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Harvuskong
Seaman
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 174
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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:47 am Post subject: Texas Politics |
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There has been a lot going on lately in Texas Politics including Rep. Delay's most recent legal problem.
This thread is open to any and all discussions about Texas Politics.
One person in another post has claimed that the Repubs in Texas, after taking power in Austin, made a 180 change and have done some stuff that the person does not like. Among the things that are mentioned is the treatment that the Comptroller, a Repub and a woman, is getting from the rest of the Repub leadership in Texas.
As for the Comptroller herself, I do not exactly trust her anyway. I was surprised to see her actually get elected to the Comptroller's job in the first place. I consider her to be in a postion beyond her highest level of incompetence.
Why?? Because of her past political election history, when she was running for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.
Short lesson here on the Texas Judical System here for all.
The Texas Judical system has two courts of last appeal, the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last appeal for civil case appeals. They handles civil cases only.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last appeal for criminal cases. They handle criminal cases only.
Death penalty cases are criminal cases only. She, the present Texas Comptroller, was claiming that she would get "tough" with the death penalty cases while she was running for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.
She was exposed when some reporter asked when was the last time that the Texas Supreme Court had decided on a death penalty case.
I think that you can guess what the answer was and the final results for that Texas Supreme Court postion. 
By the way, she has remarried since that election and her last name is now Strayhorn. It was Rylander during her Texas Supreme Court attempt.
She was also Mayor of Austin, Texas for a while. Austin is sometimes reffered to as the People's Republic of Austin.
The link below is to an Austin Chronicle article about her and another Repub woman politician. Enjoy the info and pics. The Rylander Surcharge is interesting information.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol18/issue07/pols.lonestars.html |
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SBD
Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 1022
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 8:49 am Post subject: |
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The same lawyer who defended Senator Hutchison against political charges from DA Ronnie Earl, will now defend Delay. Here's the history of that case.
| Quote: | The Houston Chronicle
February 12, 1994, Saturday, 3 STAR Edition
SECTION: A; Pg. 1
LENGTH: 1613 words
HEADLINE: Judge orders an acquittal for Hutchison; Prosecutors drop their case
BYLINE: ROSS RAMSEY; Staff
DATELINE: FORT WORTH
FORT WORTH -- U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was found
innocent of the ethics charges that have haunted her for eight
months when prosecutors Friday abruptly dropped their case.
""They thought the lady would crack,'' Hutchison said later.
""Instead, the lady showed she could take the worst that a
corruption of the political system could give.
""The only crime I committed was doing a great job as state
treasurer and winning an election by a landslide,'' she said.
The stunning decision ended eight months of investigations
into accusations of improper political activities by Hutchison when
she was state treasurer.
The verdict -- which Judge John F. Onion Jr. ordered after
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle refused to present any
evidence -- effectively ends the case against Hutchison.
Any attempt to retry Hutchison on these charges would be
barred under the double jeopardy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Onion, in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
said he was ""taken aback'' by Earle's action.
""I thought they were ready for bear,'' he said.
Earle said he was convinced the judge was going to throw out
the prosecutors' best evidence against Hutchison, obtained in a
raid on the state Treasury last June.
Without that evidence, he said, they would lose the case and
give all state officials a green light to use state employees and
equipment any way they choose.
""We were convinced that the public interest demanded that we
not proceed to a verdict that we thought was going to be unfair,
that would set a new standard that would not be in the public
interest,'' Earle said. ""That's why we did what we did. ''
Hutchison's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin of Houston, said Earle
would have been more embarrassed if he'd gone ahead.
""He cut and ran because he knew they would be more
humiliated by a long trial than they would by this,'' DeGuerin
said. ""It's just a matter of cutting his losses. ''
Earle was at the prosecution's table in court for the first
time Friday morning, and he immediately stunned almost everyone
present by asking Onion to dismiss the charges against the
Republican senator before the jury was finally chosen.
While that, too, would have ended the trial, prosecutors
could have continued their case against Hutchison later. Decisions
made by a judge after the jury has taken its oath can be appealed
by the defense, but not by prosecutors.
