Guest Sid9 Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 January 18, 2008 Texas Thriller: the Runaway Grand Jury By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 6:49 p.m. ET HOUSTON (AP) -- The highest reaches of the Texas judicial system were consumed Friday by a real-life legal thriller that could be titled ''The Runaway Grand Jury.'' A grand jury indicted a Texas Supreme Court justice Thursday on arson-related charges. But on Friday the district attorney's office that brought the case to the grand jury in the first place dropped the charges, angering members of the panel and drawing allegations of political backscratching. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who is himself embroiled in a scandal involving inappropriate e-mails found on his office computer, said there was insufficient evidence to support the charges against Justice David Medina, a fellow Republican. But the move outraged the grand jury foreman, who threatened to reconvene the panel and issue the charges again. ''One could speculate it was political pressure. I could see no other reason,'' foreman Robert Ryan said Friday. ''It depends on who your friends are.'' Ryan told the Houston Chronicle: ''If this was David Medina, comma, truck driver, comma, Baytown, Texas, he would have been indicted three months ago.'' Medina was appointed by the governor to the state's highest civil court in 2004 and elected to a full term two years later. His wife, Francisca, was accused of setting a fire last summer that destroyed the couple's suburban Houston house and damaged a neighbor's residence. Her husband was charged with evidence tampering in the June 28 blaze, which caused nearly $1 million in damages. Vic Wisner, the assistant prosecutor handling the case, denied accusations of cronyism and special treatment. He said his embattled boss was getting a raw deal and insisted the Supreme Court justice and his wife weren't off the hook. ''I can assure you there was no influence in any way, shape or form,'' Wisner said. ''And also, with the criticism of Mr. Rosenthal, he was just acting on information received from me. If anyone deserves any criticism in this case, it should be me and not him.'' One defense attorney not connected to the case found Friday's events ironic. ''I wish I had a dollar for every single time the DAs have said, 'Well, we'll just let the grand jury hear the facts of the case and let them decide and whatever they decide that's what we'll do,''' said Katherine Scardino, a Houston defense attorney. ''Now it's obviously something they don't want, so they're all upset about it.'' John Parras, on Francisca Medina's legal team, said the dismissal was not unusual and that Rosenthal was ''just exercising his discretion.'' ''It was a runaway grand jury indicting on no evidence,'' he said. ''With everything going on in the county with regards to the district attorney, people are reading more into this than the story warrants.'' Earlier this month, Rosenthal was forced off the GOP ballot for re-election after dozens of messages from his office e-mail account were disclosed as part of an unrelated case. The e-mail file included pornography, racist humor, love notes to his secretary and campaign-related files on a county-owned computer, a possible violation of election laws. Rosenthal was left embarrassed, under state investigation and ostracized by the county GOP hierarchy intent on damage control. Wisner said the investigation of the Medina case would continue. ''To give you an analogy, we're only about six months into a 10-year statute of limitations on the arson, which is like about three minutes into a football game,'' he said. The justice and his wife have denied any wrongdoing. Neither was at the brief hearing Friday. ''I can't speak for the actions of the grand jury, but I'm very disappointed by their decision,'' he said later in the day. ''I do not know Mr. Rosenthal personally, and I have no other connection with him on any professional level.'' The Supreme Court is Texas's highest civil court. The last stop for criminal cases is the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Medina's lawyer, Terry Yates, said the only possible improprieties are from Ryan and another grand juror who also publicly blasted the district attorney's office. ''They're acting way out of bounds,'' said Yates, who was seeking contempt of court charges against the pair for violating grand jury secrecy laws. ''There's no politics. That's what the grand jury is trying to imply.'' The dismissal spares Medina scrutiny by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct. which can suspend a judge who is under indictment. The fire marshal's office has said the fire at the Medinas' home in Spring, north of Houston, was not electrical or accidental. A dog detected an accelerant at the scene. Investigators became suspicious after discovering a mortgage company sued in June 2006 to foreclose on the $300,000 home. The lawsuit, filed after the family missed payments for five months, was settled in December 2006. Yates has acknowledged the family had financial problems. They owed nearly $1,900 in fees to a homeowners association and also let the insurance policy on the house lapse, meaning losses from the fire were not covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr4701 Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Actually Rosenthal was cast out from the Republican party in Texas and has been asked to resign and leave ASAP... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5461756.html WITH THAT SAID... i dont see the political theory... the justice would just be replaced with another republican... "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:ZGfkj.56121$_m.13196@bignews4.bellsouth.net... > January 18, 2008 > > Texas Thriller: the Runaway Grand Jury > > By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS > > > Filed at 6:49 p.m. ET > > > > HOUSTON (AP) -- The highest reaches of the Texas judicial system were > consumed Friday by a real-life legal thriller that could be titled ''The > Runaway Grand Jury.'' > > A grand jury indicted a Texas Supreme Court justice Thursday on > arson-related charges. But on Friday the district attorney's office that > brought the case to the grand jury in the first place dropped the charges, > angering members of the panel and drawing allegations of political > backscratching. > > Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who is himself embroiled > in a scandal involving inappropriate e-mails found on his office computer, > said there was insufficient evidence to support the charges against > Justice David Medina, a fellow Republican. > > But the move outraged the grand jury foreman, who threatened to reconvene > the panel and issue the charges again. > > ''One could speculate it was political pressure. I could see no other > reason,'' foreman Robert Ryan said Friday. ''It depends on who your > friends are.'' > > Ryan told the Houston Chronicle: ''If this was David Medina, comma, truck > driver, comma, Baytown, Texas, he would have been indicted three months > ago.'' > > Medina was appointed by the governor to the state's highest civil court in > 2004 and elected to a full term two years later. > > His wife, Francisca, was accused of setting a fire last summer that > destroyed the couple's suburban Houston house and damaged a neighbor's > residence. Her husband was charged with evidence tampering in the June 28 > blaze, which caused nearly $1 million in damages. > > Vic Wisner, the assistant prosecutor handling the case, denied accusations > of cronyism and special treatment. He said his embattled boss was getting > a raw deal and insisted the Supreme Court justice and his wife weren't off > the hook. > > ''I can assure you there was no influence in any way, shape or form,'' > Wisner said. ''And also, with the criticism of Mr. Rosenthal, he was just > acting on information received from me. If anyone deserves any criticism > in this case, it should be me and not him.'' > > One defense attorney not connected to the case found Friday's events > ironic. > > ''I wish I had a dollar for every single time the DAs have said, 'Well, > we'll just let the grand jury hear the facts of the case and let them > decide and whatever they decide that's what we'll do,''' said Katherine > Scardino, a Houston defense attorney. ''Now it's obviously something they > don't want, so they're all upset about it.'' > > John Parras, on Francisca Medina's legal team, said the dismissal was not > unusual and that Rosenthal was ''just exercising his discretion.'' > > ''It was a runaway grand jury indicting on no evidence,'' he said. ''With > everything going on in the county with regards to the district attorney, > people are reading more into this than the story warrants.'' > > Earlier this month, Rosenthal was forced off the GOP ballot for > re-election after dozens of messages from his office e-mail account were > disclosed as part of an unrelated case. The e-mail file included > pornography, racist humor, love notes to his secretary and > campaign-related files on a county-owned computer, a possible violation of > election laws. Rosenthal was left embarrassed, under state investigation > and ostracized by the county GOP hierarchy intent on damage control. > > Wisner said the investigation of the Medina case would continue. > > ''To give you an analogy, we're only about six months into a 10-year > statute of limitations on the arson, which is like about three minutes > into a football game,'' he said. > > The justice and his wife have denied any wrongdoing. Neither was at the > brief hearing Friday. > > ''I can't speak for the actions of the grand jury, but I'm very > disappointed by their decision,'' he said later in the day. ''I do not > know Mr. Rosenthal personally, and I have no other connection with him on > any professional level.'' > > The Supreme Court is Texas's highest civil court. The last stop for > criminal cases is the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. > > Medina's lawyer, Terry Yates, said the only possible improprieties are > from Ryan and another grand juror who also publicly blasted the district > attorney's office. > > ''They're acting way out of bounds,'' said Yates, who was seeking contempt > of court charges against the pair for violating grand jury secrecy laws. > ''There's no politics. That's what the grand jury is trying to imply.'' > > The dismissal spares Medina scrutiny by the state Commission on Judicial > Conduct. which can suspend a judge who is under indictment. > > The fire marshal's office has said the fire at the Medinas' home in > Spring, north of Houston, was not electrical or accidental. A dog detected > an accelerant at the scene. > > Investigators became suspicious after discovering a mortgage company sued > in June 2006 to foreclose on the $300,000 home. The lawsuit, filed after > the family missed payments for five months, was settled in December 2006. > > Yates has acknowledged the family had financial problems. They owed nearly > $1,900 in fees to a homeowners association and also let the insurance > policy on the house lapse, meaning losses from the fire were not covered. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in news:ZGfkj.56121$_m.13196@bignews4.bellsouth.net: > January 18, 2008 > > Texas Thriller: the Runaway Grand Jury > > By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS > > > Filed at 6:49 p.m. ET > > > > HOUSTON (AP) -- The highest reaches of the Texas judicial system were > consumed Friday by a real-life legal thriller that could be titled > ''The Runaway Grand Jury.'' > > A grand jury indicted a Texas Supreme Court justice Thursday on > arson-related charges. But on Friday the district attorney's office > that brought the case to the grand jury in the first place dropped the > charges, angering members of the panel and drawing allegations of > political backscratching. > > Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who is himself > embroiled in a scandal involving inappropriate e-mails found on his > office computer, said there was insufficient evidence to support the > charges against Justice David Medina, a fellow Republican. > > But the move outraged the grand jury foreman, who threatened to > reconvene the panel and issue the charges again. > > ''One could speculate it was political pressure. I could see no other > reason,'' foreman Robert Ryan said Friday. ''It depends on who your > friends are.'' > > Ryan told the Houston Chronicle: ''If this was David Medina, comma, > truck driver, comma, Baytown, Texas, he would have been indicted three > months ago.'' > > Medina was appointed by the governor to the state's highest civil > court in 2004 and elected to a full term two years later. > > His wife, Francisca, was accused of setting a fire last summer that > destroyed the couple's suburban Houston house and damaged a neighbor's > residence. Her husband was charged with evidence tampering in the June > 28 blaze, which caused nearly $1 million in damages. > > Vic Wisner, the assistant prosecutor handling the case, denied > accusations of cronyism and special treatment. He said his embattled > boss was getting a raw deal and insisted the Supreme Court justice and > his wife weren't off the hook. > > ''I can assure you there was no influence in any way, shape or form,'' > Wisner said. ''And also, with the criticism of Mr. Rosenthal, he was > just acting on information received from me. If anyone deserves any > criticism in this case, it should be me and not him.'' > > One defense attorney not connected to the case found Friday's events > ironic. > > ''I wish I had a dollar for every single time the DAs have said, > 'Well, we'll just let the grand jury hear the facts of the case and > let them decide and whatever they decide that's what we'll do,''' said > Katherine Scardino, a Houston defense attorney. ''Now it's obviously > something they don't want, so they're all upset about it.'' > > John Parras, on Francisca Medina's legal team, said the dismissal was > not unusual and that Rosenthal was ''just exercising his discretion.'' > > ''It was a runaway grand jury indicting on no evidence,'' he said. > ''With everything going on in the county with regards to the district > attorney, people are reading more into this than the story warrants.'' > > Earlier this month, Rosenthal was forced off the GOP ballot for > re-election after dozens of messages from his office e-mail account > were disclosed as part of an unrelated case. The e-mail file included > pornography, racist humor, love notes to his secretary and > campaign-related files on a county-owned computer, a possible > violation of election laws. Rosenthal was left embarrassed, under > state investigation and ostracized by the county GOP hierarchy intent > on damage control. > > Wisner said the investigation of the Medina case would continue. > > ''To give you an analogy, we're only about six months into a 10-year > statute of limitations on the arson, which is like about three minutes > into a football game,'' he said. > > The justice and his wife have denied any wrongdoing. Neither was at > the brief hearing Friday. > > ''I can't speak for the actions of the grand jury, but I'm very > disappointed by their decision,'' he said later in the day. ''I do not > know Mr. Rosenthal personally, and I have no other connection with him > on any professional level.'' > > The Supreme Court is Texas's highest civil court. The last stop for > criminal cases is the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. > > Medina's lawyer, Terry Yates, said the only possible improprieties are > from Ryan and another grand juror who also publicly blasted the > district attorney's office. > > ''They're acting way out of bounds,'' said Yates, who was