District Attorney Ken Magidson provided an editorial piece to the Chronicle in today's Sunday Edition, which outlines the positive changes made in the D.A.'s Office during his short tenure.
One of the things that Magidson doesn't list, but I wish he would, is the leadership job he has provided to those he has supervised. This year, without question, has been the most tumultuous year the Office has ever experienced, and Ken has provided cool leadership in the Storm. For those of us that were initially concerned about him as an "Outsider" taking over the Office, he won us over in about the period of two weeks.
He saw us through both Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Chuck.
Whoever wins the D.A.'s race has got some really big shoes to fill.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The 337th District Court Judicial Race
Back to Business today.
The race for the 337th District Court Judicial Race has Republican incumbent Judge Don Stricklin running against Democratic Candidate and defense attorney Herb Ritchie. I checked the Net and could not find a website for either candidate's campaign.
Back when I first started at the District Attorney's Office, Don Stricklin was the First Assistant under Johnny Holmes. He was the man who called and offered me the job there, so I will always have a pretty high level of fondness for the man. Apparently, I must have run him off or something, because not too long after my arrival, he was appointed to the 337th District Court. With me being a brand new Misdemeanor Three and him being First Assistant, I never dealt with him on a professional level.
I never served in the 337th District Court and I've never tried a case in their, either, so my knowledge of how the Judge runs his court is based solely on reputation and word-of-mouth.
Judge Stricklin is known for running a fast-paced and efficient court. He holds the State to a high standard and doesn't have patience with delays or mistakes made the prosecutors in his court. Cases are set for trial and actually go to trial in an efficient and timely manner. The State not being ready on trial day is unacceptable to the Judge, and that can often lead to some job stress for the prosecutors assigned to his court.
However, you don't hear the prosecutors complaining much about being in the court. One of my best friends at the Office spent a significant amount of time in there as a Felony Three, and thoroughly enjoyed the court and practicing in front of the Judge. According to him, the Judge was professional, businesslike, intelligent, and fair.
It is also worth noting that you don't hear the Defense Bar complaining about Judge Stricklin either. I'm sure those of you outside of the legal fields will be shocked to know that all attorneys tend to gripe and whine on occasion (especially over a beer or two). But I never hear the Defense Bar griping about Stricklin.
It sounds to me like Judge Stricklin is doing a good job and running a good court.
As little personal knowledge as I have about Judge Stricklin, I have even less knowledge about his opponent, Herb Ritchie. I've been around awhile and I've heard his name and I've seen him, but I honestly can't say that I've ever dealt with him. I know for certain that I've never had a trial with him, but I don't recall ever having a case with him at all.
I'm not claiming to know all of the defense attorneys in the courthouse, but I'd like to think that I know the vast majority of them. Maybe it's just a fluke, but I am honestly at a loss for words on what to write about Mr. Ritchie. I just don't know him.
So I'll have to turn it over to the commenters for their take on him.
However, he'd have to bring some pretty strong recommendations for me to think he'd be a better judge than Judge Stricklin.
The race for the 337th District Court Judicial Race has Republican incumbent Judge Don Stricklin running against Democratic Candidate and defense attorney Herb Ritchie. I checked the Net and could not find a website for either candidate's campaign.
Back when I first started at the District Attorney's Office, Don Stricklin was the First Assistant under Johnny Holmes. He was the man who called and offered me the job there, so I will always have a pretty high level of fondness for the man. Apparently, I must have run him off or something, because not too long after my arrival, he was appointed to the 337th District Court. With me being a brand new Misdemeanor Three and him being First Assistant, I never dealt with him on a professional level.
I never served in the 337th District Court and I've never tried a case in their, either, so my knowledge of how the Judge runs his court is based solely on reputation and word-of-mouth.
Judge Stricklin is known for running a fast-paced and efficient court. He holds the State to a high standard and doesn't have patience with delays or mistakes made the prosecutors in his court. Cases are set for trial and actually go to trial in an efficient and timely manner. The State not being ready on trial day is unacceptable to the Judge, and that can often lead to some job stress for the prosecutors assigned to his court.
However, you don't hear the prosecutors complaining much about being in the court. One of my best friends at the Office spent a significant amount of time in there as a Felony Three, and thoroughly enjoyed the court and practicing in front of the Judge. According to him, the Judge was professional, businesslike, intelligent, and fair.
It is also worth noting that you don't hear the Defense Bar complaining about Judge Stricklin either. I'm sure those of you outside of the legal fields will be shocked to know that all attorneys tend to gripe and whine on occasion (especially over a beer or two). But I never hear the Defense Bar griping about Stricklin.
It sounds to me like Judge Stricklin is doing a good job and running a good court.