Hutchison's lawyers challenged the evidence seized in the
June 10 raid, saying that because the district attorney used
subpoenas instead of search warrants, the evidence taken in the
raid was the result of an illegal search and seizure.
But Onion ruled Thursday -- and twice before then -- that he
would rule on whether the evidence was legal after the trial
started. To prosecutors, that was a signal he would rule against
them.
Earle's luck wasn't any better on Friday. Onion told him that
a motion to dismiss a case requires a written order, which Earle
didn't have. Earle asked for three hours to get one ready. DeGuerin
objected and asked the judge to let them finish jury selection.
Onion sided with DeGuerin and told lawyers on both sides to
finish choosing the jury from the 60 people they questioned all
week. They chose 12 jurors and two alternates -- seven women and
seven men.
But the jury's work was short.
When Onion asked the state to present its case, Earle simply
refused to do so. With no evidence from the state -- Earle declined
even to read the indictments against Hutchison to start the trial
-- DeGuerin asked the judge to direct the jury to acquit the
senator.
By noon, Hutchison was free of the allegations that have
dogged her since she handily won in a special election last June.
With a huge grin, she thanked each juror personally.
Hutchison was charged with one misdemeanor and four felony
counts of official misconduct, tampering with government records
and tampering with physical evidence. Prosecutors accused her of
using her state employees and equipment for personal and political
purposes, then trying to cover up proof by tampering with records.
She accused prosecutors of trying to destroy her political
future and of singling her out of a pack of statewide office
holders who use their employees the same way she did.
""We accomplished one important principle today,'' she said.
""A district attorney will not be able to illegally raid the state
agencies of his political enemies. ''
DeGuerin suggested stripping Earle of his power to prosecute
state officials, a power that comes with being the district
attorney of the county that includes the state capital. He said
that power instead should be given to a bipartisan group of some
kind.
""It shouldn't be left in the hands of a political hack to
prosecute political enemies,'' DeGuerin said.
""The power to prosecute on a political basis was abused in
this case. ''
Charges are still pending against former Deputy Treasurer
Mike Barron and former Planning Director David Criss. Earle said he
hasn't thought about what to do with their cases.
Earle, a Democrat, denied that he was pressured by anyone to
drop the case against Hutchison, but he said his actions against
Hutchison weren't popular in either political party.
""High-level Democrats and Republicans like to be able to use
employees for personal and political tasks,'' he said. ""The only
people who don't like that are the people, the taxpayers. It is
protecting the taxpayers' rights that is the reason that we did
what we did today. ''
Earle said he has no doubt that it is legal to seize records
with subpoenas instead of search warrants, and said he's done it in
other cases.
He stopped short of saying Onion had been unfair, but Earle
said he found the judge's rulings ""unusual and dismaying. ''
""We were shocked by the speed with which the judge proceeded
in this case, and in general, we feel that justice has been denied
in this case,'' Earle said.
That prompted an angry burst from Michael Tigar, a University
of Texas law professor who worked with DeGuerin on Hutchison's case.
""It is unprofessional of him (Earle) to do that,'' Tigar
said. ""It poses a serious threat to the orderly administration of
justice, it tends to besmirch the reputation of the court system,
the system of justice that he's sworn to uphold. ''
Hutchison chronology
Key events leading to Friday's acquittal of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey
Hutchison on all charges that she used her state Treasury office
for political gain and tampered with evidence to cover up the
misuse:
1993
December 1992-January 1993: Hutchison enters the special election
race for the U.S. Senate after Lloyd Bentsen is named to the
Clinton Cabinet.
April-May: Former Hutchison aides claim they were routinely
required to do personal and political tasks for Hutchison at the
Treasury at taxpayer expense, including political calls on a state
phone line. Hutchison denies some of the charges and says the arrangement for political phone calls was proper; the Chronicle
reports Hutchison staff may have violated state law by removing
records of the calls from state files; Hutchison and interim Sen.
Bob Krueger finish first and second, respectively, in the special
election and head into the runoff.
June 5: Hutchison wins Senate with 67 percent of the vote.
June 10: Travis County DA Ronnie Earle, using subpoenas ordered by
a grand jury, raids Hutchison's Treasury offices, seizing computer
tapes, phone records and other files.
Sept. 9: Hutchison spends 53 minutes in grand jury building.
Sept. 27: Hutchison, Planning Director David Criss, and aide
Michael Barron are indicted on felony charges of official
misconduct, tampering with governmental records and tampering with
physical evidence.
Oct. 18-19: Hutchison's lawyers challenge the validity of the grand
jury, noting that one of the 12 grand jurors had a theft charge
pending when he was sworn to the panel.
Oct. 26: State District Judge Mike Lynch throws out Hutchison's
indictment because of the disqualified jury member; prosecutors
immediately begin to seek new indictments with a second grand jury.
Dec. 8: The second grand jury indicts Hutchison and Barron on
felony charges of official misconduct, tampering with governmental
records and tampering with physical evidence and indicts Criss on
charges of official misconduct.
Dec. 28: Judge John F. Onion Jr., hearing pretrial motions filed by
Hutchison's lawyers, rejects four of the five indictments and gives
prosecutors 10 days to make the indictments less vague. He leaves
one charge of official misconduct in place.
1994
Jan.4: Hutchison's lawyers seek to suppress evidence taken during
the June 10 raid, saying it amounted to an illegal search.
Jan. 6: Hutchison indicted a third time.
Jan. 12-14: Onion decides trial will be held Feb. 7 in Fort Worth.
Feb. 7-9: Hutchison pleads innocent, and jury selection begins.
Feb. 10: Earle asks judge to rule quickly on defense's Jan.4
motion to suppress the raid evidence, saying he can't go forward if
Onion rules against him. Onion says he will wait until the evidence
is presented in trial, meaning Earle could not appeal until after
the trial was over.
Feb. 11: Earle decides not to risk having evidence suppressed in
trial and asks for dismissal of charges. Onion denies that motion,
seats a jury and grants a defense motion for a directed verdict of
not guilty. Jury acquits Hutchison.
GRAPHIC: Photos: 1. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison waves Friday as she leaves court in Fort Worth.(color); 2. Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle talks to reporters after the verdict. (color); Graph: 3. Hutchison chronology (b/w, p. 12, TEXT); 1, 2 Associated Press, Source: 3. Chronicle files |
SBD |
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Armybrat/Armymom
Commander
Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 335
Location: Central Texas
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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Don't believe everything you read in the Houston Chronicle article. There was more to it than what was reported.
Strayhorn's a good Comptroller and a good person. She doesn't go along to get along and THAT is what has caused dissension. |
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Harvuskong
Seaman
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 174
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| Armybrat/Armymom wrote: | Don't believe everything you read in the Houston Chronicle article. There was more to it than what was reported.
Strayhorn's a good Comptroller and a good person. She doesn't go along to get along and THAT is what has caused dissension. |
That was not the Houston Chronicle, it was the Austin Chronicle that the article came from.
I still stand by what I said about her and her failed Texas Supreme Court election effort.
She lied big time on while trying to get elected to a job that requires good judgment and understanding of the law. She knew full well that Tx Supreme Court would never ever rule on a death pentalty case.
Good persons do not lie about what she lied about concerning the Tx Supreme Court. She lacks both honesty and integrity.
I do not trust her at all. Never will.
She is a big time grandstander making loud noises looking for attention. Solo act. Not a team player. Always trys to make herself and only herself look good. Sounds a lot like the Clintons in my opinion.
Team work is required to make things happen. The military is a great example of that, of course.
