The granddaughter of Mayor John Cook was arrested and jailed briefly on an outstanding warrant for possession of marijuana.
Amanda Ward, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso, was arrested about 3 p.m. Wednesday after a police officer alleged that she jaywalked across Schuster Avenue. Cars had to stop in order for her to cross the street, said police spokesman Darrel Petry.
He said a background check showed an arrest warrant for her from Lubbock.
Ward, 21, was booked into the Downtown jail at 4:45 p.m. and was released on $1,000 bond two hours later, according to the county's website.
Ward declined to comment Thursday.
Cook said he went to a Lolitas Bail Bonds for Ward's bond. He said he did not know the details of the charges.
"The only thing I know is the warrant number and the charge and the bond. I have a one-page information sheet from the sheriff's department and that's all I have," he said.
Ward was arrested for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, a Class D misdemeanor, according to the Lubbock County Clerk's website.
Cook said he did not talk to anyone at the jail about his position as mayor or his granddaughter's relation to him. He said he spoke only with the bail bondsman.
But a jail employee told Cook on Thursday that Ward's release was expedited as a courtesy, he said.
Cook said, "I called and I asked if she got preferential treatment and the response I got is that, 'Any time we have a high-profile person that we do expedite them for their own safety. É We wouldn't want something to happen because they were related to you and you've taken a stance against the cartels and the criminals.' "
Chris Acosta, spokeswoman for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, said that no such policy exists and that jail employees did not expedite Ward's release.
"She or someone else had made bonding arrangements prior to her arrival at the jail. She was booked in the order she arrived and was not put at the front of the line," Acosta said.
Acosta said the jail commander reviewed the jail's records to ensure Ward's paperwork and release were processed fairly.
She said Ward was in the jail's custody for the same amount of time as everyone else who had been brought there and then released on Wednesday.
"Whoever he talked to had no right giving a statement like that," she said.
Cook has opposed City Council resolutions advocating legalization of marijuana.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: El Paso Times
Author: Maggie Ybarra
Copyright: 2010 by the El Paso Times and MediaNews Group
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
Amanda Ward, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso, was arrested about 3 p.m. Wednesday after a police officer alleged that she jaywalked across Schuster Avenue. Cars had to stop in order for her to cross the street, said police spokesman Darrel Petry.
He said a background check showed an arrest warrant for her from Lubbock.
Ward, 21, was booked into the Downtown jail at 4:45 p.m. and was released on $1,000 bond two hours later, according to the county's website.
Ward declined to comment Thursday.
Cook said he went to a Lolitas Bail Bonds for Ward's bond. He said he did not know the details of the charges.
"The only thing I know is the warrant number and the charge and the bond. I have a one-page information sheet from the sheriff's department and that's all I have," he said.
Ward was arrested for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, a Class D misdemeanor, according to the Lubbock County Clerk's website.
Cook said he did not talk to anyone at the jail about his position as mayor or his granddaughter's relation to him. He said he spoke only with the bail bondsman.
But a jail employee told Cook on Thursday that Ward's release was expedited as a courtesy, he said.
Cook said, "I called and I asked if she got preferential treatment and the response I got is that, 'Any time we have a high-profile person that we do expedite them for their own safety. É We wouldn't want something to happen because they were related to you and you've taken a stance against the cartels and the criminals.' "
Chris Acosta, spokeswoman for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, said that no such policy exists and that jail employees did not expedite Ward's release.
"She or someone else had made bonding arrangements prior to her arrival at the jail. She was booked in the order she arrived and was not put at the front of the line," Acosta said.
Acosta said the jail commander reviewed the jail's records to ensure Ward's paperwork and release were processed fairly.
She said Ward was in the jail's custody for the same amount of time as everyone else who had been brought there and then released on Wednesday.
"Whoever he talked to had no right giving a statement like that," she said.
Cook has opposed City Council resolutions advocating legalization of marijuana.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: El Paso Times
Author: Maggie Ybarra
Copyright: 2010 by the El Paso Times and MediaNews Group
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
