Bad Cop News
Our Tax Dollars At WorkSearch:
Hosted in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Archive for the ‘TEXAS’ Category
NBC Settles $105 Million Lawsuit After Terrell Texas Prosecutor Louis William Conradt Jr. Sought Sex With Children - He Did The Right Thing And Killed Himself Prior To Arrest
July 2nd, 2008
TERRELL, TEXAS - NBC has settled a lawsuit filed by the family of a man who killed himself after being confronted regarding his illicit communications with what he believed to be underage boys. The deceased also happened to be a 5 term district attorney and respected prosecutor in Texas.
Illegal Alien Invader Charged With Killing Houston Texas Police Officer
July 2nd, 2008
HOUSTON, TEXAS - From his hospital bed, Houston police Officer Joe Pyland spent much of Monday answering phone calls and welcoming visitors.
The outpouring of support is helping him cope with his injuries and deal with the overwhelming loss of his friend Officer Gary Gryder.
Pyland and Gryder were working traffic control along a Katy Freeway feeder road Sunday when a driver smashed through some road barricades and struck the officers. Gryder was killed, and Pyland was seriously injured.
“I lost a friend, you lost a friend. We lost a great police officer,” Pyland said in an exclusive interview with 11 News. “I’m guessing another two or three inches and I am probably gone also.”
Investigators said it is unclear if the driver of the car, Hung Truong, even saw the barricades or the flashing lights on the police car before the collision. Police said preliminary toxicology reports show that no alcohol or drugs were found in his system.
Read MoreRandal County Texas Corrections Officer Derrick DeWayne White Arrested, Fired, Charged With Armed Sexual Assault
July 2nd, 2008
RANDALL COUNTY, TEXAS - A Randall County corrections officer has been fired following his arrest on suspicion of aggravated sexual assault.
Police allege Derrick DeWayne White, 31, is the man responsible for assaulting an acquaintance last weekend.
Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson said White was a supervisor for the corrections division of the sheriff’s office. He had been in that position since October and been with the sheriff’s office since December 2003, Richardson said.
“He was relieved of his duties with us. It’s an unfortunate incident for law enforcement, but you can’t expect to be given special treatment because you wear a badge,” said Richardson, who declined further comment on White’s dismissal.
A criminal complaint was filed Tuesday against White, an Amarillo resident. The charge stems from an incident Saturday, Amarillo police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld said. “We were given an anonymous tip,” he said.
Read MoreMission Police Officer Martin Villarreal And Lt. Gabriel Zuniga Charged With Drunk Driving Over Weekend, One In A Patrol Car At Twice State Limit, Another After Nearly Wrecking - Both To Be Fired
July 2nd, 2008
MISSION, TEXAS - Two Mission police officer’s discovered the meaning of “Zero tolerance” over weekend.
Both are in the process of being fired from their jobs after being arrested and charged with DWI in two separate cases.
Officer Martin Villarreal was arrested driving an unmarked police car in San Juan early Saturday morning.
His blood alcohol level was allegedly twice the legal limit. Officials said it’s his third DWI and his second in a police unit.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers also arrested Lt. Gabriel Zuniga on Saturday night on South Padre Island.
Court records show that Zuniga was allegedly driving his truck when he almost crashed into a sand dune off Park Road 100.
He faces a state jail felony DWI charge for driving with a passenger under 15 years of age.
Mission Police Chief Leo Longoria issued a public apology on Sunday.
Read MoreAss Kissing Harris County Texas Sheriff Tommy Thomas Apologizes For Racist eMails
July 2nd, 2008
HOUSTON, TEXAS — Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas apologized to a local Muslim group Monday for e-mails containing derogatory jokes about Muslims that were circulated by members of his staff.
Thomas also plans to suspend the commander, Chief Deputy Mike Smith, who heads the office’s detention command, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday. The newspaper said Thomas did not know when that suspension would begin or whether other staff members would also be suspended.
Thomas’ appearance at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston marked his second apology regarding the e-mails, which included a message from a top commander that mocked the Islamic religion.
“If anyone was offended, I sincerely apologize,” Thomas said. “I hope it’s not systemic of the department.”
Thomas has been the center of several recent controversies, including a civil rights lawsuit alleging unlawful surveillance. Questions have also been raised about his relationship with a county contractor and his decision to delete 750,000 e-mails around the time former District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal faced scrutiny over his own electronic message.
Read MoreVeteran Austin Texas Police Officer Det. Mason Feinartz Fired For Repeated Insubordination - 10 Bad Cops Fired In New Chief’s First Year As He Cleans House
July 2nd, 2008
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Police Chief Art Acevedo fired another officer from the force. The detective was fired for what the chief calls “repeated insubordination.”
Acevedo has fired 10 police officers since he started less than a year ago.
Acevedo denies claims he is “cleaning house.”
But today’s firing of an 11-year veteran has some saying, in this case, Acevedo went too far.
Acevedo says the fired detective’s Chain of Command couldn’t trust him.
Meanwhile, the Austin Police Association says Detective Mason Feinartz was punished for going above and beyond the call of duty.
“We want officers to be held accountable we don’t want to work with a bad cop. That’s the bottom line.”
But the Austin Police Association says Feinartz was a good cop who was fired unjustly.
Read MoreCrazed Texas Lawmaker Warren Chisum Targets Married Couples With 2 Year Wait For Divorce
July 2nd, 2008
TEXAS - Texans would have to wait two years to get a divorce — unless they take a class designed to save their marriage — under a proposal a key state lawmaker says he plans to revive.
State Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, sought to get a similar measure passed in 2007. He said he’s planning to bring it back as one of his priorities for the legislative session that begins in January.
“The deal is, we need to take marriage more seriously,” said Chisum, who in October will celebrate his 51st wedding anniversary.
It now takes at least 60 days to finalize a divorce in Texas. Across the country, waiting periods range from 30 days in Alabama to up to two years in Maryland, if one spouse contests the divorce, according to Mike McManus, president of Marriage Savers, a group that works with communities to start marriage education programs.
Read MoreHouston Texas Annexes County Roads Surrounding Legal Fireworks Stands To Entrap Purchaers
July 2nd, 2008
HOUSTON, TEXAS - Katy teen Stephen Gegenheimer had just bought $50 worth of roman candles and fireworks Monday afternoon and was headed home to set them off in his front yard when he spotted flashing lights in his rearview mirror.
An arson officer with the Houston Fire Marshal’s Office told the 17-year-old that he’d violated the law by driving through an annexed area of Houston with fireworks in his trunk.
Gegenheimer was baffled. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Houston, but legal in Harris County. He’d bought his fireworks legally at a stand in unincorporated Harris County and was planning to take them to his house in Katy, a few miles away, where he could legally use them.
But Gegenheimer’s direct route from the Wal-Mart in the 1300 block of Fry Road to his house in the 20600 block of Morning Creek Drive passed through a small stretch of Fry Road that has been annexed by the city of Houston, so the officer ticketed him.
Read MoreFired Austin Texas Police Commander Larry Oliver Wants His Job Back - Female Officer Complained About Discrimination - Refused 30 Day Suspension
July 1st, 2008
AUSTIN, TEXAS - A former commander with the Austin Police Department is fighting to get his job back Tuesday. APD Chief Art Acevedo fired Cmdr. Larry Oliver in March after a female officer complained about discrimination.
Acevedo said Oliver failed to report the actions of Cmdr. Calvin Smith.
Acevedo first handed Oliver a 30-day suspension, but because Oliver rejected it, he was fired.
A third-party arbitrator will decide the fate of the former commander.
Tuesday morning, Assistant Police Chief David Carter said he felt Oliver’s original 30-day suspension was sufficient.
Tom Stribling, the attorney representing Oliver said, “We set aside whatever the law is. The chief had the authority to do whatever he wanted to do in this case. What he wanted to do was to impose a 30-day discipline. Is that correct?”
Carter said, “Yes.”
Former Jacksonville Texas Police Officer Larry Pugh To Serve Just 18 Months For Purjury After 12 Year Sentences For Sexually Assaulting Women While On Duty
July 1st, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS - Standing in the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit with shackles around his feet, the former Jacksonville police officer said he understood the proceedings and took the sentence imposed on him — 18 months for perjury.
Larry Pugh and his attorney Rex Thompson accepted the sentence dealt by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider. The sentence is set to run consecutively with several other cases.
Pugh, 35, pleaded guilty Sept. 28, 2007, to perjury for lying about sexually assaulting women while on duty.
He pleaded guilty to three federal charges Sept. 28, 2006, admitting he violated the civil rights of two women when he sexually assaulted them while on duty, and for retaliating against one of the victims who reported the offense. He was sentenced to 12 years for those crimes.
When asked Monday if he understood the consequences of perjury, Pugh said he did.
