Todd Keagle Departs

There is a going away party this afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at OKRA Charity Bar (924 Congress) for Vehicular Crimes Chief Todd Keagle.

After nine years with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Todd and his family are moving to San Antonio.  Todd's departure is a very big loss for the Office.

I didn't know Todd very well during my time at the D.A.'s Office, but I've worked with him extensively on the defense side on an extremely complicated case that seemed like it went on forever.  He knew what he was doing when it came to the intoxication offenses that he investigated and he always seemed about three steps ahead of everyone else.  He was professional and no nonsense when it came to handling the facts of his case.

However, Todd didn't let the strength of the State's case lead him to making unfair decisions on his recommendations.  He was fair and he was willing to hear out anything I brought to him on behalf of my client.

He turned over every last bit of evidence he had before I could even ask for it, and he checked into everything that he didn't have in his possession.  He was very clear on what his duties were on both Brady and Discovery, in general.  He stayed ahead of the curve by turning them over early and as additional evidence came in.  He also didn't subscribe to the idea that "prison is the only answer" and he was open to working on a rehabilitative solution that could make positive changes for all involved.

More importantly, Todd had integrity in how he handled his job and he didn't let a questionable administration (circa January 1, 2009-December 31, 2012) change that.  He was very clear that he would handle his cases the way he believed was right and if the Administration didn't agree with it, they could fire him.  Under the the former District Attorney, that was always a distinct possibility.

A good prosecutor who does his or her job in a professional, efficient and ethical manner is one of the best things that can happen to a defense attorney on many cases, and I'm sorry to see Todd go.

I wish him the best of success in whatever the future holds for him in San Antonio.