Friday, April 24, 2009

I'm Just Saying . . .

Today will be the last day for yet another member of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Now, before you Lykos fans start applauding too hard about old Patsy and the Gang running off another one of those "lazy, corrupt and racist prosecutor holdovers from the Evil Rosenthal Administration", you might want to know who it is.

Beverly Chambers, who was handpicked by Lykos to be the top Executive Administrative Assistant and brought into the D.A.'s Office on January 1st is now making her exit -- shortly after about 100 days of having the "honor" of working right outside Pat's door. Perhaps you remember her from her role in Secretaries' Day.

No official reason has been provided for her departure after her three month contribution to the job. Also, there's no word from Patsy if Ms. Chambers was being "negligent" or "incompetent" (but then again I haven't read the Chronicle yet this morning).

However, given the fact that during Lykos' tenure as Judge in the 1980s that she ran off more court coordinators than any other judge, it does give one cause to wonder what happened here.

I'm just shocked. Shocked, I tell you. Shocked.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

So Murray it begs the question: will Little Jimmy Leitner be able to endure 3 years 8 months and 1 week more of that wicked witch's humiliation and emasculation?
Odds are once her whipping boy realizes he has a credibility vacuum with the same rehab. potential as Charley Manson, he'll try and rebuild his old court appointment practice.

Anonymous said...

Sometime in the year 2012.....

Strickland & Leitner,LLP
Attorneys At Law

Chuck "Where's My Vodka"Rosenthal,
Pat "The Troll" Lykos, of Counsel

6969 Telephone Road
Houston, Texas

Prima facie proof of Karma.

Anonymous said...

Ed porter quit today too...

Anonymous said...

Murray,
The comments to your piece on "Secretary's Day" creating "The 12 Days of Christmas" was a true classic.
Anon 12/23/08 2:37's re-touched grinch, witch and bitch photos of the troll were also an A+. I tried to click on the witch so I could print it out for some buddies but for some reason could not retrieve it.
If you can advise how I can view and copy and I'll I'll get you a framed print as well.
Thanks and have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

Why did she quit? Word is another Chief quit and she hired another one of those in search of a quick retirement package. Keep in mind, it is age vs. time served. Many of the Lykos Lt.s are there to capture the county retirement. T

Anonymous said...

The only surprising thing is she lasted this long.

jigmeister said...

With Edward Porter retiring this week, now there are 3 chiefs gone in two weeks. There will be more, I fear. And since there is a countywide hiring freeze on, how long before division chiefs and specialty division personnel are manning docket call?

Anonymous said...

Lykos has apparently hired another defense lawyer to come to the office.

Anonymous said...

Well, despite a county wide hiring freeze - word on the street is that another Lykos croney was hired recently. So it begs the question: is a vacancy or an unqualified warm body better?

Anonymous said...

Alex something is the attorney hired. What hiring freeze. Delores was transferred to be Russel's secretary and they hired an outsider secretary for McWilliams secretary.

Anonymous said...

Print the whole transcript from the Batson thing and let us decide.

Anonymous said...

Alex is coming back.He can do the work of 3 normal people.Alex is a brilliant lawyer. Criminals Beware

Anonymous said...

However, Alex does not type well.

Anonymous said...

Several good people are leaving,but the good news is that all sources indicate Alex is coming back.He is a top notch prosecutor and will be a straight shooter.

Rage Judicata said...

Alex who? I once met a fairly young former-prosecutor who went to the dark side and did plaintiff's work with a fairly unethical firm. Hope it's not him.

Murray Newman said...

Alex Azzo.

Anonymous said...

Heck Tate here:

Alex Azzo is "GOOD PEOPLE" and VERY QUALIFIED to represent either side. Hopefully he will be spared any caustic comments from people who do not honestly know him

Anonymous said...

Well, I suppose the good news is he can't possibly be worse than the people that Lykos has hired already (save Susan Bishop, I have heard that she is actually doing a good job.)

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:17,
OMG! Based on that comment Troll Lykos must be what you consider a "normal" person?

Rage Judicata said...

That's not the same Alex I met. So, clean slate as far as I'm concerned, although it must really make the anti-Lykos crowd wonder why a good prosecutor wants to be hired by this administration.

Anonymous said...

Why is Alex coming back to work at the DA's office? Why did he leave the DA's office in the first place? What type of law did Alex practice since leaving the DA's office? How did Alex comport himself in the private law practice arena? These are all important questions to ask.

