Friday, October 24, 2014

Kim Ogg, Attorney-Client Privilege and the McAfee Case

When a potential client first calls a lawyer on the phone or comes into his office, there is no predicting where that case will lead.  Whether it be civil, criminal, or family law, the variables are so vast that there are really only two things a lawyer can guarantee a client:  his best effort, and complete confidentiality.

The principle of Attorney-Client privilege is something that every lawyer and most non-lawyers understand.  It is a sacred principle in the legal profession and one that is held above all others.  A lawyer could arguably be forgiven more easily for doing a terrible job on a case than he could ever be for sharing privileged information.  Client communications are privileged.  Period.

How serious is the duty of Attorney-Client confidentiality?  If I were to represent a client and he fired me, I would be forbidden from turning over my file on the client to his new lawyer until I had confirmed that client's permission to do so.  It is so serious that the confidentiality begins as soon as the potential client first tells a prospective lawyer the facts of his case --  even if that client doesn't hire that lawyer, privilege exists because of communication in anticipation of hiring a lawyer.

It is so serious that the duty of Attorney-Client confidentiality survives even if the client dies.

Attorney-Client confidentiality is one of the most basic tenets of being a lawyer.

It just is.

On Saturday, May 8, 2010, a woman named Janet McAfee was shot and killed by her husband, Ken McAfee.  After killing his wife, Ken McAfee engaged in a 3 hour SWAT standoff before shooting himself in the jaw.  He would survive the injury and be charged with Janet's murder.

In the days that followed, it would come to be revealed that Janet McAfee had been in the process of divorcing Ken.  According to a Houston Chronicle article, she had filed for divorce in March 2010.  In the same article, it is mentioned that at some point, Janet had attempted to become legal guardian of her husband, Ken.  That information was shared with the Chronicle by Janet's former lawyer, Jack Ogg.

Now, right off the bat, there is something suspect about a murder victim's former attorney giving information to the press about the nature of his representation.  In my opinion, that seems like a breach of Attorney-Client confidentiality right there.  At least Ogg declines to state Janet's reasons for seeking the guardianship.

But it seems as if Ogg clearly violates Attorney-Client privilege when he begins telling unflattering information about his now-deceased former client:
"I've heard that there were threats on both sides," Ogg said.  "But that's not unusual when people are going through marital problems."
Okay, so you have a former client who was initiating legal action against her husband and said husband has now murdered your former client.  What better time to start sharing with the press that she had been making threats toward her killer?  This type of sharing is certainly not acting in the best interest of your client.  As a matter of fact, you are actually beginning to act in the interest of the man who killed her.

So what does that have to do with Kim Ogg?  Well, it gets worse.  A lot worse.

Ken McAfee's murder case landed in the 339th District Court and although he was initially appointed counsel, attorney Gerald Fry comes in on the case as retained counsel on May 13th, 2010.  On July 6, 2010, Fry files the below "Ex Parte Motion to Acquire Records," asking Judge Maria Jackson to order the Ogg Law Firm to turn over their file on their deceased former client, Janet McAfee.


Now, normally, this would be the kind of thing that any self-respecting attorney would go to war over.  Like a journalist who would go to jail in contempt of court before revealing their sources, an attorney would proudly go to jail for contempt rather than ever allow their privileged Attorney-Client communication to be turned over.

Seriously, folks.  This is a huge deal and I personally know at least two criminal defense attorneys who were willing to go to jail rather than turn over their files to another lawyer without the client's permission.

In this case, you have Gerald Fry, Ken McAfee's attorney, asking for the confidential information shared between the Ogg Law Firm (by and through its representative, Kim Ogg) and their former client Janet McAfee, the murder victim of Fry's client. 

Don't get me wrong -- there is no harm in Gerald Fry trying to get their file.  He just should have expected Kim Ogg -- Victim's Right Advocate and former CrimeStoppers head -- to tell him to go to Hell.  Even if Judge Jackson were to grant Fry's request and order the file, any self-respecting lawyer who has ever represented a client (especially one that has been murdered) would go to jail before complying with that order.  

Quite frankly, there probably would have been no chance on Earth that Judge Jackson would have ever granted Fry's Motion, if it hadn't been for the "Certificate of Conference" he included at the end of his motion.
Um, holy betrayal, Batman.

The reason that Gerald Fry was filing the Motion to Acquire records was because he had already spoken to Kim Ogg eight days earlier and she had told him that she had no objection to turning over her file on Janet McAfee.

