But that's only one legal fire that Saldivar has going on the front-burner. On the back-burner another is coming up. It's based on a complaint about Saldivar's conduct as an officer of the court. Don Blunt, an American who owned a home on Placencia has sworn in an affidavit that Saldivar trespassed into his home, and then occupied it.
Now, this isn't just some random act. The background is that Blunt had sold the house to Glenn Levy, who Saldivar says is his client. But, the sale wasn't closed properly, and Levy, the new owner, had to get a court order to eject Blunt, the former homeowner.
Blunt says the order gave him until July 26th to move out, but he says Saldivar and a crew of lawmen showed up on the 23rd to eject him. Jules Vasquez put the allegations to Saldivar:
Jules Vasquez
"Don Blunt has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of Belize and he claims that on July 23rd, you were a leader of a party involving court officers and police officers who he is saying broke into the house that he was occupying which was court ordered to leave on the 26th, but on the 23rd at 1:15 am he claims that you were part of a group that burglarized the house, that basically broke into the house went and occupied the house, told them to shut up and sit down and that you all proceeded to smoke in the house. You went to take a shower in the bathroom, you were showering in one bathroom while Mr. Fernandez, he claims, was showering in another and that they couldn't use their own bathroom on the morning they were forced out which was the morning I guess on the 24th - these are some extraordinary allegations to make. I can't imagine he would be making up something. This is outrageous behavior that he is alleging on your part."
Arthur Saldivar
"So why repeat it if you can't prove it."
Jules Vasquez
"Because he has sworn to it and it's filed in the court. He has averred that you did these things."
Arthur Saldivar
"Let me explain something to you okay. My client is Glenn Levy and Nancy Levy, they came to this country and they bought a home. They paid 1.3 million dollars for their home. The court stated that upon receipt of the funds that the Blunt who were the vendors were to leave and yield up possession of that home. The court gave the Blunts until the 26th day of July to remove their personal items. Get a copy of the court order."
Jules Vasquez
"And you showed up on the 23rd at 1:15 am."
Arthur Saldivar
"They were to have left when the money was paid. The money was paid to their lawyers' days before I showed up. They had no legal right to occupy."
Jules Vasquez
"The court orders says the 26th."
Arthur Saldivar
"The court order says the 26th to remove personal items. Read the order, publish it since you want to bring this thing on your TV station and let me explain something to you, when I entered that house, I entered with police from Placencia okay. That man was an obnoxious, racist redneck. This is Belize, this is my country, don't try to push me around here."
Jules Vasquez
"Did you use their shower, did you smoke…?"
Arthur Saldivar
"They have no shower, that was not their house, come on man, what are you talking about? Listen to me, you want to go down this road then talk to me and ask me, don't make assumptions based on...."
Jules Vasquez
"This is not assumptions. The man has sworn to this, this is a sworn affidavit."
Arthur Saldivar
"Yes, some people lie in those affidavits sometimes too."
Jules Vasquez
"People lie in those interviews too Arthur."
Arthur Saldivar
"Listen to me, I have no reason to lie to you. I have serve my clients interest within the parameters of law. I have no regrets. I will fight for every client as if they were the only client I have. My clients are like family to me. I do my best to take care of them."
Jules Vasquez
"Did that include smoking cigars in the house?"
Arthur Saldivar
"I did not smoke cigars in anybody's house, it's nonsense. Let them show you footage of that. That's a lie. That's a blatant lie."
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Blunt ends his affidavit complain about you as an officer of the court and saying in paragraph 38 that as a result of the experience I cannot say that I have any faith in police officers or the judiciary officers of Belize after what was done to us especially by an attorney at law, so attested, sworn on the 24th day of July."
Arthur Saldivar
"Good riddance. That's not the kind of people we want in Belize. I have no regrets."
Jules Vasquez
"You are you to decide that?"
Arthur Saldivar
"I am a Belizean." (laughs)
We've since learned that the Blunt Couple has filed an appeal of the Supreme Court order to eject them, and that will be heard in the Court of Appeal.
We're reliably informed that the Blunt couple has also lodged a formal complaint at the General Legal Council of Belize. They're seeking have that body, which oversees the conduct of lawyers, to review Arthur's actions as an attorney, when he occupied the house and evicted them before July 26.
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