Read MoreTexas Man Not Indicted On Bogus Charges - Shot And Killed Third World Savages Burglarizing His Neighbor’s Home
June 30th, 2008
PASADENA, TEXAS - A Texas man who shot and killed two men he suspected of burglarizing his neighbor’s home was cleared in the shootings Monday by a grand jury.
Joe Horn shot and killed two men last November after he saw them crawl out a neighbor’s window.
Joe Horn shot and killed two men last November after he saw them crawl out a neighbor’s window.
Joe Horn, 61, shot the two men in November after he saw them crawling out the windows of a neighbor’s house in the Houston suburb of Pasadena.
Horn called 911 and told the dispatcher he had a shotgun and was going to kill the men. The dispatcher pleaded with him not to go outside, but Horn confronted the men with a 12-gauge shotgun and shot both in the back.
“The message we’re trying to send today is the criminal justice system works,” Harris County District Attorney Kenneth Magidson said.
Read MoreDallas Texas Firefighter John Chen Charged After Attack On Motorist In Bicycle Road Rage Case
June 30th, 2008
DALLAS TEXAS - A Dallas firefighter faces an assault charge for what police call an “unusual” road rage case. The firefighter is accused of attacking a driver - from his bicycle.
The incident started in Trophy Club when a driver pulled out in front of some cyclists and ended in Roanoke, with a driver allegedly being hit with a water bottle. Police say it’s a case where both cyclist and motorist were battling over the same right-of-way.
“I didn’t even hear him ’til I heard him say, ‘You ran me off the road b_tch!” explained driver Lucy Morris. “That was the first time I saw him.”
“She had a cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in the other hand and just very like ‘I don’t care’ attitude,” bicyclist John Chen told CBS 11 News.
Read MoreSecond Mission Texas Police Officer Lt. Gabriel Zuniga Arrested, Suspended, Charged With Drunk Driving - Officer Martin Flores Villarreal Arrested The Day Before
June 30th, 2008
MISSION, TEXAS - A second city police officer was suspended Sunday after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated over the weekend.
Mission police Lt. Gabriel Zuniga was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on South Padre Island about 10 p.m. Saturday, said Trooper Johnny Hernandez, a local spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Zuniga was pulled over for a traffic violation along Texas Highway 100, north of the Island’s main strip, Hernandez said.
The off-duty police officer failed a sobriety test at the scene and was transported to the Port Isabel Police Department, where he refused to give a breath sample, Hernandez said. Zuniga was then taken to the Cameron County Jail in Brownsville.
Zuniga’s arrest marks the second intoxicated driving incident involving a Mission police officer this weekend.
Read MoreFormer Jacksonville Texas Police Officer Larry Pugh, Serving 12 Years In Prison After Sexually Assaulting Women While On Duty, To Be Sentenced For Perjury
June 29th, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS - Former Jacksonville police officer Larry Pugh — who has been convicted and sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting women while on duty and retaliating against one of his victims — is scheduled to be sentenced Monday for lying in court.
Pugh, 35, pleaded guilty Sept. 28, 2007, to perjury for lying about sexually assaulting women while on duty. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider at 1:30 p.m. Monday for making a false declaration in court while under oath.
He pleaded guilty to three federal charges Sept. 28, 2006, admitting he violated the civil rights of two women when he sexually assaulted them while on duty, and for retaliating against one of the victims who reported the offense. He was sentenced to 12 years for those crimes.
Read MoreTexas Supreme Court Rules Exorcism Is Protected By Law - Next Up, Human Sacrifices?
June 28th, 2008
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - The Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a jury award over injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of her old church, ruling that the case unconstitutionally entangled the court in religious matters.
In a 6-3 decision, the justices found that a lower court erred when it said the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God’s First Amendment rights regarding freedom of religion did not prevent the church from being held liable for mental distress triggered by a “hyper-spiritualistic environment.”
Laura Schubert testified in 2002 that she was cut and bruised and later experienced hallucinations after the church members’ actions in 1996, when she was 17. Schubert said she was pinned to the floor for hours and received carpet burns during the exorcism, the Austin American-Statesman reported. She also said the incident led her to mutilate herself and attempt suicide. She eventually sought psychiatric help.
Read MoreJudge Rejects Special Slap On The Wrist Plea Deal For Former Georgetown Texas Police Officer Sgt. Jimmy Fennell Jr. In Sexual Assault And Kidnapping Case
June 28th, 2008
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - A Williamson County judge has rejected a plea agreement for former Georgetown Police Sgt. Jimmy Fennell, Jr. Fennell was charged with the sexual assault of a woman in his custody.
