Jeff Cohen and Crew finally got off their lazy butts and published their list of endorsements for the County Courts today.
I agreed with a little over half of their decisions, which is better than usual for the Chronicle.
But, in a move that guarantees that they are still sucking up to Pat Lykos, they endorsed Rachel Palmer over Don Smyth.
Seriously. A seven year lawyer who generates nothing but controversy within her own office as opposed to a veteran of over 30 years who has an immaculate record.
Wow.
Don't even know where to begin with that one.
15 comments:
I am veteran law enforcement officer and can atest to the damage that has been done to the office since Lykos arrived. The "Special Crimes" division has become anything but that. They are not accesible, they don't trust us, and they look for excuses not to work. Cases are going unsolved and underprosecuted. It is flat out disgusting. For those who care, get out an vote, those of us in law enforcement that file charges (down tot the DWI guys) realize 10 fold the mistake we made by not supporting Kelly.
So, did Palmer buy an ad in the Comical?
Anon Cop 9 50,
You are upset because the fox is no longer guarding the hen house. We are cleaning house on those of you who think the good old convict at all cost days are here. You are upset because we hold you accountable and we will prosecute you. Start playing by the rules and quit being so darn sloppy. We don't tolerate that anymore. Sorry- Kelly isn't here anymore.
I'm gonna make a prediction so about ALL the endorsements the Chronicle made. Keep this in mind though - this fortune tell has absolutely NOTHING to do with qualifications.
I predict that of ALL the names listed in this paper's endorsement article, only one of the candidate has a chance of actually getting elected to the Bench in November. Other than that - none of the others will be elected in the General. I don't even have a "dog" in this hunt either.
Which judicial candidates are in favor of Public Defender? Many lawyers are going to be out of a job because the county officials secretly have a plan in place.We heard they are not telling anyone about what they are doing.
Anon 9:50
Gimme a break. That is such a load of BS.
Interesting- When you read the list of endorsements, they all have a great deal of experience... EXCEPT ONE!!
The endorsement list reads "...18 years of experience...", "...since 2001...", "...a lot of experience in trials...". However, Palmers just reads about how she has lofty idelas to involve Parents...
Hey Patsy, How much pull did you have in this one?? Can we get a countdown to 2012?
Anon 9:50,
I feel your pain. I have some dear friends at HPD and they convey those same sentiments to me. Both in Misd. and Felony. It's a shame that the D.A. and the PD Depts in the area no longer have a good working relationship. No trust = No confidence.
As for the response to "cleaning house"... That will happen in 2012. Rachel, its alomost over!!
In my opinion the editorial board of the Comical has always been a bunch of disingenuous slugs. Having talked to numerous people who have had the misfortune to go before that board, intellectual honesty and integrity is a component which is apparently non-existent in the board's equation. The agenda has always been clear though. A paper that allows people like casey, falkenberg and all to take pen to paper is clearly not deserving of the public's trust or support. When this paper endorsed palmer, an individual barely out of her law school diapers, and only having taken her first baby steps in her legal career over Donald Smyth, even though some of the paper's endorsements were valid although not necessarily for the reasons stated, it is clear that the fix was in with the palmer endorsement. One can only speculate as to what this endorsement probably cost palmer and patty.
Anon 11:05; we know what it cost Palmer. Someone said it best "prostitute" Check her campaign finance reports. Palmer's boy-toy/family has given her enough $$ to buy off Polland, Lowry AND The Comical!
Money can buy politics - but money won't buy the respect of co-workers and underlings.
Anon 11:46,you have no idea how sorry you will be...
I hope Don Smyth doesn't win. He would be wasted on a misdemeanor bench. He should wait and run for a felony bench, where his talent, experience, and skills can really serve the public.
Regarding discontent about Judge Lykos getting elected District Attorney of Harris County, Consider this: "Sometimes great Generals (Chuck & Kelly) make for baby politicians".
The people that WORK HARD as seasoned prosecutors or criminal defense lawyers, haven't the foggiest idea what it takes to truly have the ability to "step into the sewer" called politics.
It's not like a Jury trial where you get to make a structured spell binding final argument, or think you have personal control over the set of rules that are placed before you to follow.
To be "political" many times runs contrary to "seeking Justice" or " "zealously representing your client" - IE: yourself.
The better analogy is like this nightmare: "You show up for trial and as you try to present your case by direct or cross - there's no code of evidence or procedure, No referee, & the Jury changes number from 6 or 12 to any number from 8 to 73 as well as their faces and bodies change from one hour to the next. What one odd numbered group of "jurors" heard a minute ago, the presently and phantasmal seated odd numbered & stranger jury has never heard any of it before. Every 14 & 1/2 minutes a bell rings and the State and Defense switch tables in a courtroom that resembles part brothel, church, bar, and field. Then both sides also take turns "playing" judge and even trade sides completely. There is no Bailiff and the case seems to never end - like the old Law School case styled; "Jaundice vs. Jaundice".
In short fellow members of the Criminal Justice Community - the most qualified people in some people's mind don't normally get elected and good hard working people get voted out. How many of you vote just every now and then and not every time you can? How many bitch here anonymously but forgot to vote on that fateful runoff day when Kelly lost? How many of you have ever worked a polling booth or donated to a political campaign without having to be asked? How many of you can't vote next week because you simply are not registered to vote?
You see this ever fluid group of people I refer to above as the phantom jury represents the people that just don't give a shit and throw "all that political mail" in the trash. Regardless of how strong you feel positive or negative about one candidate or another - they all have one thing in common: Win or lose - they took the chance to compete and get dirty. They are on the field and you are not. Be charitable with your anonymous "drive by shots". It's a wonder anyone of any substance even thinks about running for an elected office when there is so much to loose - like dignity and privacy.
Postscript: Judge Lykos won because she was the better POLITICIAN than Kelly AND many of Kelly's supporters took things for granted and just didn't vote or stay the course.
Regardless of how you feel about the present "situation" in "The Office" - are YOU willing to take "HER" on personally or financially? Are YOU willing to get out from your comfort zone of anonymously griping to actively getting politically active on YOUR candidate's campaign? Have YOU ever attended the mired political functions these people have to attend just to keep this phantom ever changing jury's attention and hope they remember your name on election day and hope they know where to drive to even vote?
If you don't like Lycos - she will have to be beaten in a world many of you are ill equipped to enter. Don't take it personally. Take the challenge...but stop counting how many Jury trials you have because politically - it doesn't matter.
Anon 12:33,
Bingo, best written post on this site ever. I agree 100%.
Folks on here need to take note of this, because I can guarantee you it is true.
Anon 12-23AM
Right on!! There are a lot of good people out there with the courage to seek public office. They don't deserve the drive-by remarks from persons hiding behind anonymity. I agree with another poster that this is the best post I have ever seen on this blog. Truly a breath of fresh air!!
February 24, 2010 12:17 AM - Here with a follow-up. Only regarding the Republican C.C.C.L. candidate endorsements, the Chronicle got NONE elected. To be fair - the paper is not in the business of picking the candidate most likely to win. My point here is only to show how their "anointing" is nothing like it used to be 25 yeas ago. Obviously "some" of who they endorsed would have made good judges.
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