and Janet Nguyen. It’s on now, and it isn’t looking good for Amezcua at all.
Hector,
Art feels that Pulido has undergone some sort of political conversion from the dark side into the light. But he won’t even ENTERTAIN the possibility that at least some of it is election year posturing.
It will be more interesting to see what happens AFTER the election.
anon,
I trust that the current Council majority will continue to do what it has been doing. And I do not trust Amezcua. It is really that simple.
“I trust that the current Council majority will continue to do what it has been doing.”
No doubt. I’m sure they’ll continue to use the levers of power to silence and smear those who dissent and disagree.
This “you’re either with us or you’re against us” approach to governance has to stop.
“silence and smear those who dissent and disagree.”
anon,
Isn’t that what folks like the Stroud’s, McEwen and Rush want to do with me? I guess that was different huh?
I hope the council majority continues to purge the malcontents from the “coalition of no”. After this election I have a feeling that no “usual suspects” will serve on a single commission and their supporters like the Ward 4 councilman will pay a price as well.
anon,
If you are crying about Minuteman Lupe Moreno being silenced, take it elsewhere. I am glad they shut that hater up!
Hector,
I have known Alfredo for quite a long time. I like Alfredo and I think he really does care about Santa Ana. When he stood with the United Gang Council and folks like “Sana” and Art Romo I believe that Al was doing so because he felt that it would help reduce the gang violence in our community. I have much respect for what he was doing then.
I have also known Miguel for almost 25 years. I was an enthusiastic supporter of Miguel when he first ran for office in 1986. For a long time Miguel in my mind left the path that led to his initial election to the city council. I have begin to see Miguel returning to those principles over the past 2 years.
While Miguel has seperated himself from those folks that have long attacked the low income and immigrant community it appears that Alfredo has welcomed them into the fold. Al is siding with many of the same folks that called for the destruction and downfall of the United Gang Council and that’s just sad.
Nobody has been bought off, Art and I have not changed positions, Miguel and Alfredo have.
Al is down with his homies and will represent us forever.
When was the last time you ever heard of anyone leaving F-Troop? I rest my case.
Sean/Art,
Do CA campaign laws allow candidates to use photos showing police force patches? Did the Santa Ana police officer in this photo know he was being used for a photo op?
Not sure, but it is a good question, particularly since the SAPOA is not going to endorse Al.
“Do CA campaign laws allow candidates to use photos showing police force patches?”
It’s not legal and a lawyer like Amezqua should be held accountable. I hope the POA goes after him.
The united gang council was working.
And people leave ftroop quite often
Willy,
Yes it was, until its leaders founded the Mexican Mafia and got arrested for money laundering and drug dealing. Oops!
And yes, folks do leave F-troop, usually in pine boxes…
“Yes it was, until its leaders founded the Mexican Mafia and got arrested for money laundering and drug dealing. Oops!
And yes, folks do leave F-troop, usually in pine boxes…”
That’s right…according to my sources on the streets, gang “leaders” were still selling drugs while holding meetings in the park. Nice.
Did you ever notice you that you never see a photo of Al Amezqua with his shirt off? You might be surprised at some of his tatoos (so says his ex Jaina) Why doesn’t someone invite him to a pool part and at least get him to strip down to his wife beater T and check out the tats! Maybe we can get a photo with him and a member of the SAPD gang unit for his next campaign brochure!!!
Art, did you mean (funded)?
Either way, the council dissolved well before Sana’s arrest.
El Salvador Park was only one of the parks that a meeting was held in Santa Ana.
basta,
Maybe so, but clearly the whole movement was discredited by the arrest of its leaders, Romo and Ojeda. And Amezcua was their legal and political adviser.
“Maybe so, but clearly the whole movement was discredited by the arrest of its leaders, Romo and Ojeda. And Amezcua was their legal and political adviser.”
Birds of a feather, flock together. I wish a reporter (are there any real ones left?) would ask him to give them list of his gang ties. With a little bit of pressure I bet his homies will sing like a bird.
Is that SAPD officer Rufas in the photo? Did he endorse Amezqua? If not, then why is his photo being sent all over the internet with this former F-Trooper turned Mayoral candidate?
Big Art and Sana did NOT found the Mexican Mafia. That must have been a typo.
Does it really matter if Amezcua was a FORMER gang member?
What about gang officer Mona Ruiz? She was a trooper in her youth, and she was not the only officer with former gang ties.
willy,
I stand corrected. But they did certainly advance this gang here in Santa Ana, and went down for it.
As for Ruiz, she spent her life putting these guys in jail while Amezcua has spent twenty years busting them out! Big difference.
“What about gang officer Mona Ruiz? She was a trooper in her youth, and she was not the only officer with former gang ties.”
Art is correct. Mona left her gang and gang ties behind. Amezqua still has his homies back!
Hey Art..Why don’t you email this photo over to the head of the Police officers Assoc. and ask him/her what he/she thinks of this photo being used by Amezqua. I know a few years ago Tino Rivera implied a POA endorsement and the old Pres. Mark N. was no muy feliz!
Basta, what other park was there a meeting held at?
How did Sana advance the Mexican Mafia in Santa Ana?
Emeros from Santa Ana have held keys long before the council was ever formed.
I would agree with the fact they helped bring the problem into the open for the non-knowing general public.
But then again, I’m from the UB days.
Willy Hutch as in coach Bill?
Amezcua should hire Bill Hunt.