Who are you going to believe? DA Abel Reyna testified under oath that he had “extensive discussions” with Waco Police Detective Manuel Chavez concerning the bright idea of “Fill in the Name” arrest affadavits. Seems Reyna’s “impartiality” went right out the window when he decided that 177 motorcyclists should be arrested and charged instead of being just probable witnesses in the case, in what seems to be a bright idea of his own.
DA’s offices and Police Departments sometimes get cross ways over a case or a few cases but it seems the line in the sand is drawn and the police department isn’t going to take the fall for what seems to be a looming lesson for McLennan County’s top prosecutor.
Long story short, DA Reyna says he discussed the preparation of the arrest affidavits with the PD and the PD says it just isn’t so.
This cased a big problem for Judge Matt Johnson and he decided to run like the wind from this case and Mr. Reyna is going to have to just fend for himself. You know it has to be pretty bad when Johnson recuses himself.
Here is the statement from Clinton Broden, attorney for Matt Clendennen.
BULLETIN FROM F. CLINTON BRODEN – ATTORNEY FOR MATT CLENDENNEN –
Judge Johnson has voluntarily recused himself in the Clendennen case. We are very pleased that Judge Johnson did the right thing and did what is required by Texas law. Abel Reyna will be a material witness in the Twin Peaks’ trial given that he ordered the arrest of 177 motorcyclists despite the fact that the three acting police chiefs on the scene that day and the lead detective correctly believed that many of the motorcyclists were mere witnesses and not suspects. Mr. Reyna also testified at a hearing under oath that he had extensive discussions with Waco Police Detective Manuel Chavez concerning the preparation of the “fill-in-the-name” arrest affidavits whereas Detective Chavez testified he never talked to Mr. Reyna that night. As a matter of science, both statements cannot be true. The United States Constitution guarantees any defendant the right to a judge that is completely impartial. Mr. Clendennen deserves nothing less. Here, the prior relationship between Judge Johnson and Abel Reyna as law partners creates a conflict in a case Mr. Reyna’s credibility will be aggressively challenged.
