Monday, February 25, 2008

The Candidates on Michael Berry

All four Republican candidates for the D.A.'s Office were on Michael Berry's show tonight on 740 KTRH.

I think I'm starting to become exhausted with this campaign, because I swear I'm starting to hear the same thing over and over again from everybody. There were no real surprises.

Kelly had the benefit/curse of going first, so she got the first word in, but every candidate after her had the benefit of questioning what she said. All in all, it didn't go too badly for her.

Jim was next, and did a fine job. I was a little bit surprised listening to him, because he was very aggressive in alleging that the Office was racist.

Lykos started out by criticizing Michael Berry because he had previously had Kelly on the show, and not her. I was really going to try to be a little nicer to Pat this evening, but damn, she gives me so much material, that it's hard to walk away from. I mean, seriously, the first words out of your mouth and you're blasting your host?!

Lykos also said something that really ticked me off. She claimed that prosecutors wilfully sponsored "false witnesses". That's a load of horse-pucky. Every lawyer who litigates (which, by the way, Lykos is now referring to herself as a litigator. What did she litigate?) knows that we call expert witnesses because they have to explain to the jury things we don't easily understand. I've done DNA cases, but I'll be damned if I understood the work that the witnesses did behind them. Although I could understand the DNA report, I couldn't have looked at a DNA Analysis and questioned the science behind it. For God's sake, that's why we CALL expert witnesses.

As usual, her argument was disingenuous.

And finally, poor old Doug Perry came on. The first question Berry asked him was "what separates you from the rest of the candidates?"

I half-expected his answer to be: "On average, about forty IQ points."

I know, that's mean, but from what I've been hearing lately, Mr. Perry hasn't exactly been the nicest guy on the campaign trail when the cameras aren't rolling.

7 comments:

pro.victims said...

Alright, I've heard her say it twice now, after South Texas and the Berry show.

Pat Lykos is the only candidate who has signed death warrants and "ordered" someone to execute another human being.

It's driving me nuts that no one has pointed out what I hope is obvious. As a judge, she did not have to do any of the heavy lifting required to investigate, charge, and prove beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of a capital murder defendant. Nor did she have to prove the punishment evidence that was required to secure a jury verdict that would result in death. All she had to do was set a date, by her signature, after police, prosecutors and jurors did all the work.

But without her signature, none of it would have happened, I suppose.

Ron in Houston said...

I certainly hope those heavy lifters did a good job. I wouldn't want Pat Lykos deciding what I wear. The thought of that woman with the power of life and death is truly a scary one.

Mark Bennett said...

Every trial lawyer knows that "I'm a litigator" actually means "I would call myself a trial lawyer if I could, but I've never actually tried a case."

anonymous c said...

On a somewhat related note, I saw Kelly's first television ad this morning during Fox and Friends on Fox News! Well, the first one that I'VE seen, at least. It was good. Very persuasive!

I've seen nothing from Lykos, yet. Hopefully, she doesn't have the cash…

Ron in Houston said...

Kelly on Fox News? Well that just confirms that she's smart.

There's probably no better place to reach Republican voters than Fox news.

Bay Area Houston said...

I thought Michael Berry had joined the service to fight in Iraq!

http://bayareahouston.blogspot.com/2007/04/drafting-houston-city-councilman.html

advocat98 said...

Lykos taking credit for signing death warrants is stupid. We are not Florida; she didn't have the power to second guess the jury's verdict like a Florida judge has the power to not follow a jury's capital punishment "recommendation."

Unless there was some reversible error, Lykos' signing of the death warrant was no more significant than the clerk assigned to her court signing any of the subpoenas in the case. I suppose a former Lykos clerk could campaign on carrying out the death penalty with just as much credibility.

Episode Seven: The Voters Awaken - A One Act -Sci-Fi Play

SCENE:  The Death Star orbits over Downtown Houston. [INTERIOR] The Imperial Council Chambers. EMPRESS OGG sits at the head of a long table ...