As little personal knowledge as I have about Judge Stricklin, I have even less knowledge about his opponent, Herb Ritchie. I've been around awhile and I've heard his name and I've seen him, but I honestly can't say that I've ever dealt with him. I know for certain that I've never had a trial with him, but I don't recall ever having a case with him at all.
I'm not claiming to know all of the defense attorneys in the courthouse, but I'd like to think that I know the vast majority of them. Maybe it's just a fluke, but I am honestly at a loss for words on what to write about Mr. Ritchie. I just don't know him.
So I'll have to turn it over to the commenters for their take on him.
However, he'd have to bring some pretty strong recommendations for me to think he'd be a better judge than Judge Stricklin.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Things You Pick Up Along the Way
Every once in a while, I will sit down and write about things that have absolutely nothing to do with the CJC. Kind of self-indulgent topics, I suppose, that I'm not really thinking are relevant to what I usually write, but I just need to get off my chest. I'm not looking for commentary really and I'm not thinking it has anything to do with our jobs . . .
I just want to write them.
And so I will.
I grew up in a relatively small town. It had it's advantages and it's disadvantages, and it had many small town stereotypes that it lived up to -- some negative and some positive. One of the positive stereotypes that Small Town Life embodied was that it fostered some very close-knit relationships that I have carried with me throughout my life and have been very happy and proud of.
My family friends growing up consisted of about five families where all the Dads had gone to high school together and their friendship had carried on into their adult years. They were all friends. Their wives were all friends. Their children were all friends with each other. In fact, my best friend in the world came from this great part of growing up. I was Best Man in his wedding, and he's been a groomsman in a couple of mine!
When I was a little kid, it was just assumed that every Saturday evening we would be at the home of one family or another. The kids all playing together while the parents talked, laughed, and drank wine. Many of my most vivid memories of growing up go back to those Saturday nights. Thinking about them now still brings back a smile and thoughts of a much more innocent and naive time.
Out of our little group of families, the children were taught to be respectful. The parents were usually called "Mr." or "Mrs." by the kids.
The exception to this, was the one dad that I think was the leader of this little group of friends -- to everyone, even the kids, he only answered to "Buzz".
In high school, Buzz had been the good-looking, witty, and cool guy. As a parent, he was the absolute favorite of all the kids that were running around his house on any given Saturday night. While the other Moms and Dads would be having a drink and watching the football game, Buzz was the one who would come up to make sure the kids hadn't set anything on fire while they were all playing together.
He'd check in on us, and he usually stayed awhile. He took a lot of joy in what I like to refer to as the Majesty of Being a Child. He easily held the status of "favorite parent" from the group -- I know he would have won that title if only the kids had voted, but I'm pretty sure he would have won it if the adults had voted too.
In the late 1970s, Buzz developed testicular cancer and it was supposed to kill him. All of us kids were between eight to twelve years old, and I don't think any of us had ever dealt with the concept of death before. We suddenly had it rushing at us in the most heartbreaking of all forms. The thought of losing Buzz was about the most devastating thing you could put on a ten-year-old's agenda.
Buzz, in typical fashion, soldiered through it like the Fighter and Man that he was. He endured brutal chemotherapy and radiation to the degree that the doctors just told him it was a race between him and the cancer to see who the treatment killed first. He threw a huge "going-away" party for himself at the local country club, assuming his estate would ultimately be covering the bill.
But then something happened that was the origin of my personal belief in miracles.
Buzz beat that goddamn cancer. And he beat it completely.
Buzz went on to watch his daughter and son grow up into successful young people. He got to watch them marry and ultimately give him three grandchildren. Hell, he even finally paid off his "going away party" some time in the 90s, I think.
He got a second lease on life, and he savored it. Not only was he a good parent to his own children, he was like a Dad to the rest of the kids that they grew up with.
The first time I ever went hunting, it was a trip that Buzz had organized for the fathers and sons. I remember how he solemnly told us kids that we'd have to drink the blood of the first deer we shot. I think it was when I was starting to turn green at the idea of that thought when he finally started laughing and admitted he was kidding.
When I graduated from college, Buzz took me to lunch just to talk about what my plans in life were. He wanted to know and the reason he wanted to know was that he cared so much about his friends and their families.
A couple of years ago, Buzz's son got married, and all the fathers and sons went to Las Vegas for the bachelor party. It was a reunion of family from across the country, and for one fantastic weekend, it was like being kids again. It was truly an awesome experience.
It's kind of a funny thing between fathers and sons, in my opinion. I think as boys grow into men, they end up imitating their fathers -- their mannerisms, the way they talk, their attitude, and often times, even their general outlook on life. I told Buzz once that I knew the kids in our group all imitated our fathers, but upon further reflection, our fathers were all just imitating him.
