Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Jim Leitner Returns! [Updated]

I received word today that former Harris County District Attorney's Office 1st Assistant Jim Leitner had signed up to run for Harris County Attorney.

We haven't heard much from Big Jim since his testimony in the David Temple hearing, where he repeatedly claimed that I wrote untrue things about him, and then subsequently admitting that all the things I had written about him were, um, completely accurate.  When we last checked in with him, his employment had been terminated by Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman and he was working as a contract attorney in the 208th District Court.

Jim's return to politics is interesting for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, he never seems to win anything.  He's made a couple of tries to be District Attorney that haven't panned out too well for him.  More interestingly, however, is the fact that he seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis on what political party he belongs to.  Jim has been very public in his support of Democratic candidate for District Attorney Kim Ogg.  Prior to being terminated by Sheriff Hickman, he had been appointed as a high ranking member of the Sheriff's Office under Democrat Adrian Garcia.

So, when I heard that Jim was running for something again, my first question was "under what Party?"

Well, it turns out that he's running as a Republican.  I don't know how well received that will be within the upper echelons of the Harris County Republican Party.  They tend to not like candidates who have failed in two previous elections, and they really don't like those who aren't loyal.

Jim's opponent in the Republican Primary is former Civil County Court at Law judge Jacqueline Lucci Smith.  My understanding is that she has worked for the Harris County Attorney's Office and that she doesn't seem to have the same confusion over what Party she belongs to.

Part of me hopes that Jim wins and makes Pat or Nick Lykos his first assistant.  That's only because it would give me more entertaining material to write about.  However, I value my Right to Vote too much to cast a ballot in favor of him.

I don't know much about former Judge Smith, but she'll have my vote.

UPDATE:  I learned today that attorney Chris Carmona filed for County Attorney last night and that Judge Smith is stepping aside to be his treasurer.   




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Murray, when are you going to comment on the 176th decision? You've been uncharacteristically quiet. Are you uncomfortable about saying anything because you're friends with the parties involved? You don't seem to have problems commenting on other people who work in the building, esp when you don't like them.

Murray Newman said...

Actually, if you had been paying any level of attention, you would have noticed that I've been "uncharacteristically quiet" on this blog for some time now. I've been writing a weekly column at Mimesis Fault Lines and that has been my focus.

I did actually write an article on the 176th decision and I posted a link to it in the comments of the last post. Since you apparently missed it, here it is again: http://mimesislaw.com/fault-lines/being-a-prosecutor-means-never-having-to-say-youre-sorry/5293

Anonymous said...

LAST DAY TO FILE IS TODAY, DECEMBER 14th

Anonymous said...

Once RP gets home and helps Don with the big words, he's gonna call Jim and get you fired again.

Anonymous said...

So, the filing period has come and gone and "Just Sayin" is nowhere to be found on the ballot.

Undoubtedly he will be posting shorty, complaining that nobody had the stones to file against Devon in the primary.

Loser.

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