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Category Archives: DA Watch

Texas Top Prosecutors In Trouble: Dallas DA Craig Watkins, Austin DA Rosemary Lehmberg, Corpus Christi ex DA Anna Jimenez, Williamson County ex DA Ken Anderson – How Big is Prosecutorial Misconduct Problem in Texas?

In the past couple of months, top prosecutors from Texas counties all over the Lone Star State (both presently serving as head prosecutor as well as former top D.A.s) have made the national news after being accused of doing assorted bad things while acting as head district attorney for their respective counties. What is the…

Posted on by DA Watch, Orwellian Threats to Rights |

Will U.S. Supreme Court Protect Citizens Once Again Against Overzealous Law Enforcement in Salinas v Texas? Dallas Prosecutors May No Longer Be Able to Argue Silence Means Guilt

A week ago today, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a Texas case called Salinas v. Texas, grading the papers of the highest criminal court in the Lone Star State, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.  It’s another major federal case that will impact Texas criminal defense cases and people arrested and…

Posted on by Arrest and Indictment, Court Opinions, DA Watch, Search and Seizures |

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 |