The case is now set for a jury trial on September 8, 2008.
Fennell had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and kidnapping a woman who was in his custody. If the plea deal had been accepted, Fennell would have been sentenced to two years in prison. After serving the full two years, he’d be on ten years probation and will not have to register as a sex offender.
The former Georgetown police sergeant admitted to kidnapping and having sex with an intoxicated woman who was in his custody last October. Last month, Fennell’s family members shook their heads as the prosecutor read graphic details of sexual intercourse in the indictment.Fennell’s attorney says his client did not sexually assault the woman.
Read MoreAustin Texas Lawyer Terry Erwin Stock Pleads Guilty After Stealing $800,000 From Clients After Their Deaths
June 28th, 2008
AUSTIN, TEXAS - A lawyer accused of stealing from three elderly clients after their deaths, including living in one woman’s home and driving another’s car, has pleaded guilty to felony theft charges.
Terry Erwin Stork, 69, faces up to life in prison on two of the charges when he is sentenced in August. He pleaded guilty Friday.
According to lawsuits and arrest affidavits, Stork systematically mismanaged or stole from the three estates worth more than $800,000 over two decades, the Austin American-Statesman reported Saturday.
The records said Stork lived in the home of a deceased client from 1987 to 2002 and deposited money from the sale of the home into his own bank account.
In another case, he allegedly let the home of a client sit empty, drove the woman’s Buick LeSabre to disrepair and used her money to add to his rare china collection. He was also accused of failing to pass along inheritances to people and organizations that were supposed to get them.
Read MoreFake Cop Pulls Over San Antonio Texas Police Officer, Makes A Clean Getaway
June 26th, 2008
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - San Antonio police are searching for a man suspected of impersonating a police officer.
Authorities said a man driving a black Ford Crown Victoria with emergency lights embedded in the grille recently pulled over an off-duty San Antonio police officer.
The driver fled after the officer pulled out his badge to identify himself.
Sandy Gutierrez, an SAPD spokeswoman, said police have not heard of any other incidents involving this man, but authorities are urging the public to contact police with any information about him.
“We have a lot of stealth vehicles with decals and SAPD logos,” Gutierrez said. “This vehicle did not have decals or logos.”
Anyone unsure while being pulled over by an unmarked vehicle is urged to stop at a busy area near other people.
Read MoreNBC Settles $105 Million Lawsuit After “To Catch A Predator” Exposed Terrell Texas Prosecutor Louis William Conradt Jr’s Efforts To Have Sex With Children - He Did The Right Thing And Killed Himself Prior To Arrest, So NBC Is Liable. Duh…
June 26th, 2008
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NBC Universal has settled a $105 million lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed a televised sex sting by “Dateline NBC: To Catch A Predator” drove her brother to kill himself.
See also: $105 Million Lawsuit Filed After Perverted Justice/Dateline NBC ‘To Catch A Predator’ Suicide
“The matter has been amicably resolved to the satisfaction of both parties,” said a statement released by both sides. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Patricia Conradt’s lawsuit had claimed her brother, a suburban Dallas prosecutor, fatally shot himself after he was accused of engaging in a sexually explicit online chat with an adult posing as a 13-year-old boy.
The lawsuit claimed NBC “steamrolled” authorities to arrest Louis William Conradt Jr. after telling police he failed to show up at a sting operation 35 miles away.
Read MoreEmpty And Unarmed Hurst Texas Wonder Bread Bakery Store Surrenders Peacefully To Police SWAT Team After Standoff
June 26th, 2008
HURST, TEXAS - After standing outside a bakery outlet following a 911 call about a woman armed with a gun seen inside the store, SWAT officers swarmed inside only to find the store empty.
Before entering the store, SWAT officers were poised with guns aimed as they stood outside the Wonder Bread Hostess outlet store in the 800 block of West Precinct Line Road.
Police interviewed employees and customers who evacuated the bakery outlet. They were also able to get a diagram of the store.
As SWAT officers set up tactical positions around the store, a large group of onlookers gathered in the parking lot across the street.
SWAT officers could be seen entering the back of the store shortly before 5:30 p.m. They later reported that no one was found inside.
Sheppard Air Force Base Texas Colonel Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison After Assaulting A Woman, Misuse Of Government Funds, And Other Crimes
June 26th, 2008
WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS - An Air Force colonel was sentenced to nine years in prison Thursday and kicked out of the military for assaulting a woman, misusing his government travel card and other crimes at Sheppard Air Force Base.
