Tanna Brown Off to State Jail

Zeke MacCormack reports in the SA Express,Former Probation Officer Off to Jail, that Tanna Hurt Mozell Tyler a/k/a Tanna Brown was sentenced to two years in State Jail today. As reported in the San Antonio Express News, a plea deal resolved the most serious charge, theft by a public servant of $20,000-$100,000, and called for the dismissal of 13 forgery charges.

Hurt/Brown, pleaded guilty last week to five counts of tampering with a government document and 16 forgery charges.

I wonder if she feels like she got a raw deal after Ron Sutton got a slap on the wrist with a deferred adjudication and got early termination of his probation, and Karl Prohl did no time. One thing for certain, prosecutor Lucy Wilke nailed it when she said that Brown gave the whole law enforcement community a black eye.

Patton Village Mayor and Polticians Charged With Stealing; Another Wrongfully Convicted Man Exonerated; The Fur Flies in 198th DA Race

Patton Village mayor, 6 others indicted in corruption case
Mike Glen, Houston Chronicle
By Mike Glenn
on Village Mayor Pamela Munoz and other city officials were indicted Friday in a public corruption case accusing them of using police cars, bought with federal grant money, as collateral to get bank loans that they then dipped into for personal use.

A six-month "In Montgomery County, public officials will be expected to act both lawfully and responsibly when dealing with public funds and property," said Tyler Dunman, an assistant district attorney in the public integrity division. The investigation led to the indictments of Munoz, two otPatton Village is a speed trap on H.W. 59 north of Houston.
her city officials and four city police officers, prosecutors with the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. A grand jury indicted Munoz on 10 corruption-related charges, ranging from abuse of official capacity to theft by a public servant.
......................
Patton Village is a speed trap on H.W. 59 north of Houston.


Another Exoneration of Wrongly Convicted May
The Dallas Morning News reports yet another story of an innocent man who spent years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, because the police withheld evidence that would have caught the real killer.

"State District Judge Andy Chatham formally declares Richard Miles' innocence in a Dallas courtroom. Miles, who was convicted and imprisoned in 1995 for murder and attempted murder, was released in 2009 but waited more than two years for a formal declaration of innoncence.

Chatham ordered Miles’ release in October 2009 after problems were discovered with the evidence used to convict Miles. The Dallas County district attorney’s office agreed that Miles had been wrongly convicted in 1995 for the May 1994 murder of Deandre Williams and the attempted murder of another man.

Miles served nearly 15 years of his 40-year sentence for the murder and 20-year sentence for the attempted murder.

Prosecutors said they are close to filing charges against a person they believe is responsible for the crimes.

While investigating the case, Dallas County prosecutors and Centurion Ministries, a prisoner advocacy group, found that Dallas police withheld evidence not only from the defense but also the prosecution about other suspects. That evidence included a woman calling police to say her boyfriend was the killer.

The investigation also determined that the small amount of gunshot residue found on Miles’ hands was not enough to be considered reliable evidence. The amount present could have come from batteries, matches or even dirt."
.................
Scott Monroe and Brad McCullough Spar in Forum

The campaign for 198th District Attorney between Brad McCullough and Scott Monroe is getting nasty. Today's Kerrville Daily Times lead story is about Thursday night's candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. The candidates took written questions submitted by audience members. McCullough was questioned about promising jobs to people if he was elected. I wasn't there, and I suspect there was some lack of clarity in the question and/or answer. I don't think he has promised a job to anyone in exchange for their vote or support. His explanation, which I take at face value, is that he doesn't want to get sworn in on January 2 and scramble to staff the office. The work won't stop, and whoever wins will hit the ground running, covering six counties. Managing hudreds of cases in different stages requires a competent, conscientious team. I imagine Monroe has some ideas about whom he would hire.

I am bemused that there was a skirmish over how the candidates' religious beliefs would influence their handling of the work of the DA's office. I say bemused, because if the article is accurate, Monroe crticized McCullough for being too religious. I didn't think I'd ever hear that in a Kerrville political race. Someone asked Monroe about past problems with alcoholism.
The Monroe camp is passing out pamphlets about a Mississippi Supreme Court case that rode McCullough pretty hard for prosectorial misconduct in a gang shooting case. This is the kind of thing that makes me glad I'm not running.
A comment by the author of a biography of Marine Corp General Brute Krulak is fitting:
"Some aspects of Brute Krulak's early years are disturbing. I elected to take an explanatory stance toward those years. Some will say I should have replaced the frail reed of sympathy with the righteous sword of judgement. But my sins as a young man were scarlet, and they were many. I do not consider those green actions the defining moments of my life and if I am to be measured, let it be by the deeds of my later years. Here I afforded Brute Krulak what I would ask for myself."

