FOR FRIO SHERIFF, IT'S TIME TO GIVE UP

Carl Burris' days as the top elected law enforcement officer in Frio County
are over.

He should voluntarily hand over his badge, surrender his gun and stop
collecting his county paycheck.

Burris, who has been sheriff of the rural county 40 miles south of San
Antonio for 20 years, last week entered guilty pleas to theft and drug
charges in federal court.

He has admitted pocketing $7,726 confiscated during a 1994 traffic stop and
then trying to sell 262 pounds of seized marijuana in 1997 to replace the
missing money.

Ironically, Burris is running for re-election in November. While it may be
too late to have his name removed from the ballot, Burris should not
continue serving out his term while awaiting sentencing.

Burris faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison. A week before he
pleaded guilty to the charges against him, he successfully argued to U.S.
Magistrate John Primomo that he should get his gun back because of a
manpower shortage and an ongoing investigation into a triple murder back
home.

Granted Burris' conviction is not final until he is sentenced, but a
criminal awaiting sentencing should not be enforcing the law.

Law enforcement officials are not above the law, and that message needs to
be sent loud and clear.

Burris has the dubious distinction of being among a growing list of South
Texas sheriffs who have found themselves on the wrong side of the prison
bars.

During the last six years, sheriffs in Hidalgo, Zapata and Starr counties
have been convicted and sentenced to prison on charges ranging from money
laundering to bribery and racketeering.

It is shameful for elected officials to abuse the trust of their
constituents. They should not have to be told when it is time to step down.