The city s municipal court has been negligent in the documentation of funds and collection of fines, according to audit reports prepared by independent auditing agencies, former and current government officials. But the question as to why the court hasn t tightened its controls in response the audits is contested among city officials. Marchan stated that the management of municipal court funds is the responsibility of the city finance director. But former city manager Sharon Claghorn said that the management of municipal funds has been the responsibility of the municipal court judge, Eliseo Vega.
Sloppiness creates situation.
And sometimes it s not just sloppiness. City Commissioner David Woolverton agrees with Claghorn. It s the same people that have been controlling the municipal court and everything about it for the last 11 years. I just think that people are so politically powerful, that s the way they want it. Vega acknowledged his supervisory role in the municipal courts.