Two Years State Jail for Tanna Brown; Mexican Cartel Violence Spills Over

From today's San Antonio Express, by Zeke MacCormack:
Tanna Mozel Tyler Hurt was taken into custody Thursday after a Kerr County jury rejected defense appeals to spare her jail time for stealing while a probation officer in the 198th judicial district.
Hurt, 46, who pleaded guilty Wednesday to five charges of tampering with government documents and 16 charges of forgery, was sentenced to two years behind bars, fined $3,000 and given five years probation.
.......
Brown's lawyer, Guy James Gray, must have pulled a rabbit out of a hat to get this result. He is a great lawyer, who spent most of his career as the district attorney in Jasper County and rose to national prominence when he successfully prosecuted the three men who dragged James Byrd, Jr. to death behind a pickup truck. Gray has forgotten more law and maneuvers than most of us will ever know, and he can find the chinks in a prosecution's case.

I don't pretend to know all the details of the case, but I think that the prosecutors could have tried cases separately and gotten the sentences stacked. As it is, Brown will only serve one two year sentence. Even though she'll serve the full sentence (no good time credit for state jail felonies) that's a lot better than having about ten of them stacked. Other witnesses, including a preacher, testified how sorry she was, she's a good Christian, and so on.
I wonder if she feels like the good ol' boys treated her unfairly seeing how Ron Sutton and Karl Prohl got probation for similar crimes.

Brown testified how ashamed she felt when she got caught, how remorseful she is, and so on. She never gave any quarter to any of my clients when she had them over a barrel. What is really revolting is that she tried to release probationers from supervision after she stole from them, to cover her own crimes. That's no different from a prison guard taking a bribe to let a convict escape.

Kerrville has a national reputation as a place you don't want to get into trouble in for any drug related offense. Juries here will send a young person with no criminal history to prison for 50 years for a first drug offense. But for a public official who gets caught stealing public money, he or she will probably get probation, or at worst two years. There's something wrong.

When the Obama Administration tells us that the cartel violence in Mexico hasn't crossed over the border, consider the article in Borderlandbeat:
Trial Begins of AFO Cell in San Diego, Prosecutor: Victims Kidnapped and Dissolved in Acid

Opening arguments opened the trial of Jose Olivera and David Valencia in San Diego yesterday. District Attorney Mark Amador said the men were members of "Los Palillos" (The Toothpicks) was an Arellano Felix Cartel cell group, that trafficked meth and marijuana through the Tijuana-San Diego route, in addition to operating a kidnapping ring that targeted drug dealers and businessmen in the U.S., who were vulnerable and who were unlikely to have their kidnappings reported to US authorities.
The gang operated in Tijuana as a cell of AFO cartel, but splintered and became bitter enemies after AFO leadership killed Victor Rojas Lopez, the brother of Los Palillos leader Jorge Rojas Lopez.
Victor reported to an AFO lieutenant who has ordered Victor to execute a Los Palillos member who had a dispute in a TJ bar with Jorge Briseno. When Victor refused the order he was killed.

It was then the group moved to San Diego and began its flurry of crime.

Amador stunned the courtroom as he described the heinous crimes including the strangling of victims, then placing the bodies in 55 gallon barrels of simmering acid heated by propane tanks.

Tanna Brown Cops a Plea, Houston Court of Appeals Judge Bullies County Employees, New Wrongful Conviction Blog

From San Antonio Express News: Ex-probation officer admits stealing fines, fees
By Zeke MacCormack

KERRVILLE — Former probation officer Tanna Mozel Tyler Hurt pleaded guilty to 22 felonies Wednesday for stealing thousands of dollars entrusted to her between 2007 and 2010 by those she supervised.
Besides making some of the probationers' money orders payable to herself, records show Hurt also used the stolen funds to pay her electric bills and phone charges, and to buy animal feed.
The admissions by Hurt, also known as Tanna Brown, is another embarrassment for the 198th judicial district, which also has seen a former judge and a prosecutor admit to criminally misusing its funds.
Hurt, a Harper resident, joins a list of former 198th district employees whose conduct has embarrassed former coworkers and eroded trust in the judiciary.
In April 2010, former long-time 198th District Attorney Ron Sutton pleaded guilty to two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property and was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay $20,000 restitution.
Later that month, former 198th District Court Judge E. Karl Prohl pleaded guilty to felony theft of district funds and was ordered to serve two years' probation and pay a $2,500 fine.
.......
The common thread in these two stories is that there is a double standard. As one commenter wrote in the Tana Brown piece, "Twenty two (22) felonies and a minimum penalty of two years? Obviously they have done some creative prosecution, a trick reserved for members of the white, Christian, Republican establishment in Kerrville. If Tana was part of the disenfranchised underclass or a minority she would get a typical Kerrville sentence equal to life in prison."
Another wrote "I'm moving to Kerr County to commit my crimes. No jail time for anything. Looks like all the crooks aren't gone."
Yet another: "And who said crime does not pay........... Likes like it pays pretty well in Kerr county. I am with Mya, time to move to Kerr county.


