Judge Poe is a legendary part of the Harris County Criminal Justice System both as a prosecutor and later as Judge of the 228th. I am very proud to say that I tried my first murder case in front of Judge Poe and I still have the souvenir he gave me when the trial was over: a note from the jury requesting to hear the prosecutor's argument again.
Even though I hadn't talked to Judge Poe in years, he was nice enough to get tickets for me and my son to tour the United States Capitol last Spring Break. It was great to see him.
Whether you practiced in front of him or not, I highly encourage you to attend Friday's unveiling. Judge Poe truly is a legend and an icon of Harris County History.
You might actually hear a good War Story or two, as well.
21 comments:
What did he need a portrait for?
I'm genuinely curious, Lee. Did you ever actually practice in front of Judge Poe and have some reason to dislike him?
Or is this like all the other posts that you use as a vehicle to express your disdain towards judges and prosecutors? I was wondering if you were an attorney or someone just disgruntled with the Criminal Justice System as you see it.
Real question.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Congratulations👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
May God Bless and Protect The Honorable Judge Ted Poe with Lenghty of many joyful years.
I’m not Lee and I have practiced in front of Ted Poe. I did not like him or practicing in his court. He was merely a publicity seeker in a black robe. I guess it worked because he got himself elected to Congress.
Fair enough.
I also am not Lee. I agree with Anon. 3:37. Poe has always been all about Poe, as evidenced by his constant sucking up to Gary Polland in order to maintain his bench. BTW, I prosecuted in his court for several years.
I hear Poe hasn’t ruled out a run for DA. Like him or not it would be fun to watch. I suspect many of those that were fired or resigned would be willing to fan out and campaign for him. And at some point you would think even The Chronicle is going to have to notice the mass resignations that are taking place.
Anon 7:47 p.m.,
I highly doubt that Poe would run for D.A. He and Kim are friends I believe she will be speaking on Friday. Plus, it would be a huge step down on the Power Ladder from U.S. Rep.
There are plenty of other names in the hopper that are more realistic to run against her in 2020.
Murray, what names are more realistic to run against Ogg than Poe?
As a congressman Poe is one of over 400. As DA he would be the head guy. Do not count him out just yet. Besides, he is the only potential opponent who could defeat Ogg in 2020.
Poe won’t run against Ogg. If there’s a chance he can lose, he won’t even consider it. Poe will only enter a race if he is guaranteed a victory.
When Poe ran for Congress he got the nomination outright in a 6 person race as a non-incumbent. He then handily defeated his Dem opponent, a then sitting congressman.
With the demise of straight ticket voting in 2020, it is a sure thing.
Murray,
To answer your questions, I am not a practicing attorney but starting law school soon. In my passions for civil liberties and human rights I have become horrified by the power of the state. I see police, prosecutors and judges as not serving the people but instead serving the system that lords over the people. I cannot understand so many policies and laws that do not help people but instead protect the system or the authority of the system. I am significantly disgruntled with the product of the system and the indifference to human suffering shown by the participants seduced by their own greed.
I characterize the portrait of Judge Poe as likened to the monument that was constructed in front of the Link Lee Mansion at St. Thomas University in 2006. I was horrified that my school permitted the tragic opportunity cost that represented in its waste of resources. That money (including any wasted on Judge Poe's portrait) would have been better spend on people and programs (student scholarship money, raise for faculty, open more classes, purchase lab equipment) but instead this money was wasted on a structure which is only going to remain stationary and expense upkeep.
I have been many times accused in my life of lacking joy or the smell of flowers but it is a matter of priorities. I am not seeking happiness, I am seeking justice. Justice is a human right and human need whereas happiness is something that is irrelevant to survival. Do you think that it is appropriate to focus on happiness while there are villains out there (police, prosecutors and judges included) committing the most evil acts imaginable? Human trafficking, poverty, racism and innocent people spending decades in prison for prosecutorial misconduct come to mind. Exonerated John Thompson (RIP) comes to mind as the victim of this system. The jury of people did the right thing and but SCOTUS interested not in protecting people, protecting life or personal responsibility but rather the system that lords over the people. SCOTUS thought that Mr. Thompson's life was worthless and he recently died as a victim of the state. I do agree with the recent call of prosecutors whom commit misconduct and to try to kill an innocent person should be indicted for murder. How appropriate is it for one to seek the luxury of happiness when there are those lacking the basic human right of justice?
