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April/2008
www.elpasobar.com
110th Anniversary
R. E. THOMASON PICTURE COURTESY OF EL PASO PUBLIC LIBRARY
R. E. THOMASON PICTURE COURTESY OF EL PASO PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Tom LeaTom Lea
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R. E Thomason
R. E Thomason


El Paso’s Greatest Leader
El Paso’s Greatest Leader
El Paso’s Greatest Leader



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






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
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Colbert Coldwell
Colbert Coldwell
Colbert Coldwell
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EL PASO B AR BULLETIN
W. Reed Leverton, P.C.
Attorney at Law • Mediator • Arbitrator
Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
online calendaring
HardieMediation.com
WE TALK
HARD
845-6400 / 845-5099 fax




Your mediation referrals are always appreciated.
Experience:
Commitment to A.D.R. Processes: 
Commitment to Professionalism: 
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

 






 






 







            

  

     
     




 







THE PRESIDENT’S PAGE
State Bar of Texas
Award of Merit


Star of Achievement 
State Bar of Texas
Best Overall Newsletter – 2003, 2007
Publication Achievement Award
2003 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007
NABE – LexisNexis Community
& Educational Outreach Award 2007
JUDGE ROBERT ANCHONDO, 
C
ORI HARBOUR, 
C
ARLOS CARDENAS,
C
HANTEL CREWS, 
J
UDGE DICK ALCALA,
J
USTICE ANN MCCLURE,

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E
X-OFFICIO
ELIZABETH ROGERS, 

E
XECUTIVE DIRECTOR

nancy@elpasobar.com
S
TEPHANIE TOWNSEND ALLALA,
J
UDGE OSCAR GABALDON,

C
LINTON CROSS, 
N
ANCY GALLEGO, 
Rule of Law
“The El Paso Bar Journal is a bi-monthly publication of
the El Paso Bar Association. Articles, notices, suggestions
and/or comments should be sent to the attention of Nancy
Gallego. All submissions mus be received by the Bar
offi ce on or before the 10th day of the month preceding
publication. Calendar listings, classifi ed ads, display
ads, and feature articles should not be considered an
endorsement of any service, product, program, seminar
or event. Please contact the Bar offi ce for ad rates. Ar-
ticles published in the Bar Journal do not necessarily
refl ect the opinions of the El Paso Bar Association,
its Offi cers, or the Board of directors. The El Paso
Bar Association does not endorse candidates for
political offi ce. An article in the Bar Journal is not
and should never be construed to be, an endorsement
of a person for political offi ce.”
3
Continued on page 4
A
p
r
i
l 2008
4

April Bar Luncheon

Please make your reservations by Monday, April 7, 2008 at noon
by calling Nancy at 532-7052 or via email at nancy@elpasobar.com


Guest Speaker

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DEL PUEBLO PRESS, INC.
We are located on 203 Mills in the historic Cortez
Building in Downtown El Paso. Contact us at
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





  






  


  



 
Olmstead v. United States


Articles published in the Bar Journal do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the El Paso Bar Association,
its Offi cers, or the Board of directors. The El Paso Bar Association does not endorse candidates for political
offi ce. An article in the Bar Journal is not and should never be construed to be, an endorsement of a person
for political offi ce.
Rule of Law
Continued from page 3
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Tuesday, April 1
EPBA Board Meeting
Thursday, April 3
EPWBA Meeting
Friday, April 4
Coffee & Donuts in Bar Offi ce
Friday, April 4
MABA General Meeting
Tuesday, April 8
EPBA Monthly Luncheon
Thursday, April 10
EPYLA Monthly Luncheon
Friday, April 11
EPCDLA Membership Meeting
Friday, April 11
Immigration Section Seminar
May and June will be monthly issues.
Contact the Bar Offi ce if you have any
questions regarding this schedule.
PLEASE NOTE: Please check the Bulletin for all the details regarding all above listed events. If your club, organization, section or com-
mittee would like to put a notice or an announcement in the Bar Bulletin for your upcoming event or function for the month of May, 2008,
please have the information to the Bar Association offi ce by Thursday, April 10, 2008. In order to publish your information we must have
it in writing. WE WILL MAKE NO EXCEPTIONS. We also reserve the right to make any editorial changes as we deem necessary. Please
note that there is no charge for this service: (915) 532-7052; (915) 532-7067-fax; nancy@elpasobar.com- email. If we do not receive
your information by the specifi ed date please note that we may try to remind you, but putting this journal together every month is a very
big task and we may not have the time to remind you. So please don’t miss out on the opportunity to have your event announced.
April 2008
Thursday, April 17
EPPA General Meeting
Thursday, April 17
FBA Brown Bag Seminar
Friday, April 18
Coffee & Donuts in Bar Offi ce
Friday, April 25
EPYLA Golf Tournament
Saturday, April 26
Law Day Dinner
Upcoming events
Saturday, May 31, 2008
EPWBA 2008 Charity Bash
Registration time:
Tee time: 

Registration includes:
Green fees, golf cart, unlimited range balls, drinks,
dinner, door prize ticket.


To register your team contact Carlos Quiñonez at 533-0009 or at cmq@lawyer.com
Friday, April 25, 2008
Butterfi eld Trail Golf Club
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
Rule of Law Bi-National Commission





    

      

         

   



 

       



   


 
     
     
   
        
     






        







 


    
 



        



   
      
     



  




    

   
 
  

  

  


      



 

   
 
         




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
  
  


     
   






         

 
 




 



     
















El Paso’s Greatest Leader





   





   
Thomason and his wife, 1911
 
 

  


       
   
 

 

  
    



  


A
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l 2008
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
Law Day Chess MatchApril 26






LAW DAY CHESS T OURNAMENT
Ewing Thomason as a boy hauled all the
lumber from Gainesville to Era that went into
this house
  
 
 
  

 




   


  


  
 



 

       

 











Next month, fi nd out the favorite haunts
and habits of former El Paso Bar leaders as
“the Saga of Era” continues.
MEXICAN LAW EXPERT
David Lopez (210) 222
-
9494 dlopez@pulmanlaw
.
c
om
For U.S. lawsuits involving Mexican law issues
Mexican claims and defenses, personal injury, moral damages,
forum non conveniens
Texas attorney and former law professor
Co-author of leading treatise in fi eld
Over 10 years of expert experience
The El Paso Indigent
Defense Seminar
Law At The Pass: A Hands-on Trial Skills Course
COST: $25.00 with CD only and $50.00 with book
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and
The El Paso County Public Defender present:
May 6 & 7, 2008, Camino Real Hotel
A
p
r
i
l 2008
9
 

   
  

          


       
 


     


       
 
   
       
     
       
      


    
     
    

       
 








      
 
       

 
        
 
  




   
 


     
 






  
      
    







May 31, 2008


Tickets on sale April 1, 2008!
For more information, please contact Alex Kellner-Zant at
[email protected].com or Diana Valdez at [email protected].


A
p
r
i
l 2008
10
F
or clarifi cation, there have been
and perhaps always will be more
than one “Colbert Coldwell”
from this family living in or in
some other way connected to
El Paso. Two presently practice law in El
Paso. Another founded Coldwell Banker in
1906, but his father N.C. Coldwell practiced
law here and at one time served as combined
county and district attorney. To ease the
confusion, I asked that the family provide a
“tree” of the fi rst generations of their lawyers
and of the other names that have appeared in
past issues of the Bar Journal. It appears at
the end of this interview. -- Clinton Cross
NAVIDOMSKIS: 


COLDWELL: 
  



      


    








  
       


      




         














   
        
      



  

  
         
   
 
       







       






NAVIDOMSKIS: 

COLDWELL: 
 



COLBERT COLDWELL
Wes Navidomskis of the
Public Defender’s Offi ce
conducted the “Senior
Lawyer Interview” this
month, the subject
being his grandfather,
Colbert Coldwell of
La Orilla in Socorro.


A
p
r
i
l 2008
11






NAVIDOMSKIS:      

COLBERT COLDWELL: 









     

NAVIDOMSKIS: 

COLDWELL:    














 




 

NAVIDOMSKIS: 

COLDWELL: 
   
  
 

  
 
 

NAVIDOMSKIS:  

COLDWELL:   






 

NAVIDOMSKIS: 


COLDWELL: 
  
 
    


   
  

       
 

     
        
  

NAVIDOMSKIS: 
COLDWELL:  






  





NAVIDOMSKIS:  


COLDWELL:  
   



NAVIDOMSKIS: 

COLDWELL:  


 
  
Old Bailey School - 701 Montana, recently purchased by the City of El Paso,
and presently the locaton of the Downtown YMCA
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 
   
 



        





     






      



       

  
        

NAVIDOMSKIS: 

COLDWELL: 

   


         

       

NAVIDOMSKIS: 

COLDWELL: 








The desertion of downtown El Paso. It’s dead. When I was
growing up downtown was the only place to go. Every block
almost had a grocery store. Bishop’s was on Noble below
Yandell. The big stores – the Popular and the White House
– were downtown. Another change – Lower Valley farm land
has shrunk from 60,000 acres to 30,000 acres more or less.






  













Subject of interview



Coldwell in a campaign photograph for the 1996 County Judge Race
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Tom Lea, J r. : E l Paso Law yer and Mayor

 




      
 


  

 

Tom
Lea: An Oral History

  

    

 
  






        



 




       








       


 

       
 



 


        


  





      

    



     
 


    
      
 

  

       
 




   


Pass of the
North


       

 

  





  


 

 
 




 
  


      






 

Tom Lea
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         
  

 



     
 


        
  

 
 





 




    

 
 

 
    



   



 
 
        
 Ringside Seat to a
Revolution  


      


  
     

      


  


 


 
 

 

 
     
   

 
 

  

 



 

 
 






 

 
      





        





 
 









     


  

 



Tom Lea: An
Oral History
  
 




        


 
 

     
     












 




Appointed Police Court Judge in 1907, Lea served four years in
this role and the El Paso Herald reported that he established a
reputation as fair and compassionate with the downtrodden, but
harsh and relentless with the expert criminal.
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 
A Picture Gallery


 











    
 
  


  

  


  

Reprinted with permission of Borderlands,
a student research and writing project at
El Paso Community College, P.O. Box
20500, El Paso, TX 79998, Ruth E. Vise,
Project director and Faculty Editor. All
rights reserved.


 
      
  


 
       

  
 


 


   






 



    


 
 


 
       

    


 
 
     










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


 

  



 


       
       



 


 
      
 


 
      
 

      







 





In 1890, at a Democratic rally in San Jacinto
Plaza for district attorney candidate Larrazolo
(who would eventually become a Governor and
U.S. Senator from New Mexico), Edwards is
famous for standing up and saying, “They (the
Republicans) bring up the cry against Larrazolo
that he is a Mexican. How many of us have
foreign blood in our veins? The men who fi rst
fought for Texas independence were Mexicans
and they fought nobly at San Jacinto. We should
feel proud to have a citizen who is Mexican by
birth and American by adoption.”

  
 
 
  

 
 


      
     


 










  





WHO WAS PEYTON F. EDWARDS?
And How Did He Get The Treaty of Velasco?
Copies of the   can be
obtained from the El Paso Public Library
Association for $5 (543-5406).
A
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17
A
lbert B. Fall was a criminal defense
lawyer (successfully representing
John Selman when he was charged
with murdering John Wesley Hardin
and successfully representing
Oliver Lee when he was charged with murdering
Pat Garrett—who at the time was trying to
arrest the suspected killers of Albert Jennings
Fountain). Fall also served as a New Mexico
Territorial judge, and a State Senator.
In 1920 Warren G. Harding was elected
President of the United States (the same year Pat
Neff was elected Governor of Texas). Senator
Fall helped carry the relatively new state of New
Mexico for Harding, against the Democratic
ticket of Cox and Roosevelt. Fall hoped to
be appointed Secretary of State. Instead,
President Harding appointed him Secretary of
the Interior.
In 1929, Fall was convicted of taking a
bribe from Edward Doheny. United Press
International reported the story of Fall’s trial
and conviction as follows:

  
    





 
















Federal Corruption Investigation
Nails Famous Lawyer

A
p
r
i
l 2008
18




Boss of the Year



Secretary of the Year.