Kim Ogg agreed to turn over a murder victim's confidential file to the attorney representing the victim's killer.  She just needed a judge to sign off on an order to cover herself.

And the order was signed and the Ogg Law Firm turned over their Attorney-Client Privileged file to the Defendant's attorney.  Whether you are the most hard core of prosecutors or the most hard core defense attorney, this breach of confidentiality is stunning and mortifying.  The information in the file was damaging to the reputation of Janet McAfee, and the defense was absolutely not entitled to it.  Neither was the prosecution.

Nobody was entitled to see the information in the Ogg Law Firm's file on Janet McAfee.  Why? It was privileged.

To her credit, Judge Jackson quickly realized that the file on Janet McAfee was not Ogg's to give.  She ordered the Defense to return the file almost immediately.  Gerald Fry complied with that order.

But why did Kim Ogg ever think it would be okay to turn over the file in the first place?  Kim Ogg is many things, but she isn't stupid.

I've learned from credible sources that despite the fact that Jack Ogg was not currently representing Janet McAfee at the time of her death, he had hopes of representing her estate in a wrongful death lawsuit against Ken McAfee.  That would explain why he took to talking to the media so quickly after the murder.  But Janet McAfee's family didn't want the Ogg Law Firm to represent the estate.  Janet had gone to high school with a lawyer and her family wanted that classmate to be the lawyer on the wrongful death case.

Probably because that classmate was Kelly Siegler.

When the Ogg Law Firm learned that they wouldn't be handling any further legal matters on behalf of the late Janet McAfee, I guess they felt safe in giving their files and communications to her killer's attorney.  It seems like a very spiteful move from where I'm sitting.

Earlier this year, Ken McAfee was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

No thanks to Kim Ogg -- who would really appreciate your vote for District Attorney.



Thursday, October 23, 2014

The 2014 General Election

From the "Better Late than Never Department" . . .

Normally I would have my recommendations in the Criminal Justice Races out before early voting starts, but I'm running a little late this election cycle.  Early voting began on Monday, and if you haven't done so already, you need to get out there and do it.  As I remind you every election cycle, it is so much easier to vote at any of the available early voting locations in the two weeks leading up to the election than to be limited to your one and only polling place on election day.

My early prediction on this election cycle is that there will be a Republican sweep.  I base that prediction entirely on what I've seen with the past several non-Presidential Election years.  I could be wrong.

So, here are the races that affect the Harris County Criminal Justice Center.

Harris County District Attorney - Devon Anderson (R) vs. Kim Ogg (D)
When Ogg first announced that she would be running against District Attorney Devon Anderson, I thought it would be a good campaign between two qualified candidates.  Although I still don't doubt that Kim Ogg has the intellectual capacity and legal knowledge to be District Attorney, her actions on the campaign trail have called into question her character to some degree.  Ogg has made a habit of grandstanding on issues and attempting to mislead the general public on very standard procedural issues regarding special prosecutions (as I wrote about here).  The move of making misleading statements for public approval is something straight out of the Pat Lykos playbook, which is no surprise since Ogg was a contract employee under the Lykos Administration.

Additionally, Ogg's pandering to voters with her recent statement about forbidding probation on any and all Burglary of a Habitation charges illustrates a dangerous outlook for a D.A.'s Office led by Ogg.  Any experienced prosecutor or defense attorney can tell you that there are all types of factors that go into assessing the appropriate punishment for any criminal case -- burglary is no exception.  Under Ogg's theory, if a 17-year-old kid with no criminal history wanders into an open garage and steals a rake, she wants him to go to the prison.  That's just stupid and the aspiring D.A. should know better.

If the public isn't concerned about how Ogg treats defendants, perhaps they might be interested in her dealings with victims of crime.

Yesterday, the Houston Police Officers' Union issued a statement expressing their concern about Ogg's fitness to serve as District Attorney, citing an incident where Ogg had released identifying information about the victim of a crime when Ogg was serving as the head of CrimeStoppers.

On a more positive note, District Attorney Devon Anderson has been continuing to do an effective job since taking over the Office.  She continues to work on new programs and courts such as deferring prosecution on recreational marijuana use and a court dealing with prostitution cases.  She's also leading her Office from the front, having recently successfully prosecuted the Capital Murder trial of Harlem Lewis.

Recommendation:  Devon Anderson (R)

180th District Court -- Catherine Evans (R) vs. Randy Roll (D)

Since being appointed to the 180th bench to replace Judge Marc Brown (who was appointed to the Court of Appeals), Judge Evans has gotten rave reviews as a fair and smart judge.  She has proven to be fair to both the prosecution and the defense and runs an efficient and pleasant courtroom.

Randy Roll is a former one-term judge who lost his bench to Judge Kristin Guiney in the 2012 election.  I like Roll as a person, but Evans is the better choice in this election.

Recommendation:  Catherine Evans (R)

184th District Court -- Jan Krocker (R) vs. Mark Thering (D)

Although I anticipate a Republican sweep, I hope that this particular race proves me wrong.

Longtime judge Jan Krocker has long been regarded as a controversial judge.  Early last year, her behavior led to her removal from the Harris County mental health court by her fellow judges.  She aggressively tried to block her opponent's candidacy by way of a lawsuit, which failed.  Most concerning, however, were her statements to the Houston Chronicle editorial board this year:
"My job is to protect the public from dangerous people," Krocker said.  "Same as being a prosecutor."
Um, no.  Not even close.  Krocker's unbelievable statement to the Chronicle is mindnumbingly foolish.  She basically stated that she was a prosecutor.  How does a defendant get anything resembling a fair trial with that mentality? Krocker's statement to the Chronicle has already led to one Motion to Recuse being filed against her due to her bias.  I have no doubt that there will be many more to come.

Mark Thering, on the other hand, is a highly respected, long time attorney who is known as one of the nicest guys in the courthouse.  He has a strong background in Criminal Law and would make an outstanding judge.  This one is a no-brainer and I hope even my "die hard" Republican voter friends will cross party lines in this race.

Recommendation:  Mark Thering (D)

185th District Court -- Susan Brown (R) vs. Garland McInnis (D)

Judge Brown has been on the bench for as long as I've been a licensed attorney.  I've tried cases in front of her as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, and have felt like I received fair trials from both perspectives.  Judge Brown stays up-to-date on all current case law dealing with criminal cases and can name those cases off the top of her head.  Although I'm not as big of a fan of the new docket management system as she (and other judges) are, I have to commend her for working on creative solutions to make the CJC a more efficient institution.  Not only is she managing her own caseload, as presiding judge, she has worked hand-in-hand with both the D.A.'s Office and the Defense Bar to make the CJC a better place.

I have nothing negative to say about Garland McInnis.  He's a nice guy and a smart guy.  If he were in a different race, I would probably vote for him.  However, in this race Susan Brown is the much better candidate.

Recommendation:  Susan Brown (R)

208th District Court -- Denise Collins (R) vs. Chuck Silverman (D)

Judge Denise Collins has been presiding over criminal cases since 1992.  Her opponent is a corporate lawyer who seems to run for any open bench is available.  I've stated time and time and time again that the Criminal Justice System is absolutely no place for people who have no experience in the criminal justice world.  The audacity of a non-criminal attorney even seeking a bench where he has no experience is offensive.

Recommendation:  Denise Collins (R)

230th District Court -- Brad Hart (R) vs. Greg Glass (D)

Since being appointed to the bench in 2013, Judge Brad Hart continues to earn rave reviews from both the Defense and the Prosecution as a kind, fair and intelligent judge.  He is courteous to all who enter his courtroom and he works hard to make sure that his court is continuously in trial.  I know I'm biased, but Judge Hart has proven to be just as good of a judge as I predicted he would be back in 2013.

Again, I have nothing negative to say about his opponent, Greg Glass, but Judge Hart is too good of a judge to vote against.

Recommendation:  Brad Hart (R)

248th District Court -- Katherine Cabaniss (R) vs. Shawna Reagin (D)

The race for the 248th District Court also has two qualified candidates for the position.  Judge Katherine Cabaniss was appointed to the Bench last year and has done an excellent job in doing everything she can to improve the Court she inherited.  She has actively worked at making her court more efficient and also goes to trial quite often.  She has sought input from both the prosecution and the defense on how to improve the system.

Surprisingly, I have not seen former 176th Judge Shawna Reagin since she left the bench at the end of 2012.  As I wrote during the 2012 campaign, I think Reagin was a good and smart judge.  Her demeanor and commentary from the bench earned her some enemies during her tenure as judge.  In another race, I would probably still vote for Reagin, but in this case, my recommendation goes to Judge Cabaniss.

