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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Kathryn Casey's Book on Kari Baker Murder Case


Kathryn Casey is a writer of true crime and mystery novels. Her new book about the Matt Baker murder case is released today. The title is Deadly Little Secrets: The Minister, His Mistress, and a Heartless Texas Murder. I represented Baker for a while in the case so I can't say anything about the facts of the case. One thing that I think is sad is that so many times we call a case like this the "Matt Baker" case, or whatever the name of the alleged murderer is. Everyone knows the names Bundy, Gacy, Dahmer, and so on. How many outside the victims' friends and family know their names? Of course the first thing I'll do when I get the book is flip through looking for my name and hope that it's not too bad.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Update on Herbert C Williamson III's Military Hero Claims


I obtained, via a Freedom of Information Act Request, information from the Connecticut National Guard on Mr. Williamson, who claims to have flown helicopters in Vietnam for a year, and to have received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medals, Purple Heart, and a Bronze Star or two. The NG records prove that he was a private in the Guard from 12 Mar 71 to 13 Aug 72, and under "combat-zone service" it says None. His MOS was Field Wireman. Maybe he flew those helicopters in Vietnam after he transferred to the Maryland National Guard.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Another Candidate for Most Corrupt County in Texas


In the recent campaign for 198th District Attorney, the victor, Scott Monroe made the important point that a district attorney is the most powerful official in any county. The DA can get you indicted by a grand jury on the flimsiest of evidence. Innocent people are indicted and convicted every day. Jurors always claim they will honor the presumption of innocence and make the State prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but the truth is most of them think the SOB wouldn’t be sitting there if he wasn’t guilty as sin. There’s a word for the client of a lawyer who goes to trial on the theory that the State can’t prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt - “convict.” In a civil case the defendant can use a motion for summary judgment to force the plaintiff to show its proof early. If the plaintiff can’t come up with enough evidence to show there is a genuine issue of material fact, the trial court should dismiss the case. There is no such mechanism in a criminal case. And if the defendant succeeds in “winning” an acquittal, he has no right to sue a vindictive DA because the Supreme Court held in Connick v. Thompson held that the prosecutor has total immunity. A striking example of the danger of an out of control prosecutor occurred in Red River County, in Northeast Texas. I highly recommend that you read the article in the Texas Observer, available online at Red River Justice by Patrick Michels. The lede is "In an East Texas county known for corrupt law enforcement, Mark Lesher fought the justice system—until it came for him too." The following is a summary. The County Attorney, Val Varley, likes to dress up in a SWAT style costume and carry an assault rifle and kick in doors with the real cops. They call it the Red River County Narcotics Special Response Team. In November, 2007 he did just that in a raid on the home of a Vergil Richardson, the head coach of the Liberty-Eylau High School Basketball team in Texarkana. Varley and his “task force” arrested Richardson, his half brother, and other family members for allegedly selling drugs. Richardson retained the only lawyer in the area with the guts to take on the establishment, Mark Lesher. What happened next was straight out of Kafka. Varley got Lesher and his wife Rhonda indicted on the word of a former client who claimed they drugged her and forced her to participate in orgies. The case was transferred to Denton County, where it took a jury 20 minutes to find the Leshers not guilty. A special prosecutor moved to dismiss the case against Richardson, but District Judge John Miller refused because Lesher had filed a civil rights suit against all the county officials who took part in the raid on Richardson’s home. Rhonda spoke at the Rotary Club, where she is a member, and said that “the role of a D.A. is to see that justice is served, not to let the office be used as a tool of revenge. We as citizens of Red River County need to stop being so accepting of the criminal system that has been, and is being, used to solve personal issues and vendettas.” She was reprimanded, and told that Rotary was not a “political venue.” I’ve never had the honor of meeting Mark personally. He is carrying on the tradition of Atticus Finch. The difference is that the “decent” people in the fictional Maycomb County, Alabama didn’t try to destroy Finch for defending the Constitution. Rhonda deserves an award as well. As for the county officials, they are in the running for the Most Abusive Judges and Lawyers of the Year contest.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Pervert Lawyers; Another Naked Perp; Kerrville Lawyer Quoted in New York Times; Kerrville's Crime Rate