Special Forces rely on trained teamwork to be effective from what I have read and seen. |
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JannDallas
Seaman
Joined: 26 Sep 2004
Posts: 166
Location: Dallas, TX
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Scott McLellan, who is Bush's spokesman, is her son. She was elected Mayor of Austin while I was attending school there. She isn't happy with Rick Perry and is very outspoken about it. I also know that she has been married numerous times as since the 70's she has gone through several last name changes. She also went public on her big weight loss years ago and how she did it. This is what I remember about her. I know she was big on Lean Cuisine. |
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Armybrat/Armymom
Commander
Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 335
Location: Central Texas
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Austin Chronicle is nothing but a rag. I wouldn't even use it in my birdcage. |
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Harvuskong
Seaman
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 174
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| Armybrat/Armymom wrote: | | Austin Chronicle is nothing but a rag. I wouldn't even use it in my birdcage. |
Your Ox got gored, didn't it??
I thought that I would bump this one back to the top since the Abramoff issue is at hand and some one has managed to work the Texas Governor's race into the Abramoff story.
The Austin Chronicle link is still operational.
Here is a bit of good juicy stuff about "One Tough Grandma" Carole Keeton Rylander Strayhorn while she was Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Hmm, I think that I need to do some research into how she got that job.
Yet Rylander won't quit her job as chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Why? It's too good to quit. She can run for another office while raising lots of cash from the oil and railroad companies she regulates. The Dallas Morning News reported on this phenomenon in July, noting that in 1995 she accepted $5,000 from an Enron lobbyist the day after she voted to exempt Enron from a state rule governing spacing on oil wells. In 1997, she got a $1,000 contribution from a Texaco executive 12 days before a hearing on Texaco's request for an exception to the same rule. And Molly Ivins reported in August that Rylander has accepted $6,000 worth of contributions from Houston oil man George Mitchell over the past three years. In 1996, a jury awarded eight families from Wise County a $204 million verdict against Mitchell Energy for polluting the families' groundwater. The Railroad Commission promised to investigate the matter. After reviewing the case, the agency's staff recommended that Mitchell Energy be fined $2.24 million. The commission voted to cut the fine in half, however, and Mitchell Energy was not required to admit any wrongdoing in the pollution case.
Why is this important? Well, in 1994, Rylander pledged that she would not accept donations from entities that have contested cases before the commission. In the Dallas Morning News story, Rylander called the allegations of impropriety "absolute hogwash." Her campaign chairman Scott McClellan also told the News that Rylander had returned $75,000 worth of contributions since 1994. |
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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 7:02 am Post subject: |
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There are, quite obviously, strong differences of opinion on this subject. I urge participants in this topic to keep things civil and academic.
Thanks |
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Harvuskong
Seaman
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 174
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Please inform us about your issues against Gov. Perry and any others.
Be warned however, I have seen the Demos at work in Texas for many years in the past before the Repubs were able to become the Majority Party in Texas.
Remember Ballot Box 13?? Poll Tax. Sharpstown Bank scandal. And numerous other incidents in the past.
Redistricting tricks by the Demos in the past. So many other tricks and etc. |
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Armybrat/Armymom
Commander
Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 335
Location: Central Texas
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| Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: Texas Politics |
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| Quote: | As for the Comptroller herself, I do not exactly trust her anyway. I was surprised to see her actually get elected to the Comptroller's job in the first place. I consider her to be in a postion beyond her highest level of incompetence.
Why?? Because of her past political election history, when she was running for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.
Short lesson here on the Texas Judical System here for all.
The Texas Judical system has two courts of last appeal, the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
The Texas Supreme Court is the court of last appeal for civil case appeals. They handles civil cases only.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last appeal for criminal cases. They handle criminal cases only.
Death penalty cases are criminal cases only. She, the present Texas Comptroller, was claiming that she would get "tough" with the death penalty cases while she was running for a spot on the Texas Supreme Court.
She was exposed when some reporter asked when was the last time that the Texas Supreme Court had decided on a death penalty case.
I think that you can guess what the answer was and the final results for that Texas Supreme Court postion.
By the way, she has remarried since that election and her last name is now Strayhorn. It was Rylander during her Texas Supreme Court attempt. |
So.....when exactly did she run for the Texas Supreme Court? And who was this reporter? |
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msindependent
Vice Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 891
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| People might want to go with primary sources on this debate, in my opinion, the Dallas Morning News isn't very reliable either. |
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