The trial last month in which lawyers Theresa Caballero and Stuart Leeds were convicted of criminal contempt was a marathon -- and it gave the attorneys plenty of time to talk about themselves.

At one point, Caballero said El Paso is a place where "everything's turned upside down and the good people are called bad people and the bad people are called good people."

Here are some of the things she and her frequent co-counsel, Leeds, said about themselves or posed as questions to witnesses:

On their role in the community:

Caballero: "A lot of people, the weak, the poor -- and there's a lot of us -- they don't necessarily have a voice."

Leeds: "Ms. Caballero and I only want to help people."

Caballero: "You can't not be impressed with Stuart Leeds.

Leeds: "The evidence is we are good people, we help the poor."

Caballero asked a witness to say "what tremendous assets we are to this community."

Leeds: "Ms. Caballero and I have exposed a lot of corruption in this county. When you expose a lot of corruption like we do, it doesn't make you very popular with the people in power."

Caballero on average El Pasoans: "They see Stuart and I as the guardians of democracy and liberty."

Leeds: "The very fact we are here proves we are honest."

Caballero: "Are we the opposite of scumbags?"

On their lawyering:

Caballero: "Would you agree that defense attorneys have to be this weird combination of things? They have to be the martyr? They have to be the Trojan soldier? They have to be demure?"

Leeds referring to the protagonist in "To Kill a Mocking Bird": "I'm Atticus Finch."

Caballero: "I was a honey badger."

Leeds: "What Judge Smith calls contempt, we call trying our case here in El Paso."

Caballero: "Are you aware that I am considered to be the premiere lawyer in this community when it comes to picking juries?"

Leeds: "I have no hobbies. This is it for me. I have nothing else."

Caballero: "Mr. Leeds is famous in this courthouse for his opening statements."

Leeds on possible guilty verdicts: "The only ones who will be hurt are our clients."

Caballero on possible disbarment: "Many people in this community would lose our excellent representation that we give for free."

Leeds: "Ms. Caballero and I are the two hardest-working attorneys in El Paso."

Caballero: "Would you say we did an excellent job?"

Leeds: "We were the consummate professionals we always are."

Caballero: "Would you agree that what we do has been sanctioned by every judge in this courthouse?"

Caballero asks if she and Leeds are "two of the finest attorneys in town?"

Caballero asking about her cross-examination technique: "Would you recommend that it be taught in law school?"

Caballero: "Do we convince juries to give a not-guilty verdict, or do we destroy cases?"

Caballero: "You've never heard that 'I'm lucky I have Theresa Caballero as an attorney?' "

Marty Schladen may be reached at; 546-6127.