Lawyer admits exposing himself on Houston-bound flight A lawyer who exposed himself on a Houston-bound flight last year has pleaded guilty in his case, federal prosecutors said. Leonard Julius Sawyerr, of Houston, pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of lewd, indecent or obscene acts, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. The 33-year-old has a law license in California. He was on board a Continental Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Houston on Feb. 12, 2011, when he exposed himself to a female passenger and a female flight attendant, prosecutors said. Hawaii attorney convicted in ear licking case LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — A judge called a Hawaii attorney convicted of harassment a "dirty old man" for licking a client's ear. After a bench trial, Kauai attorney Lawrence McCreery, 64, was found guilty of harassment Thursday after a former client testified that while discussing her child custody case last year, he licked the back of her right ear. Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Hawaii-attorney-convicted-in-ear-licking-case-3706154.php#ixzz20bAjQaDH Police: Naked man crashes through Texas mall DALLAS (AP) — Police say a naked man crashed a pickup truck into a Dallas mall, then drove over a few kiosks before stopping to try on clothes. sack_o_cats 5:46 PM on July 13, 2012 From the article: Police say a naked man crashed a pickup truck into a southwest Dallas mall, got out and started putting on clothes and shoes. - One wit commented "It's good to see that the Face Eaters have learned some manners, and are getting properly attired for Dinner (or, in this case, Breakfast); perhaps they can learn to use proper utensils, instead of using their hands and teeth. Maybe there is hope for humanity, after all!" What's up with all these incidents involving naked criminals? And will someone explain to me why half the books and movies at Hastings involve vampires and zombies? There's got to be some deep seated Freudian explanation. Narcos Stake in the U.S.?- One Trillion Dollars Borderland Beat Reporter Chivis The six-year War on Drugs that Mexican president Felipe Calderon has waged since 2007 has resulted in one consequence no one anticipated: Mexican drug cartels have sent upwards of $1 trillion to the U.S. This staggering sum of money has been funneled through U.S. financial institutions, almost always in violation of U.S. laws, and at times even with the cooperation of American federal agencies. In fact, if the Mexican drug cartels were a sovereign nation, they would qualify to be part of the G-20, ahead of Indonesia (GNP: $845 billion) and behind South Korea (GNP: $1.1 trillion). Yet, this is the cumulative sum of money that Mexican drug cartels have funneled through the U.S. economy. This is a very good article, complete with visuals that explain how some big banks are aiding and abetting the cartels. Kerrville Lawyer Guy James Gray Quoted in New York Times article THE TEXAS TRIBUNE Fired Jasper Police Chief Is at Center of Divide Published: June 21, 2012 Why is the so much serious crime in Kerrville? I don't have statistics to confirm it but I believe that Kerrville has more serious crime - drug dealing and the violence that goes with it - than the average town of comparable size. I have a theory as to why that is - Kerr County has over 100 rehab facilities and halfway houses, so we have a lot of drug users come here for treatment. Many of those don't succeed, and their first weekend pass they go out looking for drugs. Another factor is probably having I-10 cross the county with two major drug markets in close proximity - San Antonio and Austin.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Another Worm's Lies About Military Service Exposed: Dem Congressional Candidate Ken Aden; Kerrvert Herbert C. Williamson III Makes More Poser Lists

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported last month that military documents disprove Aden's claim that he served as a Special Forces soldier. Aden "washed out of Special Forces training, not once but three times," the Gazette wrote.
It is really astounding that any grownup with a functioning brain could think he could run for public office and get away with falsely claiming to have served in the Seals, Green Berets, or Delta, or to have received the Medal of Honor or other high level awards. I guess they're like the perverts who keep showing up to meet 12 y/o girls only to get ambushed by the To Catch a Predator outfit. 
Great Website That Exposes Military Fakes Kerrville and Houston's own Herbert Clarke Williamson III is now a proud member of another vets' website that exposes phony war heroes, called W3: Heros or Villains. ========================== Reported Claims of: Medal of Honor, Other than Vietnam POWs, Son Tay Raiders, DSC, DFC, Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Navy Cross, SEALS, Rangers, Pilots, Special Forces, Green Berets, Combat, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots, Flying Tigers, DOUBT EVERYTHING, Don't Encourage and more. Colonel Flying Squirrel already made the Hall of Shame in This Ain't Hell But You Can See it From Here. Flying Squirrel is also an entry into a contest for the goofiest fake war hero - you can see all the entries so far at The Sandgram. Here's the intro: “America’s got Posers” July 5th, 2012 Posted in Military Hey Guys My buddy Mark Seavey from This Ain’t Hell has put together one of the greatest contests going and I am honored to say that I get to help knock down 96 losers and shape the field for the 64 slots we have for this years greatest poser contest. I feel like a judge on “America’s got talent” only we’ll call it, “America’s got Poser’s” or the Ultimate Loser contest. Mark, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the honor of helping out. Here are the links to this year’s best, please go check them out and tell me what you think… I warn you, that you may get addicted to chasing these turds down. Since it’s allowed by the law to Steal someone’s Honor, it’s our job to ensure that we expose them for what they really are!!! Tell me which ones you think are the worst offenders and why. I would love your input! Semper Fi, Taco

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Cav Secret Squirrel Herbert Clarke Williamson III in Houston Business Journal Again


