Ex-pro tem workers to appear in court

The four former mayor pro tem employees accused of taking $200,000 in illegal bonuses and payraises are scheduled to appear in court today after three of them surrendered for processing at the Harris County Jail and posted bond yesterday.

All four were indicted last week on charges of theft and tampering with a public record; the tampering bail was $2,000, but the theft bail ranged from $40,000 for Theresa Orta to $150,000 for Rosita Hernandez, the former office manager — twice the amount each is alleged to have taken illegally. However, judge Michael McSpadden lowered the bonds to $20,000 each yesterday, and everyone but Orta showed up to pay the amount. "I expect that we will see [Orta] in court and the judge will deal with her case tomorrow," Assistant DA Terese Buess told KPRC yesterday.

A total of nine indictments were handed down for the four ex-City Hall workers: the theft and tampering indictments for each employee, plus an extra indictment on suspicion of tampering with a government document for Florence Watkins. Carol Alvarado, who stepped down as mayor pro tem after the scandal broke, wasn't indicted.