He was single-handedly the coolest person I ever met in my life.
He was also the Origin of the compliment of calling someone a Good Man, that I've mentioned here before.
Because God knows if there was ever a Good Man on this Earth, it was Buzz Hamilton.
The wisdom and the values and the lessons I have learned from that man could fill volumes, and he taught them all to us by example, not lecture.
Twenty five years after they first met, that goddamn cancer came back for Buzz.
And he fought it just as hard as he did the first time.
But, I learned at 3 a.m. this morning that the cancer won the battle this time.
Buzz fully appreciated every minute of his life on earth. He celebrated in it and basked in it. He had a beautiful wife, beautiful kids, and beautiful grandchildren. He was a devoted family man and a cherished friend.
Last Monday, my Dad and I went and had the opportunity to say goodbye to Buzz at MD Anderson, and I don't think I could ever adequately describe what that was like. All I can say is that I'm glad I got the chance to tell him how much he meant to me.
So, in memory of Buzz, I'd like to pass on a couple of things that I've learned from him. I may not have been able to follow all of the advice as well as I wish I could have, but these are the things that I learned from knowing the Ultimate Good Man:
-Celebrate every moment that God has given you to spend on Earth.
-Always keep your word.
-Repay every debt you ever have, and don't complain about it.
-Be the kind of person who would get up in the middle of the night, at the drop of a hat, and drive across the country to help a friend.
-Don't brag about yourself.
-Listen and let other people talk.
-Hear the whole story before weighing in with your thoughts.
-Laugh and smile every time you possibly can.
-Learn to separate those things in life that don't matter away from those things that do.
-Be the most intensely loyal friend a person could ever have.
-Love truly and love deeply.
-Always cherish the Majesty of Youth. Spend every minute that you possibly can with your children.
- Never miss an opportunity to tell someone how much they mean to you.
I don't think of myself as a particularly religious man. But I thank God for knowing Buzz. I thank God for the extra 25 years we all got to spend with him. I pray that I don't turn into a blubbering mess at the funeral. I pray for Buzz's family and friends.
And I pray that some day, maybe I might have just turned out to be a Good Man, too.
I just want to write them.
And so I will.
I grew up in a relatively small town. It had it's advantages and it's disadvantages, and it had many small town stereotypes that it lived up to -- some negative and some positive. One of the positive stereotypes that Small Town Life embodied was that it fostered some very close-knit relationships that I have carried with me throughout my life and have been very happy and proud of.
My family friends growing up consisted of about five families where all the Dads had gone to high school together and their friendship had carried on into their adult years. They were all friends. Their wives were all friends. Their children were all friends with each other. In fact, my best friend in the world came from this great part of growing up. I was Best Man in his wedding, and he's been a groomsman in a couple of mine!
When I was a little kid, it was just assumed that every Saturday evening we would be at the home of one family or another. The kids all playing together while the parents talked, laughed, and drank wine. Many of my most vivid memories of growing up go back to those Saturday nights. Thinking about them now still brings back a smile and thoughts of a much more innocent and naive time.
Out of our little group of families, the children were taught to be respectful. The parents were usually called "Mr." or "Mrs." by the kids.
The exception to this, was the one dad that I think was the leader of this little group of friends -- to everyone, even the kids, he only answered to "Buzz".
In high school, Buzz had been the good-looking, witty, and cool guy. As a parent, he was the absolute favorite of all the kids that were running around his house on any given Saturday night. While the other Moms and Dads would be having a drink and watching the football game, Buzz was the one who would come up to make sure the kids hadn't set anything on fire while they were all playing together.
He'd check in on us, and he usually stayed awhile. He took a lot of joy in what I like to refer to as the Majesty of Being a Child. He easily held the status of "favorite parent" from the group -- I know he would have won that title if only the kids had voted, but I'm pretty sure he would have won it if the adults had voted too.
In the late 1970s, Buzz developed testicular cancer and it was supposed to kill him. All of us kids were between eight to twelve years old, and I don't think any of us had ever dealt with the concept of death before. We suddenly had it rushing at us in the most heartbreaking of all forms. The thought of losing Buzz was about the most devastating thing you could put on a ten-year-old's agenda.
Buzz, in typical fashion, soldiered through it like the Fighter and Man that he was. He endured brutal chemotherapy and radiation to the degree that the doctors just told him it was a race between him and the cancer to see who the treatment killed first. He threw a huge "going-away" party for himself at the local country club, assuming his estate would ultimately be covering the bill.
But then something happened that was the origin of my personal belief in miracles.
Buzz beat that goddamn cancer. And he beat it completely.
Buzz went on to watch his daughter and son grow up into successful young people. He got to watch them marry and ultimately give him three grandchildren. Hell, he even finally paid off his "going away party" some time in the 90s, I think.
He got a second lease on life, and he savored it. Not only was he a good parent to his own children, he was like a Dad to the rest of the kids that they grew up with.
The first time I ever went hunting, it was a trip that Buzz had organized for the fathers and sons. I remember how he solemnly told us kids that we'd have to drink the blood of the first deer we shot. I think it was when I was starting to turn green at the idea of that thought when he finally started laughing and admitted he was kidding.
When I graduated from college, Buzz took me to lunch just to talk about what my plans in life were. He wanted to know and the reason he wanted to know was that he cared so much about his friends and their families.
A couple of years ago, Buzz's son got married, and all the fathers and sons went to Las Vegas for the bachelor party. It was a reunion of family from across the country, and for one fantastic weekend, it was like being kids again. It was truly an awesome experience.
It's kind of a funny thing between fathers and sons, in my opinion. I think as boys grow into men, they end up imitating their fathers -- their mannerisms, the way they talk, their attitude, and often times, even their general outlook on life. I told Buzz once that I knew the kids in our group all imitated our fathers, but upon further reflection, our fathers were all just imitating him.
He was single-handedly the coolest person I ever met in my life.
He was also the Origin of the compliment of calling someone a Good Man, that I've mentioned here before.
Because God knows if there was ever a Good Man on this Earth, it was Buzz Hamilton.
The wisdom and the values and the lessons I have learned from that man could fill volumes, and he taught them all to us by example, not lecture.
Twenty five years after they first met, that goddamn cancer came back for Buzz.
And he fought it just as hard as he did the first time.
But, I learned at 3 a.m. this morning that the cancer won the battle this time.
Buzz fully appreciated every minute of his life on earth. He celebrated in it and basked in it. He had a beautiful wife, beautiful kids, and beautiful grandchildren. He was a devoted family man and a cherished friend.
Last Monday, my Dad and I went and had the opportunity to say goodbye to Buzz at MD Anderson, and I don't think I could ever adequately describe what that was like. All I can say is that I'm glad I got the chance to tell him how much he meant to me.
So, in memory of Buzz, I'd like to pass on a couple of things that I've learned from him. I may not have been able to follow all of the advice as well as I wish I could have, but these are the things that I learned from knowing the Ultimate Good Man:
-Celebrate every moment that God has given you to spend on Earth.
-Always keep your word.
-Repay every debt you ever have, and don't complain about it.
-Be the kind of person who would get up in the middle of the night, at the drop of a hat, and drive across the country to help a friend.
-Don't brag about yourself.
-Listen and let other people talk.
-Hear the whole story before weighing in with your thoughts.
-Laugh and smile every time you possibly can.
-Learn to separate those things in life that don't matter away from those things that do.
-Be the most intensely loyal friend a person could ever have.
-Love truly and love deeply.
-Always cherish the Majesty of Youth. Spend every minute that you possibly can with your children.
- Never miss an opportunity to tell someone how much they mean to you.
I don't think of myself as a particularly religious man. But I thank God for knowing Buzz. I thank God for the extra 25 years we all got to spend with him. I pray that I don't turn into a blubbering mess at the funeral. I pray for Buzz's family and friends.
And I pray that some day, maybe I might have just turned out to be a Good Man, too.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The 179th District Court Judicial Race
The race for the 179th District Court features 20 year veteran Judge Mike Wilkinson as the Republican Candidate against Democratic challenger Randy Roll. (NOTE: There were some technical difficulties when I tried to link to Judge Wilkinson's website, so I just linked to the District Courts page. I think that stat photo was taken in 1982).
I served as a Felony Two in the 179th District Court for several months, and I got to know both Judge Wilkinson and his court staff. It was a great court to work in.
Judge Wilkinson is one of those folks that has such a brilliant intellect that it is almost frightening. He is actually quite amazing in his knowledge of the law and when considering a legal ruling, it seems like you can actually see him going through the data banks in his head for the right answer.
Do you know the kind of smarts I'm talking about here? Like one of those types of guys that could play a chess match entirely in his head.
During trial, he keeps his own detailed notes of the testimony in "real time" as it is occurring. And I mean really detailed notes.
And Judge Wilkinson has a sense of humor. That may not seem like the most valuable asset that for a Judge on a Criminal Court bench, necessarily, but when a prosecutor is assigned to a court every day, it is certainly a bonus to have a pleasant work environment.
He's a great judge, not to mention a great person.
Unfortunately, Judge Wilkinson has suffered through some criticism over the years due to the time table he keeps on running his docket. It is true that he rarely gets to court before 10:00 a.m. or later.
And that has always been the single largest criticism about him.
The counter-point to that criticism is that Judge Wilkinson will also work late into the night and stays later than most judges. Around the Office, when a Judge is needed to sign a warrant or a dismissal in the late afternoon or early evening, the most likely person to be found will be Judge Wilkinson.
Was it annoying on occasion to deal with the Judge's time-table? Sure, it was.
Was it annoying enough to negate what a great judge he is otherwise? Not even close.
In addition to his regular duties on the 179th bench, Judge Wilkinson is also one of the 4 judges who volunteers his or her time with the STAR Court Program.
He is a compassionate man and an excellent judge.
His Democratic opposition in this race is Defense Attorney Randy Roll.
Randy has run for Judicial election in what seems like every election year since I've been working around the CJC (much like Lloyd Oliver). His own website mentions that he's "gained voters over the past 3 elections".
I suppose that is one way to look at it. Another way of looking at it is that he's been rejected for the possibility of judge now three times.
My dealings with Randy Roll as a defense attorney were quite some time ago, and were not impressive. There are a great many defense attorneys that have the respect and admiration of prosecutors in the D.A.'s Office.
Sadly, Randy does not enjoy that reputation.
Under the idea of "not saying anything when you have nothing nice to say", I will just leave it at that.
Just suffice it to say that if there is a voter out there who think that Judge Wilkinson's schedule is a problem, please believe me in saying that Randy Roll is not the solution.
Judge Wilkinson is an excellent judge and he's getting my vote. This one shouldn't even be close.
I served as a Felony Two in the 179th District Court for several months, and I got to know both Judge Wilkinson and his court staff. It was a great court to work in.
Judge Wilkinson is one of those folks that has such a brilliant intellect that it is almost frightening. He is actually quite amazing in his knowledge of the law and when considering a legal ruling, it seems like you can actually see him going through the data banks in his head for the right answer.
Do you know the kind of smarts I'm talking about here? Like one of those types of guys that could play a chess match entirely in his head.
During trial, he keeps his own detailed notes of the testimony in "real time" as it is occurring. And I mean really detailed notes.
And Judge Wilkinson has a sense of humor. That may not seem like the most valuable asset that for a Judge on a Criminal Court bench, necessarily, but when a prosecutor is assigned to a court every day, it is certainly a bonus to have a pleasant work environment.
He's a great judge, not to mention a great person.
Unfortunately, Judge Wilkinson has suffered through some criticism over the years due to the time table he keeps on running his docket. It is true that he rarely gets to court before 10:00 a.m. or later.
And that has always been the single largest criticism about him.
The counter-point to that criticism is that Judge Wilkinson will also work late into the night and stays later than most judges. Around the Office, when a Judge is needed to sign a warrant or a dismissal in the late afternoon or early evening, the most likely person to be found will be Judge Wilkinson.
Was it annoying on occasion to deal with the Judge's time-table? Sure, it was.
Was it annoying enough to negate what a great judge he is otherwise? Not even close.
In addition to his regular duties on the 179th bench, Judge Wilkinson is also one of the 4 judges who volunteers his or her time with the STAR Court Program.
He is a compassionate man and an excellent judge.
His Democratic opposition in this race is Defense Attorney Randy Roll.
Randy has run for Judicial election in what seems like every election year since I've been working around the CJC (much like Lloyd Oliver). His own website mentions that he's "gained voters over the past 3 elections".
I suppose that is one way to look at it. Another way of looking at it is that he's been rejected for the possibility of judge now three times.
My dealings with Randy Roll as a defense attorney were quite some time ago, and were not impressive. There are a great many defense attorneys that have the respect and admiration of prosecutors in the D.A.'s Office.
Sadly, Randy does not enjoy that reputation.
Under the idea of "not saying anything when you have nothing nice to say", I will just leave it at that.
Just suffice it to say that if there is a voter out there who think that Judge Wilkinson's schedule is a problem, please believe me in saying that Randy Roll is not the solution.
Judge Wilkinson is an excellent judge and he's getting my vote. This one shouldn't even be close.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
New Blog Link
I got an e-mail from R.J. MacReady today, mentioning his blog, The Court of Criminal Appeals Blog. I wasn't aware of it until today (some days I'm just a really bad blogger in the Blawgosphere).
Here's the link to it: http://www.txccablog.com/
And I've added to my blog roll.
I look forward to reading it.
Here's the link to it: http://www.txccablog.com/
And I've added to my blog roll.
