Cara Cruz-Thompson, in a bold action to vigorously defend herself and to free herself from jail, fired her attorney, Michael Currier, yesterday, and hired Brian Gurwitz, a 15-year veteran lawyer who was admitted to the California State Bar in 1994 and who graduated from McGeorge School of Law of the University of the Pacific, in... Read More
Preliminary Hearing Finally Underway in AIG/Matrix Embezzlement Case
So, finally at 2:00 PM, the Preliminary Hearing for Porrata, Montes, Martinez, and Cruz-Thompson began. The three male defendants were led in first. Hector Porrata led the pack. He was wearing Orange and had his dark brown hair cropped very short. He is a small man and he was handcuffed from his left to George... Read More
AIG/Matrix Accused Embezzlers’ Preliminary Hearing Trailed to Friday, December 18th. Plea Bargaining Could Be in the Works.
December 18th, this coming Friday, could possibly be an eventful day in Court for alleged AIG/Matrix embezzlers Hector Porrata, Cara Cruz-Thompson, Rene Montes and George Martinez. But, who knows at this point? I’ve said this before: the Preliminary Hearing got “trailed”. So, once again, yesterday, December 15th, the scheduled Preliminary Hearing in the above, aforementioned... Read More
An Interview with Cara, Part II: ‘I was in Love with my Husband.’
So, I’m here back on the record with Cara Cruz-Thompson at the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana, California, in the late afternoon of Wednesday, December 2nd 2009. Cara has been incarcerated since her arrest took place in front of her Victorville, California, home in the morning of May 6th 2009. Her husband, Hector Porrata,... Read More
An Interview with Cara, Part One. ‘Do I Feel Betrayed? I do… I do… ‘
This time when I spoke into the darkened one way glass-mirrored booth at the Orange County Jail’s Intake and Release Center, the Deputy within the darkness spoke positively, “Yes. I remember you. I got a phone call just a while ago. I am going to set this up for you.” I had called the Director... Read More
Cara Cruz Thompson, One of the Four Accused AIG/Matrix Embezzlers, Says, ‘I Need Help. I’m in Hell. I Need a Voice.’
I was in my kitchen yesterday, Sunday late morning, November 29th 2009, making a pot of coffee when my cell phone rang. So I walked over to my kitchen table, picked up my Blackberry, and looked at the caller ID. It was from some number with a 713 area code. Where is that from? I... Read More
Alleged AIG Embezzlers Spend Thanksgiving in Custody. November 17th Preliminary Hearing Postponed Once Again. Part Two.
I waited a while, perhaps 15, 20 minutes, before I walked up and spoke to Hector Porrata’s attorney. I was concerned about my manner of approaching him. I did not want to be irritating or improper. Certainly being a non-lawyer, I do not know civil court protocol or procedure, so I don’t know what’s proper... Read More
Alleged AIG Embezzlers Spend Thanksgiving in Custody. November 17th Preliminary Hearing Postponed Once Again. Part One.
November 17th was a Tuesday. That day I got up very early to get to the 8:30 am Preliminary Hearing for alleged embezzlers Hector Porrata, Rene Montes, George Martinez and Cara Cruz-Thompson at the Orange County Superior Court House. The traffic was everything everybody always rants and raves about: it was Hell! I left my... Read More