Col. Samuel Lofton III faced 140 years in prison after being convicted of 34 counts, including indecent assault, larceny, being absent without leave and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.
“The system has worked and will continue to work in this case,” said Capt. Brett Landry, the lead prosecutor.
The 49-year-old former training commander “systematically abused his power, position and authority to the detriment of the Air Force and to the detriment of those around him,” Capt. John Montgomery, another prosecutor, said during closing arguments in the sentencing phase Thursday. “The Air Force will recover, and the stains will fade over time. But (the assault victim) will have memories of this for the rest of her life.”
Read MoreGeorgetown Texas Police Chief David Morgan’s Daughter Busted For Drugs, Assaulting Police Officer
June 25th, 2008
GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - Georgetown Police Chief David Morgan’s eighteen-year-old daughter has been released from the Williamson County Jail after spending six days there, held on multiple charges.
According to Williamson County Jail records, Morgan was in the very early morning hours of June 15th for Assault on a Public Servant and Evading Arrest. In addition, Morgan faces charges for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana and Delivery of Marijuana.
Chief Morgan has issued the following statement:
“I am deeply saddened by the arrest of my daughter, Samantha Morgan, by the Georgetown Police Department. We all want to think we are the perfect parents, and our kids are the perfect children. Regardless of our professions, our children are still susceptible to societies issues and problems.
Read MoreTrigger-Happy Garland Texas Police Officer Brandon Hernandez Stuck His Nose In Other People’s Business, Did Not Bother To Identify Himself, Just Started Shooting And Killed Motorist In Church Parking Lot
June 24th, 2008
GARLAND, TEXAS - Twenty-four hours after friends and family gathered for a candle-light vigil, Rockwall police are releasing more information about the shooting death of 31-year-old Troy Pool.
Investigators say Garland police officer Brandon Hernandez did not identify himself as an officer just prior to the shooting.
“Regardless of whether you are required to, why didn’t he identify himself?” asked Troy’s brother, Tracy Pool.
The issue has angered the Pool family. They believe Troy would still be alive if he knew who he was dealing with.
Rockwall police told CBS 11 News that after interviewing several witnesses and taking a statement from Hernandez, there is no evidence that the off-duty police officer identified himself.
“Why leave anything to chance? He could have diffused the situation by identifying himself,” said Tracy Pool.
Read MoreCriminal Illegal Alien Invaders Try To Escape From Alton Texas City Jail, One Crashes Through Ceiling Of Police Chief’s Office
June 24th, 2008
ALTON, TEXAS - Authorities say an inmate trying to flee a Texas city jail crashed through the ceiling into a police chief’s empty office.
Police say 17-year-old Jesus Albert Suarez Chavez and 22-year-old Roman Orozco Martinez tried to escape through air conditioning ducts of the Alton city jail around 3 a.m. Saturday, but had been spotted by a dispatcher monitoring security video.
One of the inmates fell through the ceiling into the office of Police Chief Baldemar Flores. The second inmate was trying to get into the vent.
Flores said he didn’t know which inmate fell through the ceiling, only that the vents were very small.
Chavez and Martinez are charged with burglary of a vehicle, evading arrest, resisting arrest, assault on a public servant and making a terrorist threat. They are now being held in the Hidalgo County Jail.
Read MoreWoman To Testify At Air Force Colonel Samuel Lofton III’s Texas Rape Trial
June 24th, 2008
WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS - The prosecution in an Air Force colonel’s rape trial rested Tuesday after a high-ranking enlisted member testified that she was the target of repeated sexually suggestive comments.
The woman said she initially thought Col. Samuel Lofton III was joking but later thought it was “creepy” when he began calling her after hours.
“We thought he was the greatest group commander we ever had,” the woman testified on the second day of his court-martial. “I had him on a pedestal. … Once he started with that (suggestive comments), he jumped off that pedestal and he was just a guy again and not the commander I believed he was.”
Lofton, who was then the 82nd Training Group commander, is charged with rape, four counts of indecent assault and two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison.
Read MoreU.S. Supreme Court Rules That Man Wrongfully Arrested In Gillespie County Texas Wasn’t Provided With An Attorney Soon Enough After His Arrest - Bogus Info In Database Said He Was A Convicted Felon
June 23rd, 2008
HOUSTON, TEXAS - A man whose life was turned upside-down by a wrongful arrest and weeks in jail should have been given access to a lawyer sooner so he could have shown the arrest was erroneous, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday.