I look forward to reading it.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Brian Coyne Mastercard Commercial
Rose-tinted Sunglasses - $120
Fashionably Questionable Tie - $150
Ostrich Skin Briefcase - $900
Messing With Prosecutors - Funny
Forgetting Your Umbrella - Priceless
Fashionably Questionable Tie - $150
Ostrich Skin Briefcase - $900
Messing With Prosecutors - Funny
Forgetting Your Umbrella - Priceless
Monday, October 6, 2008
The 178th District Court Judicial Race
The race for the 178th District Court has the newest Judge in the CJC, Republican candidate Judge Roger Bridgwater, defending his bench against Democratic attorney David Mendoza, Jr. (who does not have a website listed for him on the Harris County Democratic Party webpage).
I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here, because I don't know the first thing about Mr. Mendoza. I've checked out the internet for information with no luck, and I actually don't recognize him from his picture on the Democratic Party's website. I will say that after having been around that courthouse (in one form or another) since 1996, that it would be somewhat unusual for me to not recognize an attorney who practices there regularly.
But, stranger things have happened, and I don't mean to sell Mr. Mendoza short. If you know him and have dealt with him, please let us know your thoughts on him.
Judge Bridgwater, on the other, I have known pretty much since I first started working in Harris County. However, for the vast amount of time, obviously, I knew him as a member of the Defense Bar.
My experience with Roger Bridgwater as a defense attorney is one of great admiration and respect. He was one of the members of the Defense Bar that you could take every representation that he made to the State as the 100% truth. He was honest as the day was long, and he was a formidable adversary in trial. He was very soft-spoken, but prosecutors knew that they had better listen when he spoke.
There was actually something very Judicial about Roger Bridgwater long before he became a judge.
Judge Bridgwater has only been on the bench since July of last year. As the "rookie" Judge, he was virtually guaranteed an opponent, which is shame, because I expect great things out of Judge Bridgwater in his continued tenure.
I don't have much to report on his first year in Office, which is to be expected.
He hasn't had any major high profile cases or rulings that he's tackled quite yet, and he is probably considered to still be "transitioning" from the role of "attorney" to "judge".
If Judge Bridgwater is still in a "transition period", it is one that I expect he will come through with flying colors.
He's got my vote, and I hope to see him on the Bench for many more years to come.
I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here, because I don't know the first thing about Mr. Mendoza. I've checked out the internet for information with no luck, and I actually don't recognize him from his picture on the Democratic Party's website. I will say that after having been around that courthouse (in one form or another) since 1996, that it would be somewhat unusual for me to not recognize an attorney who practices there regularly.
But, stranger things have happened, and I don't mean to sell Mr. Mendoza short. If you know him and have dealt with him, please let us know your thoughts on him.
Judge Bridgwater, on the other, I have known pretty much since I first started working in Harris County. However, for the vast amount of time, obviously, I knew him as a member of the Defense Bar.
My experience with Roger Bridgwater as a defense attorney is one of great admiration and respect. He was one of the members of the Defense Bar that you could take every representation that he made to the State as the 100% truth. He was honest as the day was long, and he was a formidable adversary in trial. He was very soft-spoken, but prosecutors knew that they had better listen when he spoke.
There was actually something very Judicial about Roger Bridgwater long before he became a judge.
Judge Bridgwater has only been on the bench since July of last year. As the "rookie" Judge, he was virtually guaranteed an opponent, which is shame, because I expect great things out of Judge Bridgwater in his continued tenure.
I don't have much to report on his first year in Office, which is to be expected.
He hasn't had any major high profile cases or rulings that he's tackled quite yet, and he is probably considered to still be "transitioning" from the role of "attorney" to "judge".
If Judge Bridgwater is still in a "transition period", it is one that I expect he will come through with flying colors.
He's got my vote, and I hope to see him on the Bench for many more years to come.
Jolanda Jones' Survivor Challenge
City councilwoman, Defense Attorney, and part-time Super Hero Jolanda Jones, along with Houston Mayor Bill White (who after everything he's done through Hurricane Ike is a Super Hero in my book, too) are hosting the Houston Survivor Challenge on Saturday, October 25th.
The event is giving the opportunity to 20 local contestants to compete against real contestants from the TV show "Survivor" in "Survivor-esque" challenges designed to test your mental and physical talents. For those folks who don't quite have the guts to actual compete (which would probably describe me!), the event will give you a chance to cheer on your favorite contestants from the show.
For more details, CLICK HERE.
The deadline to apply is October 15th, 2008.
The event is giving the opportunity to 20 local contestants to compete against real contestants from the TV show "Survivor" in "Survivor-esque" challenges designed to test your mental and physical talents. For those folks who don't quite have the guts to actual compete (which would probably describe me!), the event will give you a chance to cheer on your favorite contestants from the show.