I trust scrutiny of Alex's tenure in private practice reveals that he was a very hard working, successful and ethical lawyer who, now that he is financially secure, is returning to the DA's office as a "calling" to give back to our county. That would indeed demonstrate good leadership by Lykos.
However, if Alex is returning to the DA's office because he never quite measured up in the private sector and is simply looking for a government retirement package with a privileged pay grade, that too would be telling of Lykos' leadership.

Anonymous said...

Rage,
Are you saying that Alex is coming to the HCDAO from another DA office????

Murray Newman said...

Alex Azzo is coming from the defense bar to the HCDAO. He has been in private practice since long before I ever started with the Office.

I never tried a case with him, and I don't remember any particular lengthy discussions with him on other cases. I know who he is, and I think he's a nice guy. I wish him the best of luck there. I just hope he doesn't drink the Kool Aid.

Anonymous said...

AHCL,
What's your take on 11:27's post?
Where does Rage come up with: Alex "IS" a good prosecutor and will make me and other anti-Lykos people wonder? None of Lykos' hires have had any recent (past 10-20 yrs) active prosecutorial experience if any.
When will Lykos hire Rage so that he can learn about what he pretends to be an expert in? Rage would be a perfect hire for Lykos--he is not successful in the private sector and has no prosecutorial experience.

Anonymous said...

From what I understand it was his love of Kool Aid that got him the job in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Murray,
I'm afraid Alex is main-lining the Kool Ade.....what other explanation would you offer unless his defense practice is doing that poorly?

Anonymous said...

Heck Tate,
Is it true that you once tried a case against Clarence Darrow in St. Louis?

Anonymous said...

Alex may be returning to public service because of the loss of all the dedicated people who are retiring. He was a great prosecutor while he was there. Few guilty people got past him. His record was equal to Poe and Hardin. The citizens are lucky to have him back.

Rage Judicata said...

Rage,
Are you saying that Alex is coming to the HCDAO from another DA office????
No.

he is not successful in the private sector and has no prosecutorial experience.I love it. I disagree with you, so I must be a terrible lawyer with a terrible practice. Well, my kids' college funds are fully funded, and honestly that's all I care about financially speaking. I love my job and plan to do it until I die, so although I'd be OK in retirement as is I don't plan to retire any time soon. Why don't I apply for a job in the DA's office? Because I'd have to take a pay cut of about 75%. If that's "unsuccessful" to you, well, you must be Donald Trump. I've always wanted to tell you that I hate the ties you wear.

Few guilty people got past him.Uhh, we call those people "not guilty."

I'm afraid Alex is main-lining the Kool Ade.....what other explanation would you offer unless his defense practice is doing that poorly?I'm having a hard time deciding which logical fallacy applies here, but it's a fairly clear false dichotomy (google it).

Suffice it to say that maybe he was successful enough in his defense practice and misses the DA's office. We all know Murray's first love was prosecuting and I strongly suspect he'll go back to it some day. Will you say the same thing about him? Do you believe that Arthur Seaton's civil practice sucked, and that that was why he became a prosecutor?

Of course not, it's just that your hatred of Lykos colors everything. You're like the rabid Bush-bot or Obama fan, who thinks their chosen one can do no wrong, except that in your eyes Lykos and anyone who doesn't bitch about her anonymously can do no right. You really need to get over it. Start advocating change, inide the office, or be content with your office in the basement and your red stapler.

Anonymous said...

Murray,
After reading your blog for nearly a year now I must say that I am dissapointed to see that at times it is being used as a public, albeit anonymous forum to speculate about an individual's personal reasons for applying to work at the D.A.'s office. Who knows, maybe Alex's motivations are pure. At least he has some prosecutorial experience to bring to the table and seems to be respected as being honest and ethical. Maybe there isn't anything political here. Shouldn't we just give the guy a chance to show some heuvos?

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:21,
Does Alex have any idea why so many dedicated prosecutors much younger than he is are "retiring" in droves?
Insight might not be his forte.
A lot has changed in the 20+ years since he "retired" to practice criminal defense work.
His timing just seems a bit odd. Did he have an ethical epiphany? Now that would be ironic.
Something is missing as to motivation.
I don't see Rusty Hardin caliber former prosecutors returning to public service under the Rule of Lykos; and that says something much louder.

Rage Judicata said...

Does Alex have any idea why so many dedicated prosecutors much younger than he is are "retiring" in droves?Here's a thought: they aren't really that decicated. Or, if you're wondering what Alex is thinking, how about asking him?