The Arrogance of Power
You have to wonder if 1st Court of Appeals Justice Jim Sharp was drunk or high when he made threats recorded on voice mail and in texts. From the Houston Chronicle:
Appeals judge barred from Brazoria cases over behavior
By Brian Rogers, Houston Chronicle

Jim Sharp, a judge on one of Houston's two courts of appeals, has been barred from working on any criminal cases from Brazoria County because of allegations that he tried to use his position to skirt the law for a friend's 15-year-old daughter who was arrested for shoplifting.

Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne accused the judge of attempting to use his influence to improperly demand the juvenile's release in January, according to court records. The documents allege that Sharp sent inappropriate texts and profane voice messages to county employees, a state district judge and a Brazoria County commissioner.

"You guys are a bunch of backwoods hillbillies that use screwed-umethods in dealing with children, and I can promise you this: Things are about to change in Brazoria County," Sharp said to a juvenile detention center director over the phone, court records show. "I am a judge in the Court of Appeals. I have authority over your judges along with every other judge in 10 counties in this area."

After investigating the Jan. 17 arrest and Sharp's behavior, Yenne filed a complaint about Sharp with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

"If I had been there in person and had a baseball bat that [expletive] would have been cracked upside the head," Sharp said in a voicemail that was recorded and attached to the recusal motion.

He also texted the judge that county employees did not refer to him as "Judge."

"Brazoria County Juvie folks are nit (sic) just arrogant but ignorant! When an Appeals Court Justice calls and identifies himself and then they refer to me as 'Mr.' Sharp, it bespeaks a fundamental misunderstanding of respect and pecking order!"

After calling Payne, Sharp phoned the juvenile detention center to say he had contacted the commissioner. "Your county is going to be sued for hundreds of thousands of dollars for this," Sharp said, according to court records. "You'll have picked the wrong little girl that has friends in high places to mess with."

Check Out New Wrongful Conviction Blog
Daniel P. & Judith L. Carmichael Professor of Law,
University of Cincinnati College of Law;
Director, Center for the Global Study of Wrongful Conviction

The End of the Future, Anarchy in Mexico, South Texas Lawman Busted With Million Dollars

One of the best articles I've read in a long time on what is wrong with the USA ran in
The National Review in October. The author Peter Thiel, is one of the founders of Facebook,and (I believe) an engineer by training. The main points are that since 1969 we have been in a long decline from the most scientifically advanced country - putting men on the moon, great discoveries in medicine, computer technology, and so on - to a country run by lawyers, government bureaucrats, and regulators, whose policies don't just not encourage innovation and growth, they suppress it. We spend our resources on entitlement programs, instead of science and development. We won't build more nuclear plants, or even try to make them safer, because there's just too much risk. So we're stuck with Arab oil and coal.

Thiel writes that the Woodstock festival was the beginning of the end. I agree that it was a powerful symbol of a radical turn to a hedonistic, narcissistic, culture, but I think the real turning point was November 23, 1963, when John Kennedy was assassinated and Lyndon Johnson became president. LBJ gave us the "Great Society" welfare state, which paid unwed teenagers to have children, who grew up without fathers, and gave us the urban underclass, drugs and high crime. He also lied to get us into the Vietnam War, without raising taxes to pay for it. You really should read all of Thiel's article. Here's a sample:

The End of the Future
The main argument is that the United States is in decline because it is squandering its resources on the welfare state, and the government is run by lawyers and buer

Modern Western civilization stands on the twin plinths of science and technology. Taken together, these two interrelated domains reassure us that the 19th-century story of never-ending progress remains intact. Without them, the arguments that we are undergoing cultural decay — ranging from the collapse of art and literature after 1945 to the soft totalitarianism of political correctness in media and academia to the sordid worlds of reality television and popular entertainment — would gather far more force.