Recommendation:  Katherine Cabaniss (R)

262nd District Court -- Denise Bradley (R) vs. Jules Johnson (D)

On a personal level, this race is tough to make a recommendation on, because both Judge Bradley and Jules Johnson are personal friends.  I like them both immensely and I almost didn't do recommendations at all this year because I didn't want to make a public statement on who I would pick in this race.  The danger of blogging on elections is that you are guaranteed to anger 50% of those whom you write about.

That being said, when it comes to qualifications, Judge Bradley has far more experience that my friend Jules.  She was a longtime prosecutor and has been a judge for several years now.  She's done a great job on the bench and is well liked by both the prosecution and the defense.  There is no reason to vote against her.  I know I keep saying this, but in a different election, Jules Johnson would definitely get my vote.

Recommendation:  Denise Bradley (R)

263rd District Court -- Jim Wallace (R) vs. Herb Ritchie (D)

Again, we have two qualified candidates running against each other with Judge Jim Wallace facing off against former 337th Judge Herb Ritchie.  I have practiced and tried cases in front of both men, and both are excellent judges who know the law and provide fair trials to the accused.  They are both to be commended for running a very clean campaign against each other.

Judge Wallace has more experience as a judge and he has done an excellent job in his years on the Bench.  While I have nothing negative to say about Ritchie, this is a very easy recommendation.

Recommendation:  Jim Wallace (R)

County Court at Law # 2 -- Bill Harmon (R) vs. Harold Landreneau (D)

I think that Judge Bill Harmon has been on the Bench since dinosaurs roamed the earth.  He was consistently re-elected during his time as a District Court Judge and now as a County Court at Law Judge.  There's a reason for that:  he's a good judge.  Although his strong ties to MADD have occasionally drawn the ire of the Defense Bar, at the end of the day, he is considered to be a fair and smart judge.  He is also one of the best personalities on the Bench.

I have nothing negative to say about Mr. Landreneau, although I don't know him very well.

Recommendation:  Bill Harmon (R)

County Court at Law # 4 -- John Clinton (R) vs. Nikita "Niki" Harmon (D)

I will admit that I had some reservations about Judge Clinton  (due to his not practicing criminal law) when he ran for the bench four years ago.  I have been pleasantly surprised with my experiences with him during his first term as judge.  Judge Clinton has proven himself to be a fair judge, and more importantly, a kind one.

I don't know anything about his opponent, other than she is a municipal court judge, I believe.  There is a big leap from trying traffic tickets to the job of County Court Judge.

Recommendation:  John Clinton (R)

County Court at Law # 5 -- Margaret Harris (R) vs. Ramona Franklin (D)

I was the Chief of County Court at Law #5 back when Janice Law was on the bench and now-Judge Margaret Harris was running against her in the Republican Party.  I was so relieved when Judge Harris won that race and she hasn't disappointed during her years on the job since then.  Judge Harris has used her appellate experience from her time at the District Attorney's Office to become an effective and knowledgable judge.  She is highly respected and well liked by both the Defense and the Prosecution.

I have nothing negative to say about Ramona Franklin, but her level of experience is nowhere near what Judge Harris brings to the Bench.

Recommendation:  Margaret Harris (R)

County Court at Law # 6  -- Larry Standley (R) vs. Linda Geffen (D)

In today's day and age of politics and partisan rules, Judge Larry Standley has proven time and again to be a judge who isn't afraid to rock the boat when it comes to doing what is right.  His occasionally gruff demeanor can hide an extremely compassionate jurist who is willing to think outside the box when working on creative solutions in his courtroom.  Judge Standley is known for his knowledge of the law and his firm neutrality in deciding all cases.  He is active in the community and absolutely is the kind of judge that all people should want on the Bench.

I don't personally know Linda Geffen, but this bizarre story from 2012 calls into grave question whether or not she should be the person in charge of making important decisions that affect peoples' lives.

Recommendation:  Larry Standley (R)

County Court at Law # 7 -- Pam Derbyshire (R) vs. Sheila Acosta (D)

Judge Derbyshire was the first judge that I practiced in front of as a prosecutor.  She was great then and she is great now.  Described by the Houston Chronicle as having a "sterling reputation," I could not agree more.  I have nothing negative to say about Sheila Acosta.  She, too, has a great reputation, but Judge Derbyshire should stay on the bench.

Recommendation:  Pam Derbyshire (R)

County Court at Law # 8 -- Jay Karahan (R) vs. Kelli Johnson (D)

Sometimes I wimp out on making a recommendation.  This will be one of those times.  Judge Jay Karahan has done a great job on the bench during his tenure.  Kelli Johnson is one of my oldest friends from the District Attorney's Office.  Our kids are friends and I adore her as a family friend. She would also make a great judge. Either one of them would deserve your vote.  I cannot fairly make a recommendation in this one.  Both are great.

Recommendation:  None

County Court at Law # 10 -- Dan Spjut (R) vs. George Barnstone (D) vs. Brad Walters (L)

I didn't know until earlier this week that this was a three party race, with Brad Walters running as a Libertarian.  As anyone who read this blog knows, I was a big supporter of Tonya Rolland in her bid for the Republican nomination in this race.  My issue with Spjut was that he doesn't practice criminal law and neither does Barnstone. Barnstone appears to be a joke of a candidate who has never set foot in the CJC.  He doesn't deserve anyone's vote.

During the primary, the Chronicle described Rolland as the only qualified candidate when it came to the candidates running as a Democrat or a Republican.

Since then, Brad Walters has announced his candidacy as a Libertarian.  Brad Walters doesn't stand much of a chance running as a Libertarian, but he's a criminal defense attorney and knows the material.  He gets my vote.

Recommendation:  Brad Walters (L)

County Court at Law # 13 -- Don Smyth (R) vs. Jason Luong (D) vs. Clint Davidson (G)

If you thought Brad Walters running as a Libertarian was unusual, you gotta admire Clint Davidson running as a member of the Green Party.  Too many of our criminal candidates are not eco-friendly.

I like Clint a lot and he's a damn good lawyer.  So is Jason Luong.  Both are legitimate candidates who would make great judges.

But Don Smyth has done a great job during his first term on the bench and his years of experience at the D.A.'s Office make him the best candidate in this race.

Recommendation:  Don Smyth (R)

County Court at Law # 14 -- Mike Fields (R) vs. David Singer (D)

My recommendation in this race was a hard one to make because I've known Judge Mike Fields since I began my legal career in Houston back in 1999.  Judge Fields is a great guy and a funny guy, but his behavior of late has just been wrong.  HCCLA (an organization of which I'm a former member) brought to light the fact that Judge Fields was taking pleas from unrepresented defendants and there have been other tales of him doing bond revocations on defendants without hearings, as well as interrogating defendants without their lawyers being present.  As much as it pains me to say it, I can't support a judge who is doing such things.  He's a nice man, but he has been on the bench long enough to know he can't do those kind of things.

David Singer is a former prosecutor and defense attorney.  He's running against Judge Fields because he knows that type of behavior just can't be allowed.

Recommendation:  David Singer (D)

County Court at Law # 15 -- Jean Spradling Hughes (R) vs. Raul Rodriguez (D)

Judge Jean Hughes has served as the Judge of County Court at Law # 15 since long before I became a lawyer.  To say that she is highly respected in the way she runs her court would be a vast understatement.  She has my utmost respect and the respect of almost all who practice in front of her.  She is knowledgable, courteous, and fair.  She embodies all the qualities that a judge should have and she deserves your vote.

Raul Rodriguez is a great guy and a good lawyer.  He falls under the category of "if you were running against someone else, you would totally have my vote."

Recommendation:  Jean Spradling Hughes (R)

Harris County District Clerk -- Chris Daniel (R) vs.  Judith Snively (D)

You know I can't leave out Chris Daniel when it comes to election time.  He's done a great job as District Clerk and he deserves to remain on the job.  Chris remains a very progressive District Clerk who is open to input from anyone willing to give it.  He strives everyday to make his office better and as technology progresses, so does his office.  Even though he's a T-Sip, he's got my vote.  He should have yours too.

Recommendation:  Chris Daniel

AND DON'T FORGET ------ David Newell

I normally don't make recommendations on the Appellate races, because I don't do Appellate work.  However, voters need to make sure that they remember to vote for Harris County Assistant District Attorney David Newell for Court of Criminal Appeals, Place Nine.  Not only is he a great guy with great legal knowledge and a great sense of humor, his knowledge of James Taylor music (and his willingness to cite it at the Bench) will make him a fantastic Justice.

Whether you agree with my selections or not, please remember to get out there and vote.