Insight might not be his forte.Or yours. Just sayin.


His timing just seems a bit odd.To someone with no real-world experience maybe. With a new administration there is always change. Some people want out, others want in. It happens at every level, in all settings. When you're all growed up you'll understand.


Did he have an ethical epiphany?Because every defense lawyer is unethical and every prosecutor is ethical? Get a *&$^%&* brain.



I don't see Rusty Hardin caliber former prosecutors returning to public service under the Rule of Lykos; and that says something much louder.It says that they enjoy their current practices making lots of money. You'd probably do the same if you had the balls or the intelligence.

Anonymous said...

Humble suggestion Murray:

Create a Blog whereby the person has to put their e-mail address that only you see. Since most of the people who post are obviously very frustrated with their situation while employed, or once employed by the da's office, they are basically singing to the choir. Consequently, even if they got "personal", unlike Bennett's Blog, it is highly unlikely they would be "outed" by you.

It would also give this Blog much more credibility because as Bennett has shown, once someone goes over the top, he "outs" them. Result: the Blog can safely be what it pretty much is - as one blogger put it: "an outlet for frustration" until that person can quit. There is no way, under these new terms that any anti-Lykos blogger would be outed because they could pretty much get as personal as they like and there would be - I'll bet - no editorial redacting that would occur.

If, on the other hand you have a "twitter or two" of "brave" pro-Lykos bloggers, they would have to be nice and say ABSOLUTELY NOTHING good about the office or else face public Blog Flogging. I call it quality control. You see it will help keep the Blog exactly what essentially is: a "one trick pony" for A.D.A.'s negative vent.

It's better to keep it one sided. Again - quality control.

Otherwise you would have to show some true editorial discretion of fairness so that whatever gets published one truly knows it passed through your "mental editorial screening process".

You did show some chutzpah by softly telling people to leave out family members (Michelle Lietner). Then come Alex Azzo who obviously MOST people blogging here has never met and just because he got a job at the da's office he is automatically labeled, in so many words, a slacker political hack who is mainlining the cool aid.

Like you said: "It ain't over till you/we/them/they say it is over"

Also, if anyone dared to try and talk about anything else (I commend you for doing so yesterday about the media) then they could be shut down as well.

BOTTOM LINE MURRAY: You have so much potential to broaden your Blog. Truly after awhile, the only people I see drinking cool-aid are the people droning, on, and on, and on about how horrible Lykos is. I’m NOT carrying anyone’s water here. FYI: I left the office in the early 1990’s and still work in the courthouse. However By now even “Joe-six-pack and I” really DO get the picture and can read the tea leaves stuck all over my monitor that Lykos sucks to 99.9 % of your bloggers. How about zooming out, just a smidge?

Anonymous said...

Rage, what you fail to grasp is what type of person Lykos is and how that manifests in the day to day operations at the HCDAO.
I agree that there is nothing wrong with a former prosecutor returning to his old job. However,deliberately changing careers in order to go work for a person like her is suspect. Before you write this assessment off in your usual cavalier way, why not instead apply due diligence in making a fair and accurate determination on whether or not Pat Lykos is appropriate to work for.....we'll even double your current salary to 200K.

Rage Judicata said...

However,deliberately changing careers in order to go work for a person like her is suspect.Maybe he feels that more than ever the DA's office needs good prosecutors, which is something you'd no doubt agree with?



As for the rest, you need to learn some math.

Anonymous said...

Rage,
I was merely going with ADA starting salaries and your prior statement that that would be a 75% pay cut for you. BTW, I generously rounded up for your benefit.....
As for the HCDAO being in dire need of good prosecutors...no doubt about it.
As for Alex being altruistic in that regard....only time will tell; but I'm more pragmatic on that lofty idea than you.

Rage Judicata said...

I was merely going with ADA starting salariesI've been practicing almost 15 years. I'm not taking $40K for any job.



As for Alex being altruistic in that regard....only time will tell; but I'm more pragmatic on that lofty idea than you.Of course by that you mean you'll even stab another prosecutor in the back if they show the slightest hint of not being completely offended by Lykos, without knowing the slightest thing about him or his motives. Makes you guilty of talking out of your ass without knowing what you're talking about. Sound familiar?

Anonymous said...

Rage,
You lack fundamental reasoning skills and attention to detail, thus your inadequacy and frustration. Too bad I can't fix stupid for you....
BTW, since $$$ is your sine qua non...I soundly trump you.

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