The high court ruled 8-1 in favor of Walter Rothgery. In 2004, three weeks after he arrived from Arizona to take a job managing an RV park in Gillespie County, Rothgery was arrested for carrying a gun as a convicted felon. No lawyer was provided at his first court hearing and his wife used their last $500 for bail.
The arrest was based on a mistake in a computer database that showed he was a felon, which left him unable to find a full-time job. By the time he was indicted six months later, he was broke, his bond had tripled and he was sent back to a county jail 100 miles from his home.
Read MoreInmate Walks Out Of Dallas Texas Police Department’s Jail
June 22nd, 2008
DALLAS, TEXAS - Dallas officials are looking for an inmate who escaped from the jail Wednesday night.
Robert Sampson faced illegal drug charges before he escaped from the Dallas PD headquarters.
There is now a warrant out for the 48-year-old that includes the escape charge.
Dallas police said they will conduct an internal review of the officers’ actions and take action, if needed. No one had been
“A review of departmental policy will also be conducted to determine if any changes need to be made there as well,” explained Sr. Cpl. Kevin Janse.
No officers are on any type of restricted duty at this time, he added.
Federal Criminal Trials Delayed For Former Bexar County Deputy Sheriff Brandit Franco, Charged After Beating And Threatening 2 Prisoners, And Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Ben Bates For Disclosing Grand Jury Info And Lying
June 20th, 2008
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - A federal judge on Friday moved trial dates to Dec. 1 for two former law enforcement officers — a former Bexar County sheriff’s deputy charged with abusing prisoners and a former U.S. Marshals Service deputy accused of disclosing secret grand jury information and then lying about it.
Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez had yet to rule on efforts by former Deputy Marshal Ben Bates to sever his case from that of the former Bexar deputy, Brandit Franco.
Franco, 32, was charged in five counts with civil rights violations for allegedly beating two inmates in 2006 and then making threats to prevent their testimony. Bates, 29, was charged in two separate counts of alerting Franco to the identity of a grand jury witness about a year later.
The two were set to go to trial June 23. Both men maintain their innocence.
Read MoreThe Witch Hunt Continues: Eldorado Texas Grand Jury To Consider Cases Based On Evidence Seized From Cult’s Ranch Based On Prank Phone Call From Out Of State Negress - State Already Had To Release 440+ Children From Unlawful Custody
June 19th, 2008
ELDORADO, TEXAS - A grand jury is scheduled to meet in Eldorado, Texas, next week and could begin considering evidence from the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s YFZ Ranch.
The Eldorado Success newspaper reported Wednesday that the Schleicher County grand jury is expected to begin considering the first criminal cases that could come from the April 3 raid.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on any proceedings.
“In Texas, grand jury proceedings are secret proceedings by law,” attorney general’s spokesman Jerry Strickland said in an e-mail Wednesday to the Deseret News. “We can not and will not comment on such issues.”
The grand jury last met on June 2, when 18 indictments were handed down — none of them related to the YFZ Ranch. The attorney general’s office has been appointed as a special prosecutor to handle any criminal cases coming out of the raid. Texas authorities seized approximately 1,000 boxes of evidence during their raid on the YFZ Ranch.
Read MoreSuspended Rockwall County District Attorney Galen Ray Sumrow Quits In Disgrace After Second Felony Conviction - Sentenced To 15 + 4 Years In State Prison
June 19th, 2008
ROCKWALL, TEXAS - Rockwall County District Attorney Galen Ray Sumrow resigned Wednesday, eight days after his second felony conviction for crimes he committed while in office.
On June 10, a jury convicted Sumrow of theft by a public servant. Prosecutors said he stole $68,000 of the county’s money and diverted it to his personal checking account. Sumrow repaid the money when county officials discovered it was missing.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
In March, Sumrow was convicted of another county of theft by a public servant. That time it was for stealing county money to buy computer equipment for personal use. He was sentenced to four years in prison for that conviction.
Sumrow has appealed the March conviction and was free on bond at the time of his June trial.
He had been suspended from office during the appeal process. Although he appealed the June conviction as well, he was ineligible for bond on it.
Read MoreWoman Dies Of Infection 10 Days Into Tarrant County Jail Sentence For Traffic Tickets
June 19th, 2008
FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS - Ten days into serving her sentence at the Tarrant County Jail, a Fort Worth woman died.
Police say Adrienne Lemons was serving time for unpaid traffic tickets. The 35-year-old was rushed to John Peter Smith Hospital on June 13, where she later died. Lemons leaves behind a 3-year-old child.
