Challenge to Incumbent by Appointment, Jo Anne Bernal

Theresa Caballero
Attorney at Law
300 E. Main St., Suite 1136
El Paso, TX 79901
915.565.3550/562.5250 fax

January 18, 2010
Ms. Jo Anne Bernal
County Attorney
500 E. San Antonio St.
El Paso, TX 79901

Re: Debate on Dr. Paul Shrode, El Paso County Medical Examiner

Dear Ms. Bernal:

The issue of El Paso County Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Shrode, his continuing viability, if any, as a credible witness and his lying on his resume and in court about his credentials have become a matter of public discussion. Your office, by and through your employee, assistant county attorney Bruce Yetter, called Dr. Shrode to the stand in a jury trial wherein I represented the mother. Through answers elicited by my cross-examination, your witness, Dr. Shrode, admitted that he did not possess a law degree as he had listed on his resume, and as he had testified to under oath, in open court, on the record. Mr. Yetter personally handed Dr. Shrode’s false resume to the Court and had it admitted into evidence to be given to the jury.
As the County Attorney by appointment only (by a three to two vote, no election), as head of the office that put Dr. Shrode on the stand as a witness when he admitted to having put false information on his resume, as advisor to Dr. Shrode’s employer, El Paso County Commissioner’s Court, as legal counsel to Human Resources that should have but did not check Dr. Shrode’s credentials, as employer to assistant county attorney Holly Lytle who had a part in the selection of Dr. Shrode, as a person subject to the El Paso Ethics Commission, as a person seeking to advise such Commission and as a public official who has taken the public position that Dr. Shrode claiming to have credentials that he does not have is nothing but “puffery,” I invite you to a debate on the issue of El Paso Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Shrode. As we are the two main protagonists in this matter with diametrically opposing opinions on the applicable law, on the ethics and on what is in the best interests of this community regarding Dr. Paul Shrode as Medical Examiner, I challenge you to join me in writing competing op-ed pieces on the issue. Should you accept the challenge, I would ask that you join me in requesting of Mr. Edgren of the El Paso Times that he publish the pieces so that the community gets the benefit of both of our views on this most important of matters.
Please respond in writing to my address by Wednesday, January 20, 2010. Or you may call 241.8418. I look forward to this debate.

Sincerely,
Theresa Caballero