Local Judge’s professionality called into question after campaign celebration

(Seguin) – A post-election celebration — and what one attorney describes as lingering campaign spite — was apparently captured on camera in downtown Seguin Tuesday night following the reelection of Guadalupe County Court at Law Judge Bill Squires.

Squires defeated challenger and local attorney John Green in the race during the Republican Primary.  After the election results were announced, Squires, members of his staff, and supporters were seen gathering outside a downtown office building to take a photo. That moment, which was also captured on security video, occurred outside The Law Office of Ruben James Reyes at 112 N. Austin St.

Reyes later shared his video footage and screenshots reportedly taken by one of the staff members on social media, saying the photo was intentionally taken in front of his office and that his name on the door signage appeared blurred in an image originally posted online.

In response, Reyes took to social media, posting the following.

Screenshot

“Congratulations to Judge Bill Squires on a hard-fought campaign. In his and his team’s excitement last night, he led his group in front of my office to snag a photo, blurred out my name on the front door and signage, although he said, ‘everyone will know.’ And for the record, I’ve never blocked Calesse Carter (his court coordinator) on social media, she’s mistaken about that so it must be the other way around. I wasn’t a political candidate; I expressed an opinion based on real experiences and asked questions like any person/voter who wants the best for their community. I’ve been told that Calesse’s attached post has since been amended but here is her original verbiage along with video of what transpired with the picture-taking process led by Bill. — I truly hope they will take this excitement and use it to shift gears into working hard for the taxpayers of Guadalupe County. Congrats again!”

Reyes also responded to Seguin Radio KWED and the Seguin Daily News for comment. As part of his questions, Reyes was asked to share his reaction after seeing the video the next morning.

“When I first saw the video, I was surprised that Judge Squires, his staff and supporters would make it a point to take a victory photo directly in front of my law office. It was very concerning, to say the least. A FB friend informed me that Judge Squires’ court coordinator, Calesse Baldwin Carter, had made the post on her social media page. I then checked my security camera footage and saw and heard what Bill Squires was up to,” wrote Reyes.

Reyes went on to say that the actions on election night raise concerns about professionalism and impartiality.

“It’s plain to see how he organized the actions of his group to spite me personally, presumably because I supported his opponent and raised legitimate questions about his campaign. I believe his actions to be unbecoming of a judge. Moving forward, I have real concerns that he could not be fair to me or the clients that I represent. As lawyers, we know that judges must set aside their personal feelings and differences when performing their role. Bill Squires’ actions and the words of his court coordinator calls his ability to do this into question,” stated Reyes.

Reyes says there should always be expectations for conduct from elected officials.

“What I want folks to know is that I was born and raised here, I’ve been an attorney for more than 21 years, and like many of us, I want what’s best for our community. Conduct such as this shows bias, animosity and is unacceptable, and according to the Code of Judicial Conduct, has no place inside or outside of a courtroom. I truly hope these folks can move on and do better,” said Reyes.

KWED also reached out to Squires for comment. Squires respectfully declined, stating he “had nothing to contribute.”