tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post1129217459841606724..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Criminal justice action on bill filing day at Texas LegeGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-84679728028787547242012-11-14T05:31:15.435-06:002012-11-14T05:31:15.435-06:0011:50, before you get yourself all worked up (oh w...11:50, before you get yourself all worked up (oh well, too late), please notice that the description of HB 21 you're complaining about was not mine but quoted verbatim from the Texas Tribune. Anyway, I linked to the bill so readers can see for themselves exactly what it does.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-80523301538027374252012-11-13T23:50:59.179-06:002012-11-13T23:50:59.179-06:00You said:
HB 21, by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, wo...You said:<br />HB 21, by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, would create a database of individuals with multiple family violence crimes.<br /><br />I guess you couldn't bring yourself to say "offenders," so you said "individuals." Since you couldn't say "committed," you said "with." I'll give you this, you are 100% politically correct.<br /><br />Compare the statement about HB 21 below with how you put it (above) and we can see the constant distortion:<br /><br />Relating to a central database containing information about offenders who have committed certain offenses against children or offenses involving family or dating violence.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-77551445174788099862012-11-13T21:21:30.320-06:002012-11-13T21:21:30.320-06:00Enhancements...it's like a bad dream. I wish ...Enhancements...it's like a bad dream. I wish we could make all enhancements go away.Prison Dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03651611135066437902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-89626712640316232602012-11-13T13:41:14.941-06:002012-11-13T13:41:14.941-06:00SB89 is not the equivalent of innocence projects t...SB89 is not the equivalent of innocence projects that screen and represent defendants in claims of innocence. SB89 aims at a high level systems oriented review of cases in which innocence has been demonstrated, to identify root causes of wrongful convictions, and to come up with ways that the criminal justice system in Texas can be changed to prevent them going forward. Seems like a good idea to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-54613104790798934332012-11-13T09:54:28.603-06:002012-11-13T09:54:28.603-06:00Regarding elimination of straight ticket voting in...Regarding elimination of straight ticket voting in judicial races...let's go even further. Don't put any name or party affiliation of a candidate on the ballot. Treat them all like write in candidates. What compelling interest does the state have in suggesting to us whom we should vote for. Voters should decide before entering the polls what their choices will be. They can bring their party slate in with them if they wish. They can write down their choice for each race and bring it with them or take the slates of campaigners outside of the polling area. The state however should not be putting names on a ballot for us to choose from. That amounts in many cases to an illegal campaign contribution and a free advertisement at the taxpayer expense. Our present system only serves to protect special interests who want to maintain the status quo.Brad Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16356426964964026355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-64469853656439458992012-11-13T09:39:58.732-06:002012-11-13T09:39:58.732-06:00On the criminal discovery, I would like to see req...On the criminal discovery, I would like to see requirements that law enforcement retain and turnover all video and recordings related to substantiation of reasonable suspicion and PC for an arrest and of course if they tend to be exculpatory or impeach the arresting officer statements. Getting law enforcement to turn over video, not lose it or delete it, or not claim bogus malfunctions with no repair or service records is like pulling teeth when there is an exclusionary issue. And willful ignorance by ADA'S about the existence of video and failure to even ask for it from agencies that they know have video is a situation that has to stop. Some defendants don't have representation for some time...often 2 or 3 resets which is time for evidence to be "routinely deleted if not requested" instead of routinely and in compliance with Brady sending it to the prosecutor for disclosure to the defense or use in the prosecution if it helps their case. It seems that old dispatch recordings are frequently available when the prosecutor wants them after 30 days, but no such luck for the defense. I think that bill is a good start, but needs some beefing up to protect against "inadvertant losses" and "routine" destruction of material evidence by law enforcement when it suits their purpose of avoiding the exclusionary rule. Brad Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16356426964964026355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-23307079553247295022012-11-13T09:23:09.760-06:002012-11-13T09:23:09.760-06:00Looks to me like Ellis's SB 91 will have the e...Looks to me like Ellis's SB 91 will have the effect of <b>ELIMINATING</b> attorney-client privilege for criminal defendants.Richard Bolandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-55969106083688944062012-11-13T09:22:16.124-06:002012-11-13T09:22:16.124-06:00Grits, you're right on the money on the need f...Grits, you're right on the money on the need for non-partisan elections in judicial races. There is absolutely no need or justification for judges--who ideally need to be fair and impartial--to have to publically affiliate with a political party. There have been many good judges--both Republican and Democrat--who have been removed from office simply because they happened to be associated with the wrong political party when the political winds have started blowing from the opposite direction. Frankly, there's no reason for the DA's to have to be partisan either. Patrick's bill is a good start but it probably should go even further. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-41725517450213715692012-11-13T08:59:03.569-06:002012-11-13T08:59:03.569-06:00I've long believed Dan Patrick to be the main ...I've long believed Dan Patrick to be the main enemy of constitutional freedom in this country, and believed him an idiot as well. But Patrick's idea to eliminate straight ticket voting in judicial races proves he's not as stupid as I originally thought. <br /><br />He has tremendous foresight and realizes that in a few years the electorate in Harris county will be voting democrat, and unless his useless son changes parties or professions, he'll be voted out of his judgeship. Patrick, you see, always has an ulterior motive....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com