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Updated: Inmate who protested role of Judge Edith Jones put to death

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Update at 8:51 p.m., by Tristan Hallman:  Chester was pronounced dead at 7:04 p.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press reports:

Elroy Chester, 44, said that he didn’t want relatives of his victims to have “hate in your heart for me.”

Chester said he confessed to killing firefighter Willie Ryman III because “you should know who killed your loved one.”

“Don’t hate … [visit site to read more]


Dallas County District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons stands by comments chastising judge on Facebook but says should have controlled emotions

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Over the weekend, Dallas County District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons lashed out at State District Judge Larry Mitchell after a contentious hearing in Mitchell’s court.

Dallas County District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons

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Misconduct complaint against Fifth Circuit judge transferred

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The judicial misconduct complaint filed against Judge Edith Jones of the U.S.  Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has been transferred out of her home court to the circuit in the District of Columbia.

According to the Houston Chronicle the chief of the Fifth Circuit requested the complaint be moved to a different circuit and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John … [visit site to read more]

Dallas woman gets 25 years for child sex trafficking, compelling prostitution — but authorities can’t find her

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Have you seen Jasmine Johnson? She left in the middle of her trial and was then sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Update: Johnson has been … [visit site to read more]

Lee Harvey Oswald to get his day in court today at State Bar of Texas Mock Trial

Bond revocation hearing for Dallas Cowboys lineman Josh Brent postponed but his intoxication manslaughter trial remains on schedule for September

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A bond revocation hearing scheduled for Friday for Dallas Cowboys lineman Joshua Brent has been postponed until July 19th at the request of the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. First Assistant prosecutor Heath Harris said via email … [visit site to read more]

Attorney for Cowboys lineman Josh Brent to seek gag order in case

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The attorney for accused Cowboys lineman Josh Brent says he plans to file a “modified gag order” in the case after he says Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins made “inappropriate and unethical” remarks about Brent during a recent … [visit site to read more]

UPDATE: Dallas County DA Craig Watkins seeking to recuse judge who held him in contempt

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DA Craig Watkins (center) confers with attorneys Heath Harris (left) and Scottie Allen before leaving the courtroom in Dallas this morning. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer)

Update at 3 p.m.

The DA’s office is seeking to recuse Levario from the case.

The recusal motion is now before administrative judge John Ovard. He will not rule today.

The DA’s office, in seeking to remove State District Judge Lena Levario from the case, said Levario “made disparaging remarks about Watkins.”

In an affidavit attached to the motion, a county employee, Jill Reese, who was recently demoted wrote that Levario told her while having lunch May 20 at a Fort Worth Subway, “Levario stated to me that she was ‘going to serve Craig Watkins, Dallas County District Attorney, up on a silver platter to the FBI.”

Reese also said in the affidavit that “all you have to have is enough money to have the right attorneys with the right relationships to control the outcome of a court case in any courtroom, including mine.”

Reese, who could not be reached for comment, was demoted recently and said in the affidavit that “I know for certain that Judge Lena Levario is behind this. I have been told by more than one person that she is trying to get me fired from Dallas County.

Levario said that she could not comment on the accusations because the case is pending in her court.

But Bob Hinton, one of the special prosecutors on the contempt case, said he can’t see Levario make such comments.

“That doesn’t sound like the Judge Levario that I know,” Hinton said. “The Judge Levario I know is way too smart to do something like that.”

Update at 11:05 a.m

State District Judge Bob Brotherton ordered the contempt charge redone after Scottie Allen, Watkins’ personal attorney, pointed out that the order holding Watkins in contempt had a “defect.”

“The order did not state the punishment or an opportunity for him to purge himself” of the contempt order, Allen said outside the courtroom.

The contempt charge did not say whether Watkins was held in civil or criminal contempt, Allen said. Civil contempt is about fixing a violation, and criminal contempt is about punishment.

Allen, a defense attorney, and Heath Harris, Watkins’ top prosecutor, said the case should instead be dismissed.

“She didn’t do it right” and Levario shouldn’t be able to redo the order, Harris said.

But Ron Poole, the special prosecutor, disagreed, saying the process will just begin again.

… [visit site to read more]


Hearing Friday to determine whether judge who held DA Craig Watkins in contempt should step down

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A hearing will be held Friday to determine whether the judge who held Dallas County Craig Watkins in contempt should be removed from the case.

State District Judge Lena Levario answers questions from attorney Ron Poole during a July 15 hearing regarding a contempt citation against Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer)

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Texas Gang Investigators Association bestows “Damn Good Judge” award on State District Judge Mike Snipes

County fires employee who claims judge badmouthed Dallas DA Craig Watkins

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Dallas County has fired an employee who claimed a judge made disparaging remarks about District Attorney Craig Watkins after holding the DA in contempt of court.

State District Judge Lena Levario answers questions from attorney Ron Poole during a July 15 hearing regarding a contempt citation against Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer)

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Update: Six Dallas Cowboys, past and present, on state’s witness list should Josh Brent go to trial

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Josh Brent leaves a Dallas County courtroom Friday. (Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News)

Update at 3:52 p.m.: According to the state’s witness list submitted by Dallas County First Assistant Criminal District Attorney Heath Harris on Thursday, six former and current Dallas Cowboys could take the stand if and when Josh Brent goes to trial.

Cornerback Orlando Scandrick and safeties Danny McCray and Barry Church are on the list, among dozens of Irving police officers and rescue workers Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials and other authorities and witnesses. Also on the list: Mike Jenkins, the cornerback who signed with Oakland in April; Gerald Sensabaugh, the safety who retired in May; and Lawrence Vickers, the fullback release just last week.

The entire witness list is posted below.

Original item posted at 10:33 a.m.: A state district judge Friday placed “limited restrictions” on the pre-trial comments the lawyers in the intoxication manslaughter case of former Dallas Cowboys lineman Josh Brent can make.

Judge Robert Burns III made the oral ruling during a six-minute hearing in his courtroom that was attended by Brent, who retired from the Cowboys Thursday.

Burns issued the order in response to a defense motion after Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins made some comments about the case during a recent radio interview. Defense attorney, George Milner, contended in his motion that that Watkins’ comments were “highly prejudicial” and might impact the case against Brent.

The 25-year-old Brent is accused of driving drunk and crashing his car in December, which led to the death of his best friend and Cowboys teammate, Jerry Brown Jr. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted.

In his motion, Milner asked the judge to order defense attorneys and prosecutors to comply with a specific rule in the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct that deals with what lawyers can say before a trial. The judge, who used much of the hearing to criticize what he labeled as often “inaccurate” reporting on the case by some members of the print media, basically granted Milner’s motion. Prosecutors offered no objection.

“There aren’t any other remedies available to the court to protect the right to a fair trial . . . the court does find that an order restricting pre-trial publicity is required,” Burns said, adding that he would make a written ruling on the matter later Friday or on Monday. The judge said that neither side would be prohibited from speaking to the media but he cautioned them to “not repeat things that may very well not be admissible at trial.”

Watkins, who is scheduled to appear at a hearing Friday related to contempt of court proceedings against him could not be reached for comment. But Heath Harris, his second in command and the lead prosecutor in the Brent case, said prosecutors had no issue with the judge’s ruling and see it as only another step toward Brent’s September 23rd trial date.

“I have no problem with what the judge did today,” Harris said. “We’re ready for this case to go to trial. This is about what the citizens of Dallas County think about intoxication manslaughter.”

Milner said that the judge’s order simply reinforces a rule that’s already on the books. “The only difference is now, it’s enforceable with a contempt of court ruling,” he said. … [visit site to read more]

Update: Dallas County DA’s attempt to remove judge from contempt case will resume at Monday hearing

Judge who held Dallas DA Craig Watkins in contempt not removed from case

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Second Update: Ovard will not recuse Levario, says Watkins did not meet burden that a “reasonable person” would think Levario was biased.

Update: 

Original post: Closing arguments are expected this afternoon in the case of whether to recuse the judge who held Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins in … [visit site to read more]

Dallas County DA Watkins’ re-election campaign trying to capitalize on special prosecutor’s “noose” remark

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Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins’ re-election campaign sent out an email Wednesday afternoon addressing the poor choice of words by a special prosecutor saying Watkins was trying to get his “head out the the noose.”


Overhead in the Courthouse: ‘Wanna go to Subway and talk?’

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“Wanna go to Subway and talk?”

– An often repeated joke at the Frank Crowley Courts Building this week after a accusations a judge bad mouthed Dallas County DA Craig Watkins after holding him in contempt.

Watkins tried to have State District Judge Lena Levario recused from the case, but an administrative judge refused to remove her, … [visit site to read more]

Update: Contempt hearing for Dallas County DA Craig Watkins will continue Aug. 23

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Update at 4:35 p.m.: State District Judge Lena Levario has rewritten the contempt order. She asks that Dallas County DA Craig Watkins be fined $500 if the contempt order is upheld. That is the maximum amount. He could have faced jail time.

Original post: A hearing to determine whether to uphold Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins’ citation for contempt of court will be continued Aug. 23.

The original hearing July 15 visit site to read more]

Dallas prosecutors say warrantless blood draw of Josh Brent within the law in intoxication manslaughter case

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Update: The motion to suppress will be addressed at a Aug. 30 hearing before State District Judge Robert Burns. The hearing will also address other issued before the court in the Brent case leading up to the Sept. 23 trial.

Original post: Dallas County prosecutors, in a motion filed Thursday, rebuffed Josh Brent’s attorney’s argument that the former Dallas Cowboy’s blood was illegally taken in an intoxication manslaughter case.

Prosecutor Martin L. … [visit site to read more]

Attorney: Authorities shut down federal investigation of Watkins donor Lisa Blue

If probation violations are ignored, what’s the point?

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There’s some sobering reading in Jennifer Emily’s story today about felony probationers in Dallas courts who have gone unpunished despite flunking repeated drug and alcohol tests.

Jen reports that judges have ordered an audit of current cases to determine how many violations have gone unreported by county probation … [visit site to read more]

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