A good friend of mine texted me about two months ago. No particular reason, just to catch up on things like we do every so often. I had one of those guilt-ridden moments this morning when I realized I never called him back. I started to reply and noticed the date was March 12 and thought of how different our world is now. I hadn’t heard of COVID-19 back then, and certainly didn’t think my Court would ever be shut down because of a Pandemic, but here we are. I texted him, “Lots of things have changed since your text…others remain exactly the same. Call me when you can.”
526 Seconds in Minneapolis
3 Ways COVID-19 Makes the Criminal Courts Better
The rules in place to help end the COVID-19 pandemic have had profound impacts on our lives. We’ve learned new words and phrases like “shelter in place” and “social distancing.” Businesses are closed causing many to lose their jobs. Restaurants are fighting for survival selling take-out, and retail shops are drying up. While the extent of the exact damage is nearly impossible to predict, we are surrounded by constant reminders that our economy is in significant distress.
Potting Soil and Quick Dry Cement: Circumstantially Constructed Cases.
In Florida this month, Ashley MacArthur was tried and convicted for first degree murder. 33-year-old Taylor Wright’s body was discovered on a 30-acre tract of land owned by the Defendant’s family. The former police officer’s body was buried underneath a concrete slab covered with potting soil. The investigation lead to Ashley MacArthur, a former crime scene technician. Among other pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors was a video of MacArthur buying quick dry concrete and potting soil a day after the victim was missing. Read More
Detective Leavelle Knew Why Jack Ruby Killed Lee Harvey Oswald Because Ruby Told Him
Jim Leavelle survived Pearl Harbor, testified in the “Trial of the Century,” retired a legendary detective, and attained the age of 99. While researching “The Assassin’s Assassin,” the tall man in the light suit wearing the Stetson hat in Bob Jackson’s famous, Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph told me all about his experience with Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Today, in his honor, I’ll share that with you.
Bottom Row: Alicia Alexander, Bob Huffaker, Jim Leavelle, Waymon Rose, David Rose.
Judge, Why Are You So Interested In The Jack Ruby Case?
His case file looked like all the others in the storage facility for the DA’s Office in Dallas: a collection of a dozen or so dusty brown and white banker boxes. The difference? The name written on the outside: Jack Ruby. Read More
50 Years Ago Today, Tex Watson’s Killing Spree Began
He was tall, handsome, and raised in a religious house. As a youth he worked in his father’s grocery store. He was a star athlete at Farmersville high school in Denton, a Texas state record holder in the hurdles. He pledged Pi Kappa Alpha at UNT. And if he hadn’t hitchhiked down Sunset Blvd. in the summer of 1968, he might never have met Charlie Manson. His name is Charles “Tex” Watson, and 50 years ago today, he began a mission of murder called “Helter Skelter.”
5 Necessary Components of any Bail Reform measure
An Open Letter to the 2021 Texas Legislature
I watched the 2019 legislature with great hope, convinced that the bipartisan call for meaningful bail reform in Texas would finally be answered. Ultimately, however, it was not. As such, I offer this open letter to 2021 lawmakers addressing why we need bail reform, and how to do it.
Abuse of a Corpse in Texas
James Scandirito Senior, 74, was reported missing on April 1st, 2018. His son, James Scandirito Junior, said that he last saw his father the previous night. It turns out that Junior actually dismembered his father and hid his body. Was it murder or panic? Read More
The Defense of Insanity in Texas
In South Carolina, Timothy Jones Jr. was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering his 5 children, ranging in age from 1 to 8. He plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Let’s discuss this case and the insanity defense in Texas. Read More
Judge Birmingham as a Panelist on The Daily Debrief with Aaron Keller
In discussing the Jussie Smollett story and Kellen Winslow II Trial find out why I said:
- “I am a firm believer in transparency in our government”
- “Exposing a witness’s bias is one of the cornerstones of any cross examination”