Houston oil executive and chairman of the board of ZaZa Energy Herbert Clarke Williamson III made the pages of the Houston Business Journal again for his false claims of being a "highly decorated Vietnam veteran" his words) and helicopter pilot in an article by Deon Daughtery, available online at Military veterans in high demand in talent wars. The real vets at "This ain't hell but you can see it from here" call him the "Cav Secret Squirrel" because he uses the same excuse that most of these frauds use when caught - "I was in a secret unit, my work was classified, etc. The fact that you can't find my records proves it!" Williamson has lived in Kerr County for the past five years or so which is where our paths crossed. When I took his deposition in 2011 he testified - under oath - that he flew scout helicopters for a year in Viet Nam and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and other medals. Here's an excerpt from his testimony: Q. And from there you went into the Army? A. Uh-huh. Q. And you were a helicopter pilot? A. Uh-huh. 137 Q. Did you fly Hueys? A. Yeah. Hueys and OH-6A's. Q. That's the observation chopper? A. Yes. Q. When you flew Hueys, were they gunships or slicks? A. Slicks. Q. And you went to Vietnam? A. Uh-huh. Q. How long were you there? A. One year. Q. What was your rank when you came back? A. Warrant officer. Q. Did you get any medals? A. Yeah. Yes. Q. What medals did you get? A. Distinguished Flying Cross, air medals. Standard package. The campaign ribbons. Q. You got the Distinguished Flying Cross? A. Uh-huh. Q. Yes? A. Yes. Q. What year was that? A. 1971. Q. Do you know Patrick Brady? A. No, I don't. Q. Are you a member of the Vietnam Helicopter Association? A. I am.... Q. How long were you on active duty? A. About three and a half years. Q. Did you stay in as a Reserve officer? A. I did. Q. How long? A. Total, about 30 years. Q. So when did you -- when did that end? A. About 2003. Q. What was your rank when you left? A. Colonel.
He identified the unit he flew with - C/3/17 CAV. Very impressive - also all lies. He was a private in the Connecticut National Guard and his MOS was Field Wireman. He was never in the Reserves. I thought that the Williamson story would have gotten a lot more coverage when the San Antonio Express outed him. The sad truth is that lying about military service is so common that it't not that big a deal. He repeated his lies in a deposition in a case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District and got even more detailed, describing how he flew in under fire to rescue an ARVN officer and his radio man. B.G. Burkett's book Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of Its History and Its Heroes, documents hundreds of cases. Some of these frauds are so good they can fool the real vets and get elected president of their VFW posts. Sen. John McCain was fooled by the publisher of the Arizona Republic, who claimed he flew fighters in Korea and Vietnam. Williamson dodged the bullet on the Stolen Valor Act. I'm waiting to see if the Texas Attorney General or the U.S. Attorney in San Antonio will do anything about the perjury. Maybe perjury is so common that it's not a big deal. I hope not. Burkett also shows how military records can be altered or outright fabricated. A couple of take aways - don't stop at getting the DD214 (discharge papers) from the applicant. A counterfeit can be created on any computer or even a typewriter. Require the applicant to sign an authorization for you to get it directly from the National Personnel Records Center. Also, someone who really has served can doctor his official records. For example, he could insert a fictitious order awarding him a Purple Heart into his file or pay a dishonest clerk to do it for him.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Most Corrupt County in Texas?


More judicial corruption emerges in Brownsville "A dozen people, half lawyers, have been indicted as part of a federal probe into what some observers call the most widespread case of judicial corruption they've ever seen. The saga has gripped the community in this southernmost tip of Texas (Brownsville, Cameron Co.).... "A cascade of indictments followed implicating a former state legislator, a former investigator from the prosecutor's office and most recently Villalobos. Federal wiretaps on Limas' phones intercepted some 40,000 calls, some of which have provided an ugly glimpse of justice behind closed doors where friendships and bribes among lawyers and judge sometimes tipped the scales against the legal process. "'I think people are even more horrified with each new accusation and revelation. It seems to be so extensive within the legal community,' said Anthony Knopp, professor emeritus of history at the University of Texas-Brownsville. Sicko Houston Lawyer From Houston Chronicle Stern's mistress accuses him of using sex, coercion in plot to kill his wife By Brian Rogers No one disputes that Bellaire attorney Jeffrey Stern had an affair with a woman who plotted three times to kill his wife. But fresh allegations detailing the depth - and deviance - of that illicit affair between Stern and his mistress are now thrusting this sordid tale into the realm of truly bizarre. Stern is facing new accusations that he used money, trips to Las Vegas and transsexual male prostitutes to court former paramour Michelle Gaiser then coerce her into hiring hitmen to kill his wife, recently filed court records allege.