tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post5544684623589008542..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Innocence summit drew officials, opinion leaders from around the stateGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-39937736008909339792008-05-09T15:16:00.000-05:002008-05-09T15:16:00.000-05:00Plato, that's rich coming from someone who was pro...Plato, that's rich coming from someone who was probably alive when the tune was written. ;) <BR/><BR/>Truth be told, very little I've witnessed at the Texas state capitol would inspire me to break into a song that includes the line, "Reason in revolt now thunders, and at last ends the age of cant." It's just not that kind of scene - "cant" is still very much in vogue. :)<BR/><BR/>Actually the most remarkable thing about yesterday's event was that most of the participants weren't lefties. Just a few names from my notes:<BR/><BR/>DA's - Barry Macha from Wichita Falls, David Weeks from Huntsville, Craig Watkins from Dallas, Rosemary Lehmberg (who just won Ronnie Earle's seat in Austin and will be the new DA in January) and Shannon Edmonds, the TDCAA lobbyist.<BR/><BR/>Cops: Austin PD's chief had a commander there, and Chief Harold Hurtt was from Houston. Only one of the two big police union groups had a particpant: Tom Gaylor was there from TMPA but I didn't see anybody from CLEAT. (They oppose all this stuff anyway, I guess.)<BR/><BR/>Judges: Barbara Hervