MCALLEN, Texas ? A client of a Texas lawyer who pleaded guilty to helping in a judge's extortion scheme in Brownsville has sued to recoup more than $5 million in attorney fees.
Alicia Sanchez filed a lawsuit against Jose Santiago "Jim" Solis and another lawyer who helped her win a $14 million settlement after her husband died in a 2008 crash of a medical services helicopter. The lawsuit filed last week by Sanchez and her two children in Travis County seeks nearly $5.3 million.
Solis, a former state lawmaker, pleaded guilty in April to aiding and abetting the extortion scheme of former state district Judge Abel C. Limas, who pleaded guilty to racketeering in March. Limas is also named in the lawsuit.
Recorded conversations and phone calls between Limas, Solis and others laid out a plan to give Limas 10 percent of the attorney fees from the helicopter crash case settlement, the federal court records show.
Limas also received a $100,000 advance from Solis and the law firm he partnered with on the case. The judge also had an agreement to go work for that firm after leaving the bench, according to the documents.
"It was offensive to them (the Sanchez family) that they were used this way," said Larry Doherty, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the family. "They're the only ones with standing to say this is wrong."
Phone messages left for Solis, his attorney and Limas by The Associated Press were not immediately returned Wednesday.
Sanchez's lawsuit alleges that the other lawyer involved in the bribery scheme, referred to in court documents as "Person A," was Austin attorney Marc Rosenthal. Rosenthal has not been charged and his firm denied any wrongdoing.
In response to a call for comment, Rosenthal's law firm released a statement saying its members were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the scheme between Solis and Limas.
"The firm was unaware of anything illegal involving Mr. Solis and Judge Limas and had no reason to suspect anything improper," the statement said.
Investigators witnessed at least two meetings between Solis, Limas and "Person A" just before recording phone calls during which Limas explained what his compensation would be, according to documents in the criminal case.
Sanchez's lawsuit notes that Rosenthal made statements to the media confirming that Solis was "of counsel" to his firm, which is the relationship described in court records between Solis and "Person A." Also, Rosenthal and Solis are the attorneys listed as representing the Sanchez family in the original helicopter crash case.
Doherty argued that as Solis' co-counsel on the helicopter crash case, Rosenthal was equally responsible for the conduct.
"It doesn't relieve him of responsibility," Doherty said in response to the firm's statement. Doherty noted that the burden of proof in a civil case is lower than in a criminal case.
Doherty said the Sanchezes are his only clients related to the Solis-Limas affair. He said there was no way to tell whether other Solis clients or people who passed through Limas' courtroom would also sue.
Solis, a Democrat, served seven terms representing the Rio Grande Valley in the Texas House before retiring in 2007. He is a longtime personal injury lawyer in Harlingen.
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