Men reached the moon in July 1969, and Woodstock began three weeks later. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that this was when the hippies took over the country, and when the true cultural war over Progress was lost.

Today’s aged hippies no longer understand that there is a difference between the election of a black president and the creation of cheap solar energy; in their minds, the movement towards greater civil rights parallels general progress everywhere. Because of these ideological conflations and commitments, the 1960s Progressive Left cannot ask whether things actually might be getting worse. I wonder whether the endless fake cultural wars around identity politics are the main reason we have been able to ignore the tech slowdown for so long.

However that may be, after 40 years of wandering, it is not easy to find a path back to the future. If there is to be a future, we would do well to reflect about it more. The first and the hardest step is to see that we now find ourselves in a desert, and not in an enchanted forest.


Vigilante mob killed apparent innocents
By Dudley Althaus, San Antonio Express News
SAN MATEO HUITZILZINGO, Mexico — In this raw town on the hard eastern fringe of one of the world's largest cities, a fatal mob attack on three apparent innocents stands as the latest frenzied monument to vigilante justice.
Hundreds of enraged villagers savagely beat then burned to death a man and two teenage boys who many presumed had come to Huitzilzingo to kidnap, steal or worse.
But this time, prosecutors say, the mob got it wrong.
If shocking in its brutality, last Friday's lynching in Huitzilzingo, a former farm town a few miles east of Mexico City, hardly is unique. Vigilante justice reigns in much of Mexico, as people sidestep a legal system they consider inadequate to deal with rampant crime.

Valley constable candidate arrested with $1 million in his car
By Lynn Brezosky, San Antonio Express-News
BROWNSVILLE — A Rio Grande Valley constable candidate remained jailed Wednesday on money laundering charges after state police stopped him for speeding and found $1 million in his vehicle.
Robert “Bobby” Maldonado, 46, was stopped Monday afternoon on U.S. Highway 59 in Victoria County.
He initially refused a search, but a police dog smelled contraband in his car, a 2011 Chrysler 200.
The cash was said to be wrapped in more than 100 bundles in suitcases, which police say is consistent with drug trafficking.

1 dead, 1 hurt in Calif. federal building shooting
SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER, Associated Press
LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A federal immigration agent shot and wounded a colleague at their office, before the gunman was killed by a third agent, the FBI says.

Several shots were fired about 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Immigration Customs Enforcement office, leaving one man wounded, said Steven Martinez, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/12/mexico-travel-warning-us-_n_1272065.html
MEXICO CITY -- The U.S. State Department is recommending that Americans avoid travel to all or parts of 14 of 31 Mexican states in the widest travel advisory issued since Mexico stepped up its drug war in 2006.

The department advises against any nonessential travel in all of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas, which border the U.S, and in the central state of Durango, as well as sections of 10 other states.

It advises caution for traveling in three other border states and many areas of central and western Mexico where drug cartels have been warring.

The advisory issued Wednesday says U.S. citizens have been victims of drug violence, including killings, kidnappings and carjackings.

Williamson Co. DA John Bradley Insults the Veterans; Secret Kerr County History

Wilcowatchdog just posted a press release by Veterans for Jana Duty:

VETERANS FOR JANA DUTY
For Release: February 14, 2012 Contact: Josh Hinton at 512-943-0290

U.S. Army combat veteran Josh Hinton announced the formation of an organization called “Veterans for Jana Duty” to support her bid to become Williamson County’s next District Attorney. Hinton said he decided to form the group after attending a recent political forum in Sun City where he learned about incumbent John Bradley’s cynical views and lack of respect for our combat veterans.

“I was shocked to find out that John Bradley essentially stonewalled the implementation of a Williamson County Veteran’s Court,” Hinton said. “To be honest, this organization was going to be ‘Veterans for a Williamson County Veteran's Court’ aimed at helping those who have fought and suffered for the freedom of all Americans. But when Jana Duty pledged her support of Veterans and the formation of a Veteran's Court, we saw that there was a strong proponent for our cause. She is a natural choice for veterans to support for the office of Williamson County District Attorney.”

The legislation that allows for the formation of Veteran's Courts was unanimously approved by the Texas legislature in 2009 and had the backing and support of Williamson County’s Republican representatives; Senator Steve Ogden and Representative Dan Gattis. Not one member of the Texas Legislature voted in opposition to this legislation.