As you go home in your expensive luxury car, wearing a nice suit, to your six figure house knowing that you have all of your needs met and many luxuries too, I hope that you sleep comfortably knowing that right now in prison are innocent people that were there because of the sins of the legal profession.
Thank you for letting me unload.
@Lee
Wow, you have a lot of pent up anger.
First, you lament about the “villains” who are police, prosecutors, and judges and blame them all for persons like John Thompson. Stories about exonerees like Thompson and many others are tragic and and heart-breaking. However, you forget about people who are daily victimized by evildoers, who comprise a substantially greater number of individuals handled by the criminal justice system. Definitely more than the number of exonerees.
You describe this system as indifferent to human suffering by participants seduced by human greed. Yet, what system would you prefer? What system is better? Russia? China? Saudi Arabia? Mexico? You choose one. Yet there are very few systems, if any, that compares to this US system, despite its flaws and failures.
You whine about using the money for Ted Poe’s portrait for scholarships or school expenses. I have little respect for Poe and would prefer my tax dollars not paying for him to have his portrait hung at the CJC. But I have even less interest in paying for your private school undergraduate debt or for your legal education. If I can work while attending school, everyone else can as well.
You further say you want to seek justice and human rights. But I’ve seen a HUGE number of social justice warriors in school who crossed over and got big dollar jobs upon graduation. So please save your sanctimonious attitude. You can throw this attitude around after you’ve done something, anything, in or for the system.
Btw, I’ve seen Murray’s suits. He’s not doing as well as you must think he does.
I believe that portraits are usually commissioned by friends of the Judge in question. I don't think they are paid for by taxpayers. I may be wrong about that.
The suit comment is funny. As is the idea of my expensive luxury car. #Toyota4Runner4Life
Anon 844
I have been leading the all volunteer group Amnesty International Group 23 Houston www.amnestyhouston.org for the past 6 years.
Murray is correct, no taxpayer dollars are used to pay for the judicial portraits or the receptions that usually accompany the "Hanging".
Lee, grow up. The world is gray not black and white.
Lee, assuming you do what you say you do, good for you. You might be affecting lives positively.
Still your criticism of police, prosecutors, and judges is completely unwarranted. You don’t know the mindset of the typical police officer, prosecutor, or judge. At least for police and prosecutors, most care about protecting good people from bad people. (I can’t speak for judges because they need to be political to keep their jobs. I think most of them desire to serve in a manner befitting the office, even if some are too ignorant to know how to do it.).
Your desires are no more or less noble than police and prosecutors. There are always some police and prosecutors who are bad apples just like there are probably bad apples who are leaders of local volunteer Amnesty International groups. The bad ones shouldn’t diminish the honorable and diligent efforts of the good ones.
To conclude, I agree with the closing sentiment of Anon 9:13 when he/she says “grow up”. The world really isn’t as clearly defined you think or would like it to be.
As a prosecutor, I shared a courtroom with Poe the last time the court house flooded and I agree with the others that he's an egomaniac who did things for his own fame and glory. The first time I watched a high-publicity trial in his court, I was amazed at the control he exhibited. But it wasn't until I worked in his courtroom that I saw him in a different light. He treated me horribly, he made fun of criminal defendants, he invited Frontline to film jury deliberations in a capital murder case when he knew the law prevented it. The DA's office filed a writ of mandamaus and took it up the the Court of Criminal Appeals, whose Judges ridiculed him for his off-the-charts illegal ruling (just like another court held he couldn't order a defendant to keep a picture of his victim in his jail cell for the rest of his life). Do you know that shortly after the Judges roundly chastised him for his stupidity, he announced he was retiring? He couldn't handle the criticism. He was such an egotistical jerk who did things to get his name in the paper. His tactics worked, however, because I can't tell you how many times the victims I contacted requested that their cases be moved to his court - as if they could pick the judge! I hope he retires, but I'm not sure he can stand retirement without all the adoration from his public!
When Poe was on the bench, the 228th was a sink or swim court. Sounds like somebody sank.
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