     




      

 
       



  







      



 



        




    






        

   




 
      
      

        
      
     
      


 







   
  
  





       









  








 
 
 
        

 
  

     
 










Next Month: Should Albert B. Fall receive
a pardon?
A
p
r
i
l 2008
19


   
  


     











        

       



  
 






         






   

       



        

 





    


 


 
         
  
 
         
    

      





       









   



ATTITUDE:
The maker and breaker of men

It is never too late to start living life with a good and positive
attitude. Our lives will not only experience greater levels of
happiness and tranquility, but also our physical, emotional,
mental and spiritual well-being will signifi cantly increase.
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






        




     


    



       

    
        


     
       




 


  
 
   


 



     
       




      





  













  

   




   
        




 


   











       

  


   
 
      







(Footnotes)
1 Quote from writer Harold R. McAlindon.
2 Quote from psychologist Victor Frankl.
3 Maxwell, John C. John C. Maxwell’s Maximum Impact:
Developing the Leader within You.
4 Quote from Hugh Downs.
5 Lenehan, Arthur F., Ed. Soundings…, Vol. D/No.1, 1988.
6 Attitudes. TIP: Concepts <http://tip.psychology.org/attitude.
html>.
7 Quote from self-help author Brian Tracy.
8 Dooley, Ken, Ed. Good Stuff. Progressive Business
Publications, 2001.
9 Quote from singer/songwriter Dolly Parton.






EL PASO COUNTY DISPUTE
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ESOLUTION CENTER MEDIATION:
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l 2008
  

    


  















 



  
 




 



  


  









 
  
   
     











  


 
  







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    
    
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
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
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
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

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El Paso Young Lawyers Association
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
 


El Paso Paralegal Association
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

Immigration Law Committee
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



 





Federal Bar Association
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


El Paso Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association
   




Offi ce for Rent: Upstairs offi ce
for rent in Endlich & Quijano Law
Offi ces bldg. @ 707 Myrtle – 3
blocks from Courthouse. Come by
or call, 532-5473 or 542-1051.
Central Offi ce Space for
Lease: Offi ce space available,
receptionist, runner, conference
rooms, parking, etc. Call Bob Earp
or Larry Schwartz at 542-1533.
Downtown Offi ce Space
Available for Lease: Central
area, within 1 or 2 blocks walking
distance to all courts, receptionist,
runner, conference rooms, parking,
etc. Call Adriana at 792-9401.
Offi ce Space for Lease:
Offi ce Space for Lease at 1006
Magoffi n Ave. Call (915) 533-1733.
CLASSIFIEDS
A
p
r
i
l 2008
23
A disciplined investment philosophy for
managing financial portfolios.
Your Wealth.
Well Managed.
Investments are not FDIC insured. Not guaranteed by the financial institution, subject to risk and may lose value.
Managed Investments • Trust Administration
Estate Settlement
Wealth Management & Trust Services
(915) 747-1658
www.botw-ep.com





STEVEN C. JAMES
RESOLVING DISPUTES THROUGH
M
EDIATION OR ARBITRATION
A
p
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i
l 2008
EL PASO BAR ASSOCIATION



(Address Service Requested)
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID
EL PASO, TEXAS
PERMIT NO. 2516
Happy Hour – 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

For the kids:



Cordially invite you to the annual
LAW DAY DINNER
LAW DAY DINNER
& AWARDS
& AWARDS
PRESENTATION
PRESENTATION
LAW DAY DINNER
& AWARDS
P
RESENTATION
Saturday, April 26, 2008

Please RSVP by Friday, April 18, 2008
$50.00 per Adult

$15.00 per child