A Veteran's Court is a court created for a very special group of people. The only people eligible for these special courts are those who have been diagnosed with brain injury or mental illness that occurred because they were in a war zone. After a person meets these strict criteria, then the prosecutor must agree, on a case by case basis, to allow a particular veteran to go into this court. Then the prosecutor and defense attorney create a treatment plan. If the veteran completes the treatment plan and the prosecutor agrees they have been rehabilitated, there is no conviction and their record may be expunged. If not, then they will be required to go back through the justice system just like anyone else accused of a crime.

Hinton continued, “A vast number of these veterans never had a record before going off to war. But they come back home after protecting our freedoms and liberties, make a mistake and then end up with a record they may never be able to overcome. Veterans are trained to do what is necessary to survive and it becomes second nature. Sometimes that training does not fit into civilian life. We owe it to our disabled veterans and those who are forever changed because of the horrors of war to create a system that gives them a second chance.

“John Bradley's opposition to the concept of Veteran's Courts is one thing, but the derogatory manner in which he refers to veterans should enrage every red blooded American who honors the sacrifices our veterans have made. Having never worn the uniform himself, John Bradley will never understand where we have been, what we have done but most importantly why we did what we did. If Mr. Bradley had ever walked a mile in our shoes, maybe he would feel differently about the ‘select few,’ as he so mockingly refers to combat veterans on four separate occasions in his letter. Worse still, he claims it would be a “burden on taxpayers” when he knows full well there are courts and attorneys who are willing to volunteer their time to hold the Veteran’s Court after hours and at no expense to the taxpayer."

“Veterans for Jana Duty is calling out to the citizens of Williamson County and to all of America to show our veterans that America still cares and that we appreciate the sacrifices they have made on our behalf. We believe it is high time for a change in the District Attorney's office. We need a D.A. who will truly protect the people of Williamson County; first among those our combat veterans. Whether you are a veteran or you just want to show your support of veterans, please join us today.”

........

Bradley really is an embarrassment to Williamson County and honest prosecutors. Wonder who he'll piss off next?

.......

Kerr County History and the Good Ol' Boys

When I was a boy my grandfather told me stories about the little town in Arkansas we lived in, stories that didn't appear in any official history of the town. There was an old retarded man named Lee Jones that was always around the courthouse, wearing khakis and a straw hat and tin badge, and toy cap pistols on a Western gun belt. His mental abilities were severely damaged when a mule kicked in him the head when he was a boy. When he reached puberty, the town fathers, worried about his leering at young girls, decided to geld him, which they did, at the local hospital. An old lady that scared the hell out of me when I visited my grandmother in the hospital went mad after her husband, the sheriff, was murdered by a black fugitive. When he was captured, the citizens busted him out of jail and tied him to a stake. The widow threw the match that lit the fire.

When I lived in Natchez, MS there was a whorehouse downtown run by "Miss Nellie," a "high yellow" black lady who would bring her new girls into the department store where I worked part time to outfit them. Everyone in Mississippi knew about Nellie's, and a lot of the fine white leaders who opposed de-segregation patronized her establishment.

I imagine that every small town has some old timer like my grandfather who knows the secrets that the establishment would prefer stayed buried. Since moving to Kerrville almost 10 years ago, I've heard some of the county's secrets, like the whorehouse that some of the local bigwigs set up, or the private hunting/fishing club that provided female companionship for the rich businessmen that flew in on their private jets. Then there was the preacher at one of the big churches who liked little boys, who got caught but was allowed to leave town. I wish I could find an old timer who would talk to me about the unofficial history.

Update on Michael Morton Wrongful Conviction - Court of Inquiry Ordered for Investigation of Possible Criminal Conduct by Ken Anderson

Former district attorney should face inquiry in Morton prosecution, judge says
By Chuck Lindell
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Updated: 10:08 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
GEORGETOWN — Former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson should face a court of inquiry to examine allegations that he hid evidence that could have spared Michael Morton from a wrongful murder conviction and almost 25 years in prison, a state district judge ruled Friday.

The finding means District Judge Sid Harle found probable cause to believe that Anderson violated state law in his prosecution of Morton.

"I personally cannot imagine, having been a former prosecutor, a worse stain or tarnish on a prosecutor's reputation, integrity or legacy," Harle said.

Morton was freed from prison in October after DNA tests pointed to another man in the murder of his wife in their southwestern Williamson County home.

Last week, a grand jury handed up a capital murder indictment against Mark Alan Norwood, a Bastrop dishwasher, in Christine Morton's 1986 murder.