seeking > contempt of court charges against the pair for violating grand jury > secrecy laws. ''There's no politics. That's what the grand jury is > trying to imply.'' > > The dismissal spares Medina scrutiny by the state Commission on > Judicial Conduct. which can suspend a judge who is under indictment. > > The fire marshal's office has said the fire at the Medinas' home in > Spring, north of Houston, was not electrical or accidental. A dog > detected an accelerant at the scene. > > Investigators became suspicious after discovering a mortgage company > sued in June 2006 to foreclose on the $300,000 home. The lawsuit, > filed after the family missed payments for five months, was settled in > December 2006. > > Yates has acknowledged the family had financial problems. They owed > nearly $1,900 in fees to a homeowners association and also let the > insurance policy on the house lapse, meaning losses from the fire were > not covered. > > This same District Attorney has proclaimed that his Houston home county leading the entire world in handing down death sentences is nothing more than doing Gods work. I guess thats two people that God speaks to, the DA and Bush. Must be the same God, he tells them both to go kill people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr4701 Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 "Rob" <rob@aol.com> wrote in message news:Xns9A29F08719D04Robaolcom@207.115.33.102... > "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in > news:ZGfkj.56121$_m.13196@bignews4.bellsouth.net: > This same District Attorney has proclaimed that his Houston home county > leading the entire world in handing down death sentences is nothing more > than doing Gods work. I guess thats two people that God speaks to, the DA > and Bush. Must be the same God, he tells them both to go kill people. The guy is bad... but I see nothing wrong with the death penalty or freeing people who still have not been brought into this century. Don't like it? Two simple solutions... -Don't murder and you won't go to the chair.... -Don't allow dictators like Saddam to exist just because you think American lives have a higher financial cost than those slaughtered under a Hussein like regime. Oh wait... I forgot! You deserve freedom while others dont... laughs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mio Myopic Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 "Mr4701" <NoExists@Earth.net> wrote in message news:Brgkj.5478$9t4.4040@trnddc08... > > "Rob" <rob@aol.com> wrote in message > news:Xns9A29F08719D04Robaolcom@207.115.33.102... >> "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in >> news:ZGfkj.56121$_m.13196@bignews4.bellsouth.net: >> This same District Attorney has proclaimed that his Houston home county >> leading the entire world in handing down death sentences is nothing more >> than doing Gods work. I guess thats two people that God speaks to, the DA >> and Bush. Must be the same God, he tells them both to go kill people. > > The guy is bad... but I see nothing wrong with the death penalty or > freeing people who still have not been brought into this century. Don't > like it? > > Two simple solutions... > > -Don't murder and you won't go to the chair.... > -Don't allow dictators like Saddam to exist just because you think > American lives have a higher financial cost than those slaughtered under a > Hussein like regime. > > Oh wait... I forgot! You deserve freedom while others dont... > > laughs Life and freedom are indeed sacred, unless of course you're talking about those slaughtered under Saddam's regime during the Reagan years.. Which "Hussein like" regime were you referring to, the "good" one (1980-1989), or the "evil" one (1989-2003)? Also, since Saddam's dead now, can Americans have their freedom back? laughs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Friendly Xenu Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote: >arson-related charges. But on Friday the district attorney's office that >brought the case to the grand jury in the first place dropped the charges, Good grief. Racketeering, corruption, organized crime. That's what Republicanism has become. --- When you're a Scientologist, and you drive by an accident, you know you have to do something about it, because you know you're the only one who can really help. -- Heterosexual Tom Cruise describing his magic powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Friendly Xenu Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote: >His wife, Francisca, was accused of setting a fire last summer that >destroyed the couple's suburban Houston house and damaged a neighbor's >residence. Her husband was charged with evidence tampering in the June 28 >blaze, which caused nearly $1 million in damages. When people calling themselves "Earth Liberation Front" do this they get charged with fake "terrorism" charges. When Christofascist Republicans do it, it's just rightarded sexual foreplay or something. --- When you're a Scientologist, and you drive by an accident, you know you have to do something about it, because you know you're the only one who can really help. -- Heterosexual Tom Cruise describing his magic powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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