Saturday, October 18, 2014

People Unclear on the Concept

I've always been a fan of the Joe Martin comic strip Mr. Boffo, which I always considered similar to the Far Side.  One of my favorite things he would draw featured "People Unclear on the Concept."

I had my own experience with a person "unclear on the concept" this afternoon while visiting my hometown overnight.

My wife and kids and I came into town late this afternoon for a friend's funeral tomorrow.  This visit, we're staying with my mother-in-law at her house.  I parked (legally) on the street in front of the house, and unloaded everything into the house.

About fifteen minutes after my arrival, the doorbell rang.  I corralled the dogs and kids and answered it.  A frazzled woman that I didn't recognize stood there.

"Who does that car belong to?" she asked, pointing to my (again, legally parked) 4-Runner.

"Mine," I said.

"Well, I hit it."

"Uh oh," I said.  "Is it bad?"

"Yes," she said.  So, we went out to take a look.  It wasn't too too bad.  There was a small dent and a good amount of scraping on my back passenger door.  It will need to be fixed.   As it turns out, the lady lives across the street from my mother-in-law, and backed straight out of her driveway and T-Boned my car.

"I'm so frustrated," she said.  "I just got it fixed from backing into a car parked where yours was two weeks ago.  My insurance agent is going to be so mad at me."

Well, yeah, I would assume so.  Apparently, my mother-in-law's neighbor just slams it into reverse and plays Russian Roulette with her car when backing out of her garage.

I smiled sympathetically, and said, "How would you like to handle this?"

She looked at me quizzically.

"Well," I said, "would you like for me to get an estimate and let you know how much it is going to be?"

"I don't know.  You can just talk to Jeff about it."

"Jeff?"

"My insurance agent," she said.  "You can just drive it up there and see what he says to do."

"Um, well," I said, trying to be nice, "I can give him a call, but I'm not just going to drive up there."

So, we stood there awkwardly for a few moments.

"Maybe, you can just give me your information," I suggested.

"Okay," she said.  "I'll go write it down."

I smiled and went back inside to try to control a hyperactive 11-month-old, who was tempting fate with a heavy wooden rocking chair.  Five minutes later, the lady knocked on the front door.  She handed me a piece of paper with her name and address (in case I couldn't read the street number across the street), as well as the name of her insurance agent.  The piece of paper didn't include the agent's phone number, the insurance company's name, or policy number.

Being that we are in the small town that we grew up in, I wasn't too worried about figuring it out.  I also didn't want to create a problem for my mother-in-law with her neighbor.  I took the piece of paper and thanked her.

I was about to go back inside with the baby, but she had one more thing to tell me.

"By the way," she told me sternly, "you need to move your car and park in the back of the house from now on.  And tell your people to park in the back from now on, too."

Yes ma'am.  I'll get right on that.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Richard Gallego

As most of you probably know by now, fellow attorney, Richard Gallego, passed away earlier this week.  His friend and co-counsel, David Pendleton, was kind enough to write these words of remembrance for Richard, and to send this photo of Richard, his wife Laura, and their new granddaughter, Isabella.



On Monday, October 13, 2014, I met my friend, Richard Gallego, in 232nd to work an Evading Arrest case. Like we have done 1000 times before. He talked to the defendant's Mom while I reset the case. We said good bye to them and then Richard did what he always did. He told me about the Mom and how she works at a bank and how she has tried to keep her son, the accused, in line. He always cared about the family and not just the "case". 

For some reason on Monday Richard told me how much he loved his own family and how much he is blessed to spend time with his family. His family was the most important blessing in his life. His children are exemplary people. I know his son Robert well (he is also an attorney). Richard and his wife did a great job raising honorable children. 

A few hours later his son Robert contacted me...he had found Richard on the floor in the living room. He tried to revive him. Richard fought, like he always did, but he passed away. Apparently from a heart attack. 

His family and all of us that that knew him are shocked and saddened. 

He was married for 33 years to his sweetheart Laura. He had three children: Robert, Corinne and Paul. The newest family member is his granddaughter Isabella. 

Services will be at:
Forest Park East
21620 Gulf Fwy
Webster,Tx 77598

Thursday:
Viewing; 5-8pm
Rosary; 7pm

Friday:
Funeral; 10:00 AM


David Pendleton

The 2024 Election

Monday, October 21st kicks off the Early Voting for the 2024 Election in Texas, and as always, the Harris County Criminal Justice World has ...