A friend of mine recommended this story from the past that has a lot of ties to the present situation at the Harris County District Attorney's Office. It makes for some interesting reading for a variety of reasons.
You can check it out by clicking here. (NOTE: It took a while to load on my computer which may be because of the age of the article. Have patience.)
13 comments:
I remember those events quite well and have often thought about the similarities with the current administration.
Well if Lycos, RB and JL wore wires and disclosed the testimony then maybe there are grounds for removal. I know of 20 people not associated with the CJC who will sign the petition.
A jury voted to kick Fort Bend County District Attorney Jack Stern out of office, finding him incompetent and guilty of official misconduct.
Presiding juror Susan Ray said Stern's release of grand jury testimony was the main reason behind the jury's near-unanimous decision.
Bottom Line:
An individul who publishes secret Grand Jury testimony is unfit to serve as District Attorney.
The various parties complicit in the multitude of Grand Jury leaks ought to be very concerned.
Recall this case very well.
"Jack Stern's act sent shock waves through the state," she said. "This man, this mind, this morality is scary."
The events associated with Lykos and the GJ is just as scary!
Be interesting to know what happened on appeal. Sounds like there was an error in the charge (namely, that releasing the tapes was charged as illegal, when it isn't). I think it's even been discussed here that it's not illegal. Unethical? Maybe, maybe not. Contempt? Yep. But illegal? No.
Y'all need to come down off of this anti-Lykos craze y'all have going on. There are a lot of issues to talk about in the criminal justice arena, and this one has been beat to death.
Rage
Well, hell, Rage,
That's like being in Dallas on November 22, 1963 and saying "Can't y'all talk about something else?"
Stern's removal was eventually upheld by the appellate courts. A temporary replacement DA, John Healey, who had been a career prosecutor in the office for 10 years, was appointed by the presiding judge. John subsequently ran in the next election and was elected and still is the Fort Bend DA. It took him awhile to straighten out the mess left by the Stern affair. I recall it well. Healey hired me as the appellate lawyer for the office a few months after Stern's removal and I got to observe the aftermath of Stern's reign from close up.
Rage, we're all getting excited because we can now begin really working to get the house dropped on the wicked witch of 1201.
It is going to be so much fun watching her fizzle away once the cold water of being defeated in the primary hits her between the eyes!
Anon 5:25pm
It will be a Kodiak moment to watch you wipe your eyes as you realize that your lie's and falsehoods did not pay off.
8:41 (Hoop)
Obviously you're referring to Lykos' reaction to losing...couldn't agree with you more!
Re: Last couple posts. Too much drama...just f*****g vote!
Damn Murray, that beats even my best hyperbole.
Rage
Rage, I have to say I agree with your first and second post.
Interestingly, Frank Briscoe's former First Assistant Sam Robertson was brought in by the Court of Appeals as a visiting judge to author the appeal in the Stern case. Is there any wonder why the illegal jury charge was upheld?
At the time of the Stern incident, the CCP did not make it unlawful or otherwise prohibit a district attorney from disclosing GJ testimony. Rusty Hardin proceeded on the theory that it violated "tradition" not the law. The jury charge was undoubtedly illegal, but goes to show that when the powers that be want someone removed from office, a little thing like the law doesn't stand in their way.
In 1993, a year after the Stern removal, the legislature changed the law on grand jury testimony.
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