Norwood also is a suspect in the 1988 murder of Debra Masters Baker, who, like Christine Morton, was beaten to death while lying in bed. Court records show that DNA tests confirmed that a hair found in Baker's North Austin bedroom belonged to Norwood, who has not been charged in her case.

Harle's request for a court of inquiry, an affidavit certifying that he found probable cause that state laws were broken, will be reviewed by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.

If Jefferson agrees, he would name a state district judge to oversee the special court, which would have the power to issue subpoenas, take testimony and make a finding about whether Anderson violated state law. Designed as a fact-finding body, the court would not issue a punishment or criminal conviction.

In requesting the court of inquiry, Morton's lawyers accused Anderson of violating two state laws: tampering with physical evidence, a felony that includes concealing "any record or document," and intentionally concealing a government record, a misdemeanor.

According to Morton's lawyers, Anderson did not reveal the entire Wood file to hide the existence of several documents that could have helped Morton's defense, including:

• Two transcripts of a police interview with Christine Morton's mother, Rita Kirkpatrick, who revealed that the Mortons' 3-year-old son witnessed the murder and said Michael Morton was not home at the time.

One transcript was found in Anderson's trial file last summer, and a longer version was discovered in the sheriff's department files in 2008.

• A note to the lead sheriff's investigator indicating that Christine Morton's credit card might have been used in San Antonio two days after her death.

• A police report about suspicious behavior by an unidentified driver of a green van who, a neighbor said, on several occasions parked and walked into the wooded area behind the Morton house.

Court of inquiry

A fact-finding judicial process to determine if a state law was broken.

Led by an appointed state district judge who can issue subpoenas and question witnesses.

The judge issues findings but cannot levy punishment or criminal convictions.

Wilco Watchdog - New Post on Court of Inquiry on John Bradley and Ken Anderson's Misconduct in Michael Morton Case

Court of Inquiry To Be Held On Morton Wrongful Conviction

Judge Sid Harle signed a probable cause affidavit today that will now go to the desk of Chief Texas Supreme Court Justice Wallace Jefferson, who will then make a ruling on whether or not the court of inquiry should move forward.

This procedure, a very rare occurrence, was granted based on evidence presented to Judge Harle by Morton's attorneys.

Judge Sid Harle, in granting the request, also denied two other requests -- one to refer the case to a commission on judicial conduct, and the other to refer the case to the Texas State Bar.

As he left the courtroom with his team of attorneys, Morton said, "When you do the right thing like the judge did today, things will fall in place."

Also, according to sources who attended a debate between District Attorney candidates John Bradley and Jana Duty last night, Bradley stated that the grievance that was filed against him was done so by Jana Duty. Bradley when on to fabricate the truth by stating the grievance had been dismissed. According to sources, Duty was quick to point out that the grievance was in fact not dismissed and on appeal and she had nothing to do with his grievance. Many have speculated it was in deed Bradley who assisted the Wilco 5 in filing a grievance against Duty last year. Bradley once again showed he has no regard for the truth. Not surprising given the past few weeks of Bradley's increased desperation.

According to sources, Bradley went on to lay blame for failing to test DNA evidence (the bloody bandana) on everyone from Duty to Judge Stubblefied. We posted a short time ago that we wondered when he would blame Judge Stubblefield. Last night, he answered that question.

Hopefully a court of Inquiry will answer the questions that linger and justice will be done. Until then, John Bradley and Ken Anderson, in the least Ken Anderson, should be immediately suspended from practicing in the courtroom. The public has lost faith in the system thanks to these two men. Both are equally responsible for making a mockery of our justice system and damaging its credibility; damage that will take a long time to heal.

Judge Biery Blasts the NutJobs; Court of Inquiry for John Bradley and Ken Anderson; Weed Smoking Texas Judge; Lazy Dallas Detective; Thug Girlfriend Beating Lawyer

Judge slams critics of Texas school prayer ruling
PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press
Updated 06:40 p.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012
San Antonio Express News

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A federal judge who was vilified by Republican presidential hopefuls for banning prayer at a Texas high school graduation delivered a scathing and unusually personal response Thursday, saying those who used the case to further political goals "should be ashamed."

In a court filing laying out the settlement terms of the prayer case, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery wrote that he forgave Christians who "venomously and vomitously" threatened his assassination, he thanked the U.S. Marshals for providing him additional security and without singling anyone out by name, offered a self-deprecating nod to those wished him the worst.

"To those who have prayed for my death: Your prayers will someday be answered, as inevitably trumps probability," Biery wrote.
.....

