Attorney Natalia Castillo publicly denounced that magistrates and staff of the Judicial Power of San Luis Potosi held a birthday party in offices and during working hours. The celebration, she indicated, affected the attention of urgent cases, including the file she was handling for a minor with a disability who requires alimony. Castillo disseminated a video on social media where she documented the celebration, in which empty offices and desks can be observed. The attorney recounted that she went to the office of magistrate Jairo Hernández to present an urgent matter, but found the room empty and the staff participating in the party of magistrate Silvia Torres, who was celebrating her birthday. "Nobody, absolutely nobody, attends to you, everyone is busy," the lawyer explained. Castillo explained that she represents a girl on the autism spectrum who had gone months without receiving her alimony due to errors by a magistrate in the file, and that the appeal had been dismissed, so she resorted to an amparo which was finally resolved in favor of the girl. Even so, the alimony had not been delivered and the attorney had been requesting a resolution for six months. "After winning the amparo, I have been waiting for two months for this chamber to give me the opportunity to resolve it quickly," she declared. The attorney presented evidence of the event, including a live video and the holding of the party in the judicial premises, and announced that she would formally file the complaint with the control bodies of the Judicial Power. During the broadcast, Castillo recounted that court staff tried to prevent her from documenting the celebration. She indicated that it was necessary for the disciplinary court to verify the legality of the celebration and review if there were administrative violations during working hours. She assured that her complaint would remain active and that she would continue to pressure for the girl's case to be addressed. The attorney also reported that after posting the video, she began receiving calls and threats, so she took measures to protect the evidence. She reiterated that she will continue to document any irregularities and file complaints with the competent control bodies until concrete actions are taken regarding the conduct of the magistrates. Castillo assured that her goal is to highlight poor institutional functioning and for the public to know the situation faced by minors with disabilities whose legal cases are not resolved in a timely manner. Finally, Castillo stated that what happened demonstrates that judicial reform remains a facade and does not guarantee justice for the most vulnerable.
