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Category Archives: DA Watch

FBI Investigating Dallas DA Craig Watkins — and U.S. Attorney Is Involved, Too, as Watkins Charged with Contempt of Court Last Week

It’s official:  the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the activities of the Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins.  The Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas is reported to have its own files opened into Dallas DA Watkins’ activities, as well. And this isn’t something that has just begun:…

Posted on by DA Watch, Federal Government Watch |

Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins Facing Prosecutorial Misconduct Charges and Maybe an FBI Investigation: Here’s the Scoop (The Hearing is March 7th)

Without any opinions or asides, here’s the scoop on the growing controversy surrounding Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Al Hill III, heir to the H.L. Hunt Oil Dynasty; and local attorney Lisa Blue. Things apparently began when Lisa Blue took on the representation of Al Hill III in…

Posted on by DA Watch, Federal Government Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

Are Texas Judges the Last Protection of Privacy Rights? Southern District Denials of Federal Prosecutors’ Requests for Sneaky Cell Phone Data Gathering With Stingrays, Cell Tower Dumps

Down in Corpus Christi, there’s a federal judge who has been aware of technology’s threat to privacy rights for a long while now: he’s the Honorable Brian L. Owsley, U.S. Magistrate for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Back in 2007, for example, Judge Owsley made the national news when…

Posted on by Court Opinions, DA Watch, Judge Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

Texas Court Finds Texas Prosecutor Karren Price Hid Evidence and Introduced False Evidence in Murder Case Where Innocent Man Spent 15 Years Behind Bars

There is a ton of press coverage over the exoneration of Michael Morton and the upcoming trials of former prosecutor Ken Anderson for prosecutorial misconduct, which is a huge problem here in Texas, but it will be interesting to see if press coverage picks up over the upcoming release of Kenneth Wayne Boyd, Jr. who…

Posted on by DA Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

Texas DPS Labs Bottlenecked So They Aren’t Testing for Misdemeanor BAC or Drug Evidence (K2, Salvia, Spice, etc.) Now – Unless a DA Specifically Requests It.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) did not get much media brouhaha over a recent change in its operating procedures, but something has changed in the way that DPS does things that will impact many, many Texans (and others) who are charged with misdemeanors involving blood alcohol or drug testing. In the past, the…

Posted on by Cop Watch, Crime News, DA Watch |

Texas Prosecutors Release Their Own Study: Prosecutorial Misconduct Isn’t So Bad According To Their Investigation. Surprise.

In Texas, prosecutorial misconduct is a serious issue.  Innocent people are put behind bars by district attorneys who are either incompetent or overzealous here in Texas.  We monitor stories of district attorneys and prosecutors for the state doing bad jobs, either negligently or with outright intent.  Rogues are out there. It happens a lot.  Consider…

Posted on by DA Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

Fort Worth Police Department Starts Doing Its Own DNA Testing at Fort Worth Crime Lab. Feel Safer?

Over in Fort Worth, they had the fancy Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Fort Worth Police Department Crime Laboratory (and Property and Evidence Room) almost two years ago – back on August 23, 2010. You can see photos of the ribbon cutting online at the Fort Worth Police Department website where the department explains…

Posted on by Cop Watch, DA Watch |

Prosecutor Arrested for Corruption: DA Alleged to Have Taken Over $100,000 in Bribes and Kickbacks – Looks Like Prosecutorial Misconduct Pays Pretty Good Here in Texas.

This Monday, Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos was in a courtroom, standing before a judge – which isn’t anything new for him: however, this time he was in a federal courtroom not a state one, and Villalobos was there as an indicted defendant, facing federal charges of massive corruption while acting as the head…

Posted on by DA Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

For Decades, Feds (DOJ, FBI) Knew Forensic Evidence Was Unreliable But Said Nothing to Defense: How Many Innocents Behind Bars, How Many Have Been Wrongfully Executed?

This week, a Washington Post investigation is spreading like wildfire over the web and it’s getting lots of people talking.  People like Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins, who was on television this week here in Dallas to answer some questions about what the Post has revealed (watch him on video here). You can read the…

Posted on by DA Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

Longstanding Problem of Rogue Prosecutors Exposed as Texas Court of Injury in Morton Case and Federal Inquiry in Stevens Matter Move Forward

District attorneys are responsible for seeking justice on behalf of the people, but that’s a joke when rogue prosecutors are involved.  We keep track of Texas prosecutors doing bad things here in the Lone Star State (check out the “DA Watch” link there in the right sidebar and here) with a careful eye on prosecutorial…

Posted on by DA Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |