If probation violations are ignored, what’s the point?
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...
View ArticleJudges seeking audit of probation files after repeated drug, alcohol...
An audit of the county’s probation files will soon be underway after a judge discovered repeated drug and alcohol violations by her probationers weren’t being reported to her. State District Judge...
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Former Dallas County Constable admits falsifying campaign finance records in...
Former Dallas County Constable Jaime Cortes testified in December 2012. That trial ended with a hung jury that split 11-1 in favor of guilt. Former Dallas County Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes...
View ArticleOverheard in the Courthouse: Mercy of the Court
“Sometimes the court has mercy. Sometimes it doesn’t.” – State District Judge Jeanine Howard to a man with drug problems as he stood before her bench in felony court. Whether she was merciful to him...
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Judge will decide Friday whether to uphold contempt charge against Dallas...
Craig Watkins was held in contempt of court March 7 after refusing to testify at a hearing looking into allegations of misconduct against him by oil family heir Al Hill III.visit site to read more]
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Live updates: Dallas County DA Craig Watkins cleared of contempt
Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkisn visits with reporters after being acquitted of contempt charges. (Louis DeLuca/Staff photographer) Update 12:49 p.m.: Defense attorney Tom Nowak, … [visit...
View ArticlePreliminary pre-trial motions in prosecutor slayings case against former...
State District Judge Mike Snipes signed an order Wednesday that all preliminary pre-trial motions in the capital murder case against former Kaufman County justice of the peace must be filed by Nov. 4....
View ArticleDA office’s objections to judge’s findings in Al Hill III case struck by...
Update Aug, 29: Yesterday, I told you that a filing by the DA’s office in the Hill appeal contained a quote from Mark Twain. But I didn’t blog the quote. This is the quote attributed to Twain the...
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With State District Judge Susan Hawk resigning to run for Dallas County DA,...
State District Judge Susan Hawk has resigned to run for Dallas County District Attorney. But her bench won’t be empty until Gov. Rick Perry appoints a replacement for the 291st District Court.visit...
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Race for bench Susan Hawk leaving to run for Dallas County DA getting crowded
State District Judge Susan Hawk just announced Wednesday that she is leaving the bench to run for Dallas County District Attorney. The race to replace her is getting crowded. Susan Hawkvisit site to...
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Grand jury subpoena issued for judge who held Dallas County DA Craig Watkins...
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...
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State District Judge Andy Chatham invites citizens to his courtroom with...
Interested in what really happens in the courtroom? State District Judge Andy Chatham State District Judge Andy … [visit site to read more]
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Gov. Perry appoints Mary Murphy as presiding judge of First Judicial...
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Mary Murphy as presiding judge of the First Judicial Administrative Region. She will oversee 34 counties, including Dallas County. Among Murphy’s responsibilities will be...
View ArticleDallas man sentenced to life in prison in beating death of toddler
A Dallas County jury Thursday convicted a 19-year-old man of capital murder in the beating death of his girlfriend’s toddler. State District Judge Robert Burns sentenced Alex Roberson to an automatic...
View ArticleIs Dallas County DA Craig Watkins recruiting prosecutors to run against...
Whether he is or he isn’t, it’s all the courthouse is talking about. That, and his visit site to read more]
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Dallas County felony judges give family violence, child victim cases precedence
For years, probably decades, the cases of defendants in the Dallas County Jail have gotten precedence in the courts because it saved the county money by sending them to prison, probation or acquitting...
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Gov. Rick Perry appoints Jennifer Balido to open Dallas County felony court...
Jennifer Balido This post has been updated. Gov. Rick Perry Monday appointed defense attorney Jennifer Balido to the state district … [visit site to read more]
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Jennifer Balido sworn in as judge of Dallas County’s 291st district court
State District Judge Rick Magnis swears in Jennifer Balido as state district judge of the 291st District Court on Monday. (Jennifer Emily) Jennifer Balido was sworn in Monday as … [visit site to read...
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Disbarred Dallas civil attorney Tom Corea on trial for stealing from clients
Thomas Corea (Dallas County Jail) A disbarred civil attorney accused of stealing from dozens of … [visit site to read more]
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Judge raises bond for man accused of shooting 8-year-old boy in face
State District Judge Larry Mitchell raised the bond Wednesday for a man accused of shooting an 8-year-old boy in the face in September. Brian Cloninger, 46, must pay $1 million cash or a $5 million...
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State District Judge Mark Stoltz will not seek re-election
State District Judge Mark Stoltz will not seek re-election. State District Judge Mark Stoltz Stoltz had been seeking a third term on his Dallas County felony … [visit site to read more]
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Thomas Corea, the disbarred Dallas attorney who stole from clients, gets 25...
Thomas Corea was sentenced to 25 years in prison. (Dallas County Jail) State District Judge Mike Snipes Thursday … [visit site to read more]
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Update: Man guilty of killing elderly clerk by setting her on fire
Nancy Harris (photo provided by the Harris family.) Update: Jury finds … [visit site to read more]
View ArticleProsecutors asking jurors for death sentence in murder of elderly store clerk
Testimony is underway in the punishment phase of the trial for the man who killed an elderly Garland convenience store clerk by setting her on fire. Dallas County prosecutors are asking jurors for a...
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Defendant has outburst during capital murder trial: ‘The State of Texas...
While a jury deliberates in one death penalty case, testimony continues in another courtroom for a second man facing a possible death sentence.visit site to read more]
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Franklin Davis’ 13-year-old daughter briefly testifies at his capital murder...
A Dallas County jury is expected to begin deliberations Friday about whether a man who killed a 16-year-old girl who accused him of rape will be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole....