For more details, CLICK HERE.
The deadline to apply is October 15th, 2008.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The 177th District Court Judicial Race
Before Hurricane Ike, I had a plan to write one profile a week on the Judicial Races. Unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a time crunch. I'm trying to double up here and cover all of them before the Early Voting starts, so forgive me if the quality of the profiles suffer.
The 177th District Court Judicial race pits Republican Incumbent Judge Devon Anderson against Democratic challenger Kevin Fine.
This particular race is interesting to me, because I know both candidates, and I like them both very much.
I first met Judge Anderson when she was still a prosecutor with the D.A.'s Office, and she was prosecuting the infamous Railcar Killer, Rafael Resendiz Ramirez. She was trying the case along with Lyn McClellan and then-District Attorney, Johnny Homes. In watching that trial, even amongst those "Old Dogs", Judge Anderson was the most impressive attorney in that heart-breaking and terrifying trial.
I was thrilled when Judge Anderson was elected to the bench in 2004 and I knew she would represent the Harris County Criminal Justice System well.
In my opinion, she has lived up to, and exceeded those expectations.
Judge Anderson is a smart, tough, and fair Judge who manages her docket in a no-nonsense manner that is efficient and timely. Her docket is always one of the Top Two lowest dockets (the other one being her husband, Judge Mike Anderson's docket) of all the 22 District Criminal Courts. I agree that "numbers aren't everything", but the low numbers are indicative of a Court that is moving at a very effective rate.
To be fair, I know that there are some complaints from the Defense Bar about Judge Anderson, and I think they need to be closely examined. Some have complained of her brusque demeanor with Defendants. One highly respected defense attorney (who asked to remain anonymous) stated to me: "She has never been anything but courteous and respectful to me, and she's never screwed me over on a ruling, but she's pretty rough on my clients."
Fair enough, but let's take a look at that.
An example of that which I heard from a (different) member of the Defense Bar was the following story:
"I had a guy charged with a Third Degree (NOTE: Punishable by 2 years to 10 years in TDCJ) dope charge, and the State had offered him a year in the county jail. My guy turned it down, and asked for his trial setting. When [Judge Anderson] learned what the offer was and what he had turned down, she just went off on him about how stupid it was that he was turning the offer down."
This particular attorney was relatively aggravated about the Judge going off on his client, but when asked what ultimately happened to his client, the story comes into perspective: He was found guilty and got 8 years in TDCJ.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think everyone who enters into the CJC should be treated respectfully, but if this particular defendant had listened to Judge Anderson's brusque criticism, he'd be out of jail by now. She was trying to scare some common sense into him, and he didn't listen to her. Ultimately, his feelings may have gotten hurt, but she was right. If I were in his shoes, I'd have taken a little berating in exchange for not having to serve an additional seven years of incarceration.
The bottom line is that the Defense Bar complaints about Judge Anderson have always seemed a little hyper-sensitive to me. I think this is a Judge who is doing the right thing and following the law. As a voter, and as a lawyer, I think being a little bit brusque is called for from time to time.
Her opponent, Kevin Fine, is a respected, skilled, and very intelligent defense attorney. And he's also a hell of a nice guy.
He's a member of the law firm of Stanley Schneider and Troy McKinney, who are also some extremely smart attorneys. I wish that his website had a little more background information on him, because I would gladly include it here. I really do think Kevin is a great guy. He's also a brilliant lawyer.
But when it comes down to it (although I know Mark Bennett and crew will probably be blasting me for this statement), there's nothing wrong with a "tough" judge on the bench, and I think that is pretty much what Judge Anderson exemplifies.
Does she hurt some feelings? Perhaps.
But does she call them like she sees them and still provides a fair trial? Yep.
To me, that makes a great judge.
[NOTE: I forgot to mention in my earlier posts that Judge Anderson (along with Judges Cosper, Wilkinson, and Thomas) also volunteers her time to preside over the STAR Court program, which provides meaningful help to defendants with drug addiction.]
The 177th District Court Judicial race pits Republican Incumbent Judge Devon Anderson against Democratic challenger Kevin Fine.
This particular race is interesting to me, because I know both candidates, and I like them both very much.
I first met Judge Anderson when she was still a prosecutor with the D.A.'s Office, and she was prosecuting the infamous Railcar Killer, Rafael Resendiz Ramirez. She was trying the case along with Lyn McClellan and then-District Attorney, Johnny Homes. In watching that trial, even amongst those "Old Dogs", Judge Anderson was the most impressive attorney in that heart-breaking and terrifying trial.