Judge Biery is a great judge, and a good reason- as if there weren't plenty of others - not to vote for an idiot like Newt Gingrich is his attempts to politicize the federal courts.


Judge Harle has just ruled that there WILL be a Court of Inquiry
Wilco Watchdog

Judge Harle has just ruled that there WILL be a Court of Inquiry into prosecutorial misconduct in the Michael Morton case. We will have details soon. John Bradley and Ken Anderson will have a lot of explaining to do for the 25 years that Michael Morton was wrongfully imprisoned.


Guadalupe County judge faces pot charge
By Michelle Mondo and Zeke MacCormack
Updated 03:53 a.m., Friday, February 10, 2012

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/County-judge-faces-pot-charge-3215338.php#ixzz1lz1pSvRu

Whiffs of burning marijuana in a College Station hotel led to the arrest this week of Guadalupe County Judge Michael T. Wiggins, who was there attending a conference for county officials.

Wiggins, a former state trooper, was charged with possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana after being found with pot and admitting he'd been smoking, said College Station Police Department spokeswoman Officer Rhonda Seaton on Thursday.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/County-judge-faces-pot-charge-3215338.php#ixzz1lz1xx8gO

Dallas police say 500 were revictimized after detective neglected domestic violence cases


By SCOTT GOLDSTEIN
Dallas Morning News
Published: 09 February 2012 11:15 PM
More than 500 family violence victims were revictimized by the same person after their earlier cases were assigned to a Dallas police detective who mishandled more than 2,000 cases over a four-year period, an internal review found.

It’s unclear how much of a role Detective Mickey East’s failures to properly investigate case files that mostly sat in his garage and home played in the additional crimes against the victims, most of them female. Police officials acknowledge that proper action could have made a difference in at least some of the cases.

“If they had been investigated fully, we could have helped them stop that cycle,” said Dallas Police Assistant Chief Cynthia Villarreal. “We’re there to investigate from the beginning to the end, and if we didn’t do that then we didn’t offer that victim everything they needed to stop the cycle.”

Problems with East’s work were uncovered in September 2009, when a new supervisor found that East had entered into their tracking system just 16 cases in a four-year span. Detectives with similar caseloads had entered more than 1,500 during the same period. UptownDallas posted this comment:
As the whistle blower in this case, I can tell you that the DPD was formally warned about this situation three times in 2009 before the case files were actually discovered. The first complaint was filed in January 2009 - ten months before the files were "discovered." Several departments inside DPD were made aware of the problem but chose to ignore each warning. This allowed hundreds of assaults to occur as well as other crimes. It led to assailants being protected from arrests and also led to police retaliation. When an assailant knows his victim is being ignored by the police, you become an open target. When the Detectives know the DPD is looking the other way after complaints have been filed, it leads to police retaliation. When you'refacing retaliation from your assailant AND Detectives while those in command look the other way, let's just say it becomes worse than a hopeless situation.

Court upholds MySpace evidence used to convict gang member in 2007 Dallas freeway shootout

By MICHAEL GRACZYK
The Associated Press
Published: 08 February 2012 03:16 PM

HOUSTON — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Wednesday an accused killer's MySpace pages were properly used as evidence by prosecutors to help convince a jury to convict the Dallas-area street gang member of murder.

Ronnie Tienda Jr. appealed his conviction and 35-year prison term for the slaying of 23-year-old David Valadez in a 2007 shootout on a Dallas freeway.

In the appeal, Tienda's attorney argued the judge at his 2008 trial in Dallas County was wrong to allow MySpace entries into evidence because it was questionable whether Tienda was responsible for entries that referred to the killing on his pages on the social networking site.

The appeals court said the content of Tienda's postings, which included photos, comments and music, was sufficient to show he created and maintained it and the trial judge wasn't wrong to allow it as circumstantial evidence for prosecutors to show Tienda was involved in the slaying.
Valadez's sister told prosecutors as they were preparing for trial about three MySpace pages featuring Tienda boasting about the killing. They also included entries of him complaining about wearing an electronic monitor while awaiting trial.

“I kill to stay rich!!” according to one of the entries. Another features a photo of a tattoo of the Roman numeral for 18 on the back of Tienda's head, which a detective testified referred to the North Side 18th Street gang in Grand Prairie.