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Update: Jury will return Saturday to resume deliberations about whether man...
Update: The jury has not yet reached a verdict and will be sequestered overnight at a hotel. The jurors will return to resume deliberations Saturday morning. Original post: A Dallas County jury is...
View ArticleUpdate: Who is running in the 2014 Dallas County criminal courthouse races?
Update: Defense attorneys William Barr and Anthony Eiland have filed to run for the 265th District Court as a Democrat. Prosecutor Amber Givens is running for the 282nd as a Democrat. Collin County...
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Texas Supreme Court appoints Dallas appellate court justice to State...
The Supreme Court of Texas appointed Douglas S. Lang to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the commission announced Tuesday. 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas Justice Douglas S. Lang has served as...
View ArticleUpdate: Attorney for girlfriend of state District Judge Carlos Cortez called...
Update 2 p.m.: Ted Steinke, an attorney for Cortez’ girlfriend said Monday that Cortez’ contention that he was saving the woman’s life is “laughable.” Steinke said: “My client is cooperating fully...
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Grand Prairie teen pleads guilty to killing, mutilating cat
A Grand Prairie teenager who killed and mutilated a neighbor’s cat pleaded guilty Monday morning to animal cruelty as jury selection was about to begin at his trial. Oscar Vega visit site to read more]
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With trials postponed, Judge Carlos Cortez doesn’t appear on bench after...
Cortez Dallas County state district judge Carlos Cortez was scheduled to be back on the bench Monday for the first time since he was arrested for visit site to read more]
View ArticleHearing for Judge Carlos Cortez reset; he briefly attends court this morning
Update: The hearing has been rescheduled for a later date at the request of attorneys for Cortez. They anticipate filing additional motions that could require another hearing and could involve...
View ArticleAnother court battle set today between Dallas County District Attorney Craig...
Attorneys for Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and oil family heir Al Hill III are once again battling in court. Craig Watkins was held in contempt of court March 7 after refusing to...
View ArticleUPDATE: Judge to decide later whether to delay trial of former JP accused of...
Update at 9:55 a.m.: State District Judge Mike Snipes will decide at a later date whether Eric Williams’ trial and some parts of jury selection will be delayed. Williams, wearing chains and an orange...
View ArticleProsecutor Tammy Kemp raised more than twice incumbent Lena Levario in state...
There’s no more watched felony court judicial race in the Democratic primary than the battle between state District Judge Lena Levario and her challenger, Dallas County prosecutor Tammy Kemp. Tammy...
View ArticleRecapping the Dallas County felony court judicial races
It’s Election Day. Here’s recap of the races for state district judge in the felony courts: 204th District Court:Dallas County prosecutor Tammy Kemp vs. state District Judge Lena Levario State...
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Woman pleads guilty to drowning 1-year-old son in Dallas apartment bathtub
A 27-year-old woman admitted this morning in a Dallas courtroom to drowning her 1-year-old son in a bathtub in September 2012 at the family’s west Oak Cliff apartment. Chloe Menager (Dallas County...
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Judge gives man 5 years deferred adjudication probation for raping fellow...
Sir Young was 18 and the girl was 14 at the time of the attack. Update 3:28 p.m.: State District Judge Jeanine Howard gave Sir Young 5 years of deferred adjudication … [visit site to read more]
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UPDATE: ‘Do not expect a third chance,’ judge tells admitted rapist in Booker...
Sir Young took a seat at the defense table before a hearing Thursday in the court of state District Judge Carter Thompson. (Michael Ainsworth/Staff Photographer) Update at 10:45 a.m. by Jennifer Emily...
View ArticlePetition seeks resignation of Dallas judge from office after controversial...
A change.org petition is asking for the resignation of a Dallas County judge. They want state District Judge Jeanine Howard to resign after making controversial comments about a rape victim. The...
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Judge who presided over Kaufman County DA capital murder trial seeks U.S....
Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning NewsFormer state District Judge Mike Snipes presided over the capital murder trial of Eric Williams in December. It was his last trial before retiring from the bench...
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Judge decides Dallas teen won’t be tried as an adult in baby girl’s drowning
Dallas police officers … [visit site to read more]
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Dallas teen admits she drowned baby, gets 40 years, the maximum sentence
Dallas police officers used a sheet to cover the doorway as 2-month-old Justice Hull is removed from a Red Bird apartment on Jan. 26. (Ron Baselice/Staff Photographer) Updated at 11:28 a.m.: A Dallas...
View ArticleJudicial conduct commission scolds Dallas judge who said 14-year-old rape...
The state Commission on Judicial Conduct scolded a Dallas County judge for her “reckless” remark in an interview that a 14-year-old girl raped at school “wasn’t the victim she claimed to be.” State...
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Ex-prostitutes start new life: 'Men don't validate us anymore. We validate...
(Sarah Mervosh/The Dallas Morning News) visit site to read more]
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Dallas County man freed after serving 25 years for murder over faulty science...
Steven Chaney, with his wife, Lenora, spoke to the media after his release Monday. (David Woo/Staff Photographer) Steven Mark Chaney is a free man after spending 25 years behind bars after the faulty...
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Ex-judge slammed for conduct on bench, as taxpayers foot the bill
Etta Mullin A former Dallas County criminal court judge who was scolded for her conduct on the bench has received an even harsher reprimand upon appeal. Etta … [visit site to read more]
View ArticleDaughter of murdered woman to killer: 'Why did you have to be brought into...
The turbulent marriage of Veronica Sauels and Ranji Alix Charles abruptly ended when he murdered her three months after they said “I do.” He shot her in the face and neck as she slept. But violence and...
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Court: Dallas attorney can't test room where client's blood drawn after DWI...
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