I was thrilled when Judge Anderson was elected to the bench in 2004 and I knew she would represent the Harris County Criminal Justice System well.
In my opinion, she has lived up to, and exceeded those expectations.
Judge Anderson is a smart, tough, and fair Judge who manages her docket in a no-nonsense manner that is efficient and timely. Her docket is always one of the Top Two lowest dockets (the other one being her husband, Judge Mike Anderson's docket) of all the 22 District Criminal Courts. I agree that "numbers aren't everything", but the low numbers are indicative of a Court that is moving at a very effective rate.
To be fair, I know that there are some complaints from the Defense Bar about Judge Anderson, and I think they need to be closely examined. Some have complained of her brusque demeanor with Defendants. One highly respected defense attorney (who asked to remain anonymous) stated to me: "She has never been anything but courteous and respectful to me, and she's never screwed me over on a ruling, but she's pretty rough on my clients."
Fair enough, but let's take a look at that.
An example of that which I heard from a (different) member of the Defense Bar was the following story:
"I had a guy charged with a Third Degree (NOTE: Punishable by 2 years to 10 years in TDCJ) dope charge, and the State had offered him a year in the county jail. My guy turned it down, and asked for his trial setting. When [Judge Anderson] learned what the offer was and what he had turned down, she just went off on him about how stupid it was that he was turning the offer down."
This particular attorney was relatively aggravated about the Judge going off on his client, but when asked what ultimately happened to his client, the story comes into perspective: He was found guilty and got 8 years in TDCJ.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think everyone who enters into the CJC should be treated respectfully, but if this particular defendant had listened to Judge Anderson's brusque criticism, he'd be out of jail by now. She was trying to scare some common sense into him, and he didn't listen to her. Ultimately, his feelings may have gotten hurt, but she was right. If I were in his shoes, I'd have taken a little berating in exchange for not having to serve an additional seven years of incarceration.
The bottom line is that the Defense Bar complaints about Judge Anderson have always seemed a little hyper-sensitive to me. I think this is a Judge who is doing the right thing and following the law. As a voter, and as a lawyer, I think being a little bit brusque is called for from time to time.
Her opponent, Kevin Fine, is a respected, skilled, and very intelligent defense attorney. And he's also a hell of a nice guy.
He's a member of the law firm of Stanley Schneider and Troy McKinney, who are also some extremely smart attorneys. I wish that his website had a little more background information on him, because I would gladly include it here. I really do think Kevin is a great guy. He's also a brilliant lawyer.
But when it comes down to it (although I know Mark Bennett and crew will probably be blasting me for this statement), there's nothing wrong with a "tough" judge on the bench, and I think that is pretty much what Judge Anderson exemplifies.
Does she hurt some feelings? Perhaps.
But does she call them like she sees them and still provides a fair trial? Yep.
To me, that makes a great judge.
[NOTE: I forgot to mention in my earlier posts that Judge Anderson (along with Judges Cosper, Wilkinson, and Thomas) also volunteers her time to preside over the STAR Court program, which provides meaningful help to defendants with drug addiction.]
A Bit of Good News . . .
In a year that has pretty much roundly stunk, I did get a little bit of good news last weekend when I got an e-mail from my friend, Jim, who I had previously written about here and here.
He told me that he had been in lockdown and had, subsequently, "gotten scared straight" and was clean and sober.
Being a natural skeptic, I was glad to hear from him, but wondering how much reality was behind it.
And then I got an e-mail from Jim's dad, saying that Jim was doing really well and was looking and feeling better than he had seen him in many years.
I remain cautiously optimistic about Jim. I'm thankful for all the thoughts and prayers that he received from people that he has never met. And I'm very glad for the fact that Jim has a family that could show him "tough love", without ever losing the "love".
There are way too many people out there that don't have that type of support network out there to make this a possibility.
I'm hopeful that Jim's story does ultimately have a happy resolution.
In the meantime, please keep him and his family in your prayers.
He told me that he had been in lockdown and had, subsequently, "gotten scared straight" and was clean and sober.
Being a natural skeptic, I was glad to hear from him, but wondering how much reality was behind it.
And then I got an e-mail from Jim's dad, saying that Jim was doing really well and was looking and feeling better than he had seen him in many years.
I remain cautiously optimistic about Jim. I'm thankful for all the thoughts and prayers that he received from people that he has never met. And I'm very glad for the fact that Jim has a family that could show him "tough love", without ever losing the "love".
There are way too many people out there that don't have that type of support network out there to make this a possibility.
I'm hopeful that Jim's story does ultimately have a happy resolution.
In the meantime, please keep him and his family in your prayers.
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