Cindy Rosenthal (Chuck's wife) breaks her silence about all of the courthouse scandals in a Letter to the Editor in today's Chronicle. I'm sure that not everyone will have a lot of kind things to say about the letter, but she points out something about the Medina case that I've been thinking since it happened. She questions why in the hell Chuck would have done anything to help the Republican Party, when they turned their back on him. I think it's a valid question, for those conspiracists who believe the Medina dismissal was a Republican Plot.
And as usual, the idiocacy of the posters on the Chron.com website is in full motion.
5 comments:
Cindy's reputation as a former FBI agent is impeccable. She needs to stop defending Chuck. Yes, the news media is biased and is more interested in creating scandals to sell advertising than seeking the ultimate truth.
The sad truth, Cindy, is that your husband is a personal and professional disgrace. He has tarnished the reputations of prosecutors, not only in his office but statewide and nationwide.
It matters because your husband and his office send more minorities to death row than any other office in the nation. It matters because prosecutors must not only be ethical, but must also avoid the appearance of impropriety.
The canadian email and the racist emails found on Chuck's computer serve to raise questions about the inner circle that has been running the HCDA's office for almost 30 years.
Unfortunately, jury's across the state and nation have heard of this, and your prosecutor breathren will spend alot of time attempting to convince hostile jurors that, in fact, we do tell the truth.
Likewise, Kelly Seigler is tainted by her very close friendship with Rosenthal as well as her Husband's friendship with Chuck. Before her lakewood comments and Hubby's emails were released, the race was hers to lose.
Those who know the "inner counsel/council" at HCDA's office know how hardass they prosecute and how hardass they have treated those who work there who don't "fit in their mold". They harshly judged others who didn't walk the party line and they discouraged giving a break to any defendant, no matter when, not matter what.
Karma is a bitch, isn't it?
And in the wee small hours of the morning, those of us in the biz know what hard-drinking and hard living folks are in this inner circle.
One psychologist friend attributes all of this to desensitization over handling repeated death penalty cases over the years. That same psychologist visited a baby prosecutor school with me in austin many, many years ago and made observations regarding the hard core attitudes being taught there, primarily by Harris County ADA's. Although I discounted those observations at the time, they have come to be true.
Too bad some really stellar former prosecutors like Mark Vinson are not in this race.
Anon,
I think the over-all subject you are addressing is covered by the post I just finished writing. I agree that there are many many Assistant D.A.'s who are hard drinkers, cussers, smokers, whatever, but I don't know that you can directly link that to death penatly cases. There are plenty of other cases out there to give ADAs ulcers: intox manslaughters, Agg Sex Assault of a Child, Possession of Child Pornography. The vast majority of the ADAs haven't risen to the level of where they even try DP cases, actually.
Interesting thought about the idea of Mark Vinson running for Office. Very interesting.
I also agree that it's too bad that Mark Vinson isn't running, but I believe that Terrance Windham would of been another great choice for candidate.
My 11 years tenure as an administrative assistant with the D.A.'s office was a great experience. I do know that each prosecutor that I worked with approached their cases differently, but with concern and care for the victims.
My best wishes to all of the D.A. staff. Remember that it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't situation".
Oh, A HARRIS COUNTY LAWYER, you have a good blog. Glad you didn't shut down.
Yeah, don't shut the blog down. It is the best entertainment value of the year, and it is not moderated by a far out liberal. It is nice to have one voice of reason among all of the high liberal and derogatory blogs about fighting crime.
Here's another question for LHCCJ. First Mike Trent. Then Vic Wisner. Then Cindy Rosenthal. Each one penned a press release and impaled themselves further upon public opinion (i.e. see the chron responses to the Wisner and Cindy letters. The responses are brutal and the folks in this town are scary as hell. Even scarier when you consider at least a portion of the responders can or will vote).
The vast majority of Houston citizens familiar with government and this town know the rank and file adas, staff and investigators are honest, dedicated, underpaid and lose sleep trying to keep the citizens safe. We have really bad crime here in Houston, and the citizens know it and appreciate police, EMS/FD and DA efforts to make Houston a safer place.
But I bet the average citizen wonders why an ada would be allowed to stay after racially derogatory email that apparently did not go under the radar of others in the office. Or why Kelly would slander an entire, well thought of church and its members, especially because Chuck is blessed and wears that damn bracelet. Does Lucy really feel the same way as Kelly about Lakewood? Or why all of the adas in the office, brilliant legal minds, didn't confront Chuck about the political emails. These things are troubling.
That being said, the HCDAs has always paid more than other towns in Texas, and with the much lower cost of living in Houston compared to other large metro areas in the US, salary comparisons are disingenuous. Many fine adas across the state make far less than those in HC and show the same dedication to their jobs.
Besides, HC adas make alot of money, compared to the average college educated professional in Harris County.
Chuck's sec's car use should be thoroughly investigated and published in the local rags.
And I got an answer for Chuck. WWJD? He'd probably resign, and let a caretaker be appointed by the Gov. as caretaker for the office.
Finally, why has the state prosecutor organization, the tdcaa, been absolutely silent on this whole scandal? Maybe because they are friends with Chuck? Maybe because they received an email from Chuck targeting Sen Whitmire and because Chuck and Holmes discussed their mutual dislike of Earle in those emails? Very interesting. When do we get to see the rest of the emails?
Moose, welcome to the blog. I remember you from days at the Office. It's nice to see you again. I hope you will come back to the board.
By the way, folks, Moose points out that she was an adminstrative assistant for 11 years at the D.A.'s Office. She was, and she was a damn good one, too. I wasn't aware she had left, but apparently since she is living in Scandinavia, I'm guessing she isn't commuting in anymore.
Anon 9:04, there are a lot of your questions that I just don't have answers for. Let me think about some of them and get back to you.
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