Lemons’ family said she was not receiving the medication she needed for a serious medical condition.
According to her family, Lemons had a staph infection under her left armpit. She was treating the infection with antibiotics.
“According to phone calls with family members, she claims they weren’t giving her the antibiotics,” said Shannon Woodrome, Lemons brother.
Lemons was serving time at low-risk facility until June 11, when her family says the lack of treatment caused her to be suicidal.
Read MoreTexas State Police Troopers Botched Guarding Governor’s Mansion Night Of Arson Fire
June 19th, 2008
AUSTIN, TEXAS - A single state trooper guarding the Governor’s Mansion the night an arsonist torched the landmark was inadequately trained and ill-equipped to guard the grounds, a Department of Public Safety sergeant investigating the security in place at the time of the fire said Thursday.
“This is likely not the finest moment for the Department of Public Safety,” DPS Commission Chairman Allan Polunsky said of the agency’s failure to stop the June 8 blaze.
DPS Sgt. Michael Escalante told the commission that the one trooper on duty the night of the blaze was not adequately trained to monitor the security system, which was not working properly and required extra vigilance from the trooper. In addition, only 13 of the 20 security cameras on the mansion grounds were operating, he said.
Despite requests for a second trooper to guard the mansion, only one had been assigned.
Read MoreFormer New York Corrections Officer, Maryland Police Officer And Security Guard, Texas Deputy Sheriff, And Military Police Officer Paul D’Adamo Assigned The Highest Sex Offender Status After Rape Of 11 Year Old Girl And Molesting Her Younger Sister - To Be Turned Loose On The Streets In 2 Months
June 19th, 2008
TROY, NEW YORK - A former police officer has been assigned the highest sex offender status for his conviction ten years ago for raping an 11-year-old girl.
Paul D’Adamo of East Greenbush admitted in August 1998 to attempted rape and rape in the case. According to court documents, the abuse continued for about a year. D’Adamo also admitted to molesting the girl’s younger sister but was never charged in that case.
A required risk assessment hearing was held Wednesday in anticipation of D’Adamo’s scheduled release from prison in August. He was assigned a level three status, which denotes a likelihood of repeat behavior.
D’Adamo served in the military police with the Coast Guard and the Air Force. He also served as a sheriff’s deputy in Texas, a Maryland police officer and a security guard. At the time of his arrest, he was a New York state corrections officer. Appeared Here
Fired San Antonio Texas Police Officers Raymond Ramos Indicted For On-Duty Rape, Fired Officer Victor Gonzalez And Suspended Officer Michael Munoz Indicted In Connection With Soliciting A Teen While On-Duty, And
June 18th, 2008
Three San Antonio police officers were indicted Tuesday afternoon in separate incidents last year, including the alleged sexual assault of a woman in a city park while one officer was in uniform and on duty.
The officers — two of whom have been terminated — each are accused of abusing their powers, and are among a group of city law enforcers involved in controversial incidents last year, including the assault of an 18-year-old woman at a community pool and the alleged strip search of about a dozen women and men at a bar.
The incidents led to disciplinary measures against those involved.
The Bexar County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday that Raymond Ramos, 28, was indicted on charges of sexual assault and violation of the civil rights of a 28-year-old woman he’s accused of raping in a park last November while on night patrol.
Read MoreLaCoste Texas Has A Police Department Once Again After Chief Andrew Aston Quits And Four Officers Jump Ship
June 18th, 2008
LACOSTE, TEXAS - Local police patrols resumed Thursday in the Medina County city of LaCoste as Richard Gonzales began work as the interim police chief, City Manager George Salzman said.
The force was temporarily deactivated May 21 after Andrew Aston resigned as chief, followed by four reserve officers, prompting Medina County sheriff’s deputies to increase patrol coverage there. Salzman said Gonzales resigned from the Selma Police Department, where he’d worked 19 years as a lieutenant, to come to LacCoste. The city will now start looking for a permanent chief.
Prevously, elsewhere:
Police Chief Quits
LaCOSTE — City leaders are looking for a new police chief after the sudden resignation of Andrew Aston forced Medina County deputies to assume law enforcement duties in this town of 1,200.
The chief — called a cleanup force by backers and overzealous by detractors — remains a polarizing presence despite resigning last week.
Read MoreCity Of Dallas Human Resources Employee Veronica Graham Arrested, Charged With Selling Police Reports
June 18th, 2008
DALLAS, TEXAS - A City of Dallas employee has been arrested for allegedly engaging in organized crime.
Police sources say Veronica Graham was offering to sell police reports for money.
The investigation began after the department received complaints from accident and crime victims about being solicited.
Graham worked in the human resources department. She’s been a city employee since 1996.
Ralph Castillo of Arlington was also arrested in connection with the investigation. Appeared Here
Austin Texas Police Officer Hector Rivera Crashes Into Man’s Yard, Takes Out 30 Feet Of Fence - City Claims No Responsibility And Won’t Pay For Substantial Damage
June 18th, 2008
AUSTIN, TEXAS - A city is claiming no responsibility after one of its police officers barreled through more than 30 feet of a homeowner’s fence in his patrol car.
Austin, Texas, resident Jonathan Liverman returned home to the scene to find officer Hector Rivera’s squad car had leveled his roses and demolished a section of his fence. Police told Liverman he would be reimbursed for the damage, but the Austin Police Department is now claiming no responsibility, the Austin American-Statesman reports.
“I pulled up and, yeah, I’ve got to say I was pretty shocked,” he said. “By that time, there were five squad cars there and police everywhere.”
Liverman said investigators explained that Rivera was attempting to avoid hitting a Camaro that pulled out in front of him, so he swerved his patrol car, struck the curb and landed in Liverman’s yard. The driver of the Camaro was allowed to leave the scene and was not ticketed, even though the police report said he did not have liability insurance.
Officers towed the squad car away after spending five hours in Liverman’s yard, leaving the 
homeowner to clean up sand poured on his lawn to absorb radiator fluid and scattered pickets from the damaged privacy fence. They said the mishap was Rivera’s responsibility and that he would need to submit a claim to the city for damages.
Liverman, a basketball coach at Hyde Park Baptist School, submitted bids to city claims investigator Dick Willis in May. Weeks later, he received a letter claiming the city of Austin was not liable for the smashed fence.
Willis told him to find the driver of the Camaro and hold him responsible for damages, but Liverman was unable to do so because the person was allowed to go free without citation following the accident.
The city investigator is refusing to return calls, the American-Statesman reported.
“When I called Wills about it, his attitude was very different,” Liverman said. “He said the city wasn’t liable. … It’s a travesty. It’s ridiculous.”
Read MoreDallas Texas To Resume “Bait Car” Progam After Their Most Recent Effort Killed An Innocent Elderly Women
June 17th, 2008
DALLAS, TEXAS - The Dallas City Council has decided that the police bait car program, aimed at catching car thieves, will resume after some changes are made. The program was put on hold earlier this month after an innocent woman was killed in a crash involving a stolen bait car.
The City Council’s Public Safety Committee reviewed all aspects of the program, including the events of the fatal car accident.
Police say on June 2nd a stolen bait car was taken by suspect Eddie Ramirez. Officers began to follow the suspect, without lights or sirens, but temporarily lost sight of the vehicle.
The ‘bait car’ with the suspect still inside collided with and killed 83-year-old Annie Reyes. “We’ll never see my grandmother again,” said Edward Leal, the victim’s grandson. “But hopefully, they can change something in their procedure that will prevent this from happening.”
Read MoreCarrollton Texas Police Target Youth Team Trying To Practice For World Dodgeball Competition
June 17th, 2008
CARROLLTON, TEXAS - A group of North Texas teenagers is headed to a national dodgeball competition this summer. But they’re having trouble finding a place to practice.
Now the Adrenaline Rush Dodgeball Team is in trouble with the law.
Timothy Poon, Scott Strittmatter and the rest of their dodgeball team have only two months left before heading to the World Dodgeball Competition in Las Vegas.
“We can’t play anywhere in Carrollton now. The cops said if they see anyone playing dodgeball, whether it’s us or any other group, they would write all of them a ticket,” Poon said.
One player already got a ticket for prohibited use of a public park. The group was playing dodgeball on a tennis court in Carrollton.
“We’re not doing anything wrong. No one’s doing drugs; no one’s drinking out here. We’re just having fun,” he said.
Read MoreTexas Attorney General Investigating Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins’ Ties To Career Criminal
June 17th, 2008
DALLAS, TEXAS - How did the top prosecutor for Dallas County and his wife end up crossing paths with a career criminal indicted for theft and forgery? CBS 11 Investigator Bennett Cunningham discovered how it happened and why the Texas Attorney General is now investigating the case.
Robert Wayne Mitchell, 51, is in jail. According to state records, he’s been in and out of prison