Mark Gonzalez stands in front of portraits of previous Nueces County district attorneys in Corpus Christi, Texas
Ann Hermes/Christian Science Monitor
JULY 17, 2017 CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX.
—
The new district attorney of Nueces County here in southern Texas strolls around the local courthouse in cowboy boots and a crisp brown suit with a colorful tie and matching pocket square, flashing a smile as wide as the grille of the Ford F-350 pickup he drives.
On the surface, at least, he seems like your stereotypical Texas lawman – the one you see in movies wearing a Stetson and spurs, delivering justice and colloquial quips through a lip filled with chewing tobacco.
But then he tells you his name, Mark Gonzalez (the last name pronounced with a distinct Latino lilt).
Then he might mention the trouble he’s had earning the trust of local law enforcement, in part because he’s listed as a gang member (he isn’t one, but more about that later). Eventually, he may talk about the raft of progressive changes that he’s beginning to implement in Nueces County, such as helping young offenders go to trade school instead of to prison.
Mr. Gonzalez, jasa topografi semarang who owns five motorcy- cles and during the campaign referred to himself as the ‘Mexican biker lawyer covered in tattoos,’ heads out to lunch in his massive Ford F-350 truck.
Ann Hermes/Staff