FAKE-DRUG CASE DOMINATES DA FORUM

Two men who were jailed on drug charges and later released when the
evidence turned out to be fake sought apologies at a district attorney
candidates' debate Wednesday night.

District Attorney Bill Hill did not apologize to Jose Luis Vega and
Jacinto Mejia, but two of his three Republican opponents did.

Speaking before more than 100 people at Prestonwood Country Club, Mr.
Hill defended his office's role in dozens of bogus drug cases. He said
he would not apologize until he knew exactly what happened.

"We're looking into every one of those cases," Mr. Hill said. "I don't
base my decision on what defense attorneys tell me, but what the facts
are."

Candidates David Finn, Deandra Grant and Brian O'Shea - Mr. Hill's
opponents in the March 12 Republican primary - were at the forum. Mr.
Finn and Ms. Grant apologized to the two men.

Mr. Finn spent much of his allotted time addressing Mr. Vega in a
statement, read in Spanish, in which he apologized to the man and his
family because Mr. Hill would not.

Ms. Grant, who contacted the attorney for one of the men and invited
them to attend the debate, said that had she been in office, the
county would have done a better job with the drug cases.

Mr. O'Shea said he was deeply concerned about Mr. Hill's office,
asserting that it is harder on suspects who are Hispanic and poor.

Mr. Hill said his office discovered the problem with fake drugs, made
sure all the drugs were tested and suspended the prosecution of
suspects. He said his office also called the FBI to
investigate.

Adriana Vega, Mr. Vega's wife, said after the debate that she
appreciated the comments from Mr. Hill's challengers but that she did
not understand why he would not apologize.

The FBI is examining the role of Dallas police and local prosecutors
in 76 drug cases, involving 47 people, dismissed in recent months by
the district attorney's office.