Thug lawyer who beat up gal pal will be outta practice when he gets license back — in 3 years
Michael Zulandt 'engaged in a calculated pattern of cruelty' vs. girlfriend and deserves long suspension, judges say
BY BARBARA ROSS / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, February 9, 2012, 9:43 PM

A young Manhattan lawyer who spent six months in jail for assaulting his girlfriend four years ago was himself smacked Thursday — with a three-year suspension of his license.
Judges in the Appellate Division in Manhattan rejected a 60-day suspension recommended by a panel of lawyers.
They said Michael Zulandt, 32, “engaged in a calculated pattern of cruelty” in October 2007 when he smacked his girlfriend repeatedly. “The seriousness of (his) conduct warrants a three-year suspension,” the judges said in an opinion released Thursday.
Police said Zulandt got furious with his girlfriend in her East Village apartment. He "repeatedly struck her with a closed fist," kicked her, put his hands around her throat and threw her on her coach when she tried to leave, broke her nose and screamed "I want you dead. I want you killed."
They said during his tirade, Zulandt also grabbed a hammer, smashed her $3,500 Cartier watch, ruined her $1,000 purse by filling it with water, poured oil on her $1,500 couch and ripped into artwork with a pen before ripping her intercom off the wall and snatching her cell phone.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/thug-lawyer-beat-gal-pal-outta-practice-license-back-3-years-article-1.1020182#ixzz1lz7kvRdv

Williamson Co. DA Race; Predator Preacher; Porn Loving Cop

Open Letter from Jana Duty, Challenger to District Attorney John Bradley
Hello. I hope this note finds you well. The reason I’m writing is to let you know that I have decided to challenge Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley in this year’s Republican Primary election. I am challenging Mr. Bradley because I believe the citizens deserve a D.A. who understands that his (or her) job is to seek justice. This is an enormous undertaking, so in order to be successful; I need the support of all attorneys who believe in the need to reform the Williamson County justice system. My website www.JanaDuty.com is filled with information about me and my record. You can also contribute to my campaign directly through the website.

Unfortunately there is a cloud hanging over the District Attorney’s office. John Bradley represents all that is wrong with our criminal justice system today. Instead of seeking justice, Mr. Bradley manipulates his own agenda. Mr. Bradley has also repeatedly refused to prosecute his buddies at the courthouse for their blatant violations of the law. He continues to mislead the public by stating he has a true “open file policy”, which is far from reality. His actions are that of a self-serving politician who cares more about his statistics and bid for re-election than seeking justice. That’s why I am running for District Attorney.

I make no apologies for being an advocate for the people of Williamson County. If that makes me unpopular with the courthouse insiders, so be it. If elected, I will bring honesty and integrity back to the D.A.’s office, to see that everyone is treated evenly and fairly under the law and to continue fighting to protect our families as I have done as County Attorney. We need a D.A. who will put the public interest above his own political career and that of his friends. We need a D.A. who will seek truth with fair evaluation of DNA evidence. And finally, we need a D.A. who will implement a true open discovery policy as I have done in the County Attorney’s office.

Unfortunately, running for a county-wide office against an entrenched incumbent is an expensive undertaking, so I need your financial contribution to help carry my message to voters. Every dollar helps, and while I appreciate large donors, we are building this campaign on $20, $50 and $100 contributions. Please click www.JanaDuty.com and donate today. Your donation will help pay for mailings, signs, newspaper ads and other items needed for a successful campaign.

The implications of this campaign go well beyond the borders of Williamson County, so I hope the entire Bar will rally around our cause and send a strong signal that business-as-usual will no longer be tolerated. It’s time to start a new era in the Williamson County District Attorney’s office, and with your help we can make that a reality. Please join me today and contribute online at the secure website by clicking www.JanaDuty.com.

If you would like to reach me personally for any reason, don’t hesitate to call me at (512) 554-5678 or send email to Jana@JanaDuty.com. It would be a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Warmest regards,

Jana Duty
Williamson County Attorney

Predator Preacher

Former member of Dallas’ St. Luke Methodist alleges sexual impropriety by pastor

A former member of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church sued the church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Tyrone D. Gordon, on Friday, accusing him of coercing men in his congregation to engage “in sexual acts and relationships for his own personal sexual gratification.”
The Rev. Cameron Jerrod Greer, 26, said that he and several other young members of the church were coerced into sexual situations with Gordon from about 2003 through 2010. Greer’s lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, alleges that some of the encounters occurred inside Gordon’s office, sometimes between the church’s two Sunday morning services.

Wylie officer investigated for porn allegations
A Wylie police officer is under administrative and criminal investigations over pornography allegations.

The department received an e-mail Monday alleging Off. Jim Bunger "had participated in lewd behavior," according to a statement.


Dallas officer faces charges in connection with assault on husband