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Celis' ex-associates unsure of status
By Denise Malan
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Celis is accused of impersonating a lawyer.
Two lawyers who worked for Mauricio Celis' law firm testified Wednesday they are no longer certain of Celis' Mexican law credentials, though they believed he was a lawyer while they were associated.
"I've heard both sides of the issue, and I don't know," lawyer James Hada said. "I guess that's why we're here today."
Hada and lawyer Doug Gwyther testified they never saw a law degree or license from Celis. A third lawyer, Chris Pinedo, said he saw a framed document on Celis' office wall that he believed was a diploma.
The lawyers, who all worked for CGT Law Group International, are three of nine prosecution witnesses to testify so far in the trial in which Celis is accused of falsely holding himself out as a lawyer. Testimony will continue today.
Pinedo also confirmed Celis signed a settlement document as an attorney but said under cross-examination that the client received no legal services from Celis. The settlement document led to one of 23 counts of impersonating a lawyer.
All three attorneys testified they were aware of Texas State Bar rules that prohibit sharing attorney fees with non-lawyers but that they believed Celis was a Mexican lawyer.
Gwyther testified that he and Celis took great care to set up CGT legally with a partner in Washington, D.C., named Raul Tapia, whom they had met through political fundraisers. Washington is the only jurisdiction in the country that allows non-lawyers and foreign lawyers to partner in firms.
"We were trying to be above board," Gwyther said. "It was a relatively new idea, and we knew it would be scrutinized."
Prosecutors say Celis, 37, broke the law by listing his profession as lawyer on business documents, by signing a settlement document, accepting attorney fees and representing himself as a lawyer to the police chief, according to indictments.
The defense says Celis, who was born in Mexico, is licensed to practice law there and never held himself out as a Texas attorney.
Also Wednesday, the prosecution used Celis' testimony in a 2007 civil trial over attorney fees. Ray Thomas, a McAllen lawyer who represented a firm being sued in Zapata County by CGT Law Group, read Celis' testimony in which Celis said he was a licensed attorney in Mexico and that he received a law degree in Mexico. Prosecutors have filed documents showing he has not received a degree.
Celis' testimony in that hearing resulted in a perjury indictment that was later thrown out in Nueces County for improper venue and forwarded to Zapata County for possible re-indictment.
Several times during the 2007 hearing, Thomas asked Celis if he was a licensed lawyer.
"I'm considered a lawyer in Mexico, sir," Celis responded.
Lead defense attorney Tony Canales objected several times to Thomas reading the testimony. Visiting District Judge Mark Luitjen overruled the objections.
This is the first of four criminal trials for Celis. If convicted, Celis faces two to 10 years in jail for each count, which would run concurrently, and as much as a $10,000 fine for each count.
He also faces charges of money laundering, impersonating a peace officer and theft.