Life at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center

When I first started blogging, I realized very quickly that I could not run a blog that had no filtering process for the comments.  Back then, there was some Pat-Lykos-supporting-jackass named Kimberly Ann White that kept attempting to post Kelly Siegler's home address on my blog and Mark Bennett's blog. Over the years, there have been pros and cons to moderating comments.  I try to post everything that people write in as long as it isn't personal and it isn't flat-out lying.  One of the other things that I don't publish is blatant spamming. Not a day goes by when I don't get some attempt to publish a comment on the blog that reads like it was written by a graduate of Don Hooper's School of Spelling & Grammar. For example: Usually, the spamming author will have a link back to an attorney or bail bond company that is nowhere near the Houston area.  The attorney web sites will generally be some sort of mass marketing "DWI lawyer" from C

Former prosecutor, CrimeStoppers head, and attorney Kim Ogg officially announced her candidacy for Harris County District Attorney today in a press conference at the 1910 Courthouse.  She will be running as a Democrat. As most of you know, since District Attorney Mike Anderson's term was not completed, the election will be in 2014 and the position of District Attorney will be on the ballot again in 2016.  As of this writing, the only other candidate who will be running is Interim District Attorney Devon Anderson. Although I don't know Kim Ogg very well, I like her.  On the few occasions we've had to talk, I have found her to be very smart and is someone who cares about the Criminal Justice System very much. (NOTE:  yes, I know that I just used the word "very" three times in a row, but I'm very rushed for time at the moment.)  She will make a great candidate for the Dems.  She has already stated her opposition to the filing of trace cases and is developin

Tune into Channel 13 tonight at ten o'clock as Ted Oberg has the first interview with newly appointed Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson.

I'm away for my computer, so excuse the short post from the iPad, but . . . Congratulations to Devon Anderson on her appointment as interim District Attorney of Harris County!

Both the Houston Chronicle  and ABC Channel 13 are posting articles on their websites this afternoon about the search for the interim District Attorney to lead the office after the passing of Mike Anderson. The Chronicle  article, written by Brian Rogers , focuses on Republican GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill voicing his support for former 177th District Court judge and widow of Mike, Devon Anderson.  Although I always cringe whenever Jared Woodfill or other Republican Party "leadership" dabble into the world of Criminal Justice, I can't disagree with Jared on his vote. Devon was an All-Star prosecutor before taking the bench.  One of my earliest memories as a baby prosecutor was watching her, along with Lyn McClellan and Johnny Holmes, try the notorious Railcar Killer, Rafael Resendez Ramirez .  Although Mr. Holmes and Lyn were outstanding in the jobs they did, this case was Devon's and she did a phenomenal job as lead prosecutor. The Channel 13 article was a litt

One of the things I'm proud of in my life is the fact that Luke's mom and I maintain a good friendship and work together in our co-parenting of our son.  One of the keys to that is making sure that both parents do all they can to support the child's relationship with the other parent.  One example is making sure that the kiddo has gotten a present for the other parent's birthday. For instance . . . Yep, co-parenting is most successful when both parents do their best to be thoughtful. Happy birthday, Sylvia!

In today's print edition of the Chronicle , Harris County District Attorney's Office 1st Assistant Belinda Hill responded to the paper's tasteless editorial of last Thursday . You can read Belinda's letter here .  It does an excellent job of not only illustrating just how much Mike Anderson accomplished during his tragically short tenure in office. It also shows the leader that she is and why all of the prosecutors at the Office (as well as the Defense Bar) are hoping that Governor Perry will do the best thing for Harris County and appoint her interim District Attorney.

As most of my friends and family know by now, I've spent the past several weeks being treated for a pretty rare, yet highly treatable form of leukemia called "Hairy Cell Leukemia." Yeah, go ahead and insert the hair jokes.  It's okay. As a blogger, I'm an "over-sharer" by nature.  However, when I was first diagnosed, Emily and I made the decision to keep the news off of the blog and the internet, in general -- until the ordeal was over with. Today, I became one of the very blessed individuals who got to hear the words "in remission" from my doctor.  Obviously, it is a very happy and emotional day and I wanted to write about it for a variety of reasons. First off, I need to give the obligatory Public Service Announcement. I was diagnosed with this illness and caught it very early by going to a simple physical.  Emily had been pestering me to go to the doctor for a physical despite the fact that I felt perfectly healthy.  It had been a

I've had my issues with the brain trust that runs the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle  over the past years.  I've disagreed with them over endorsements.  I've disagreed with them when they've published uneducated opinions on issues they failed to adequately research. However, I have never been more floored by their lack of judgment than I was today in reading the thoughtless, insensitive, and ill-timed editorial regarding the death of Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson .  Today, on the day before Mike's funeral, the Chronicle's  editorial board saw fit to write such things as: "With his premature death from cancer at 57 last week, Anderson has been denied the opportunity of carrying out his tough, some would say harsh, prosecutorial agenda as head of the state's largest district attorney's office." I understand if the Chronicle disagreed with some of the policies of the Anderson Administration, but is a critical editori

In case you missed it, the Houston Chronicle  has Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson's obituary in it this morning.   You can read it here . Please note that the funeral will be on Friday, September 6 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church at 5300 Main in Downtown.  I know that many of us will be taking the Metrorail because parking will probably difficult. Also please note that the Anderson family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters or the Harris County Drug Court Foundation .

As I was driving back to Houston Monday afternoon after a weekend at the lake with my family, I received a text message from Bert Graham.  An impromptu get-together to remember and mourn Mike Anderson was being held at Cottonwood on Shepherd and he wanted me to know I was invited.   I dropped off my family and drove straight there. The place was wall-to-wall with current prosecutors and former prosecutors from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s.  There were a lot of tears.  A lot of hugs.  A lot of fond remembrances of a good man by people who loved him dearly. The occasion was unprecedented, obviously.  The type of gathering, however, was not. Ever since I first started in 1999, former and current members of the Harris County District Attorney's Office have gathered together in good times and bad to either celebrate or mourn.  It is one of the remarkable things about that place that has always made me regard it with such affection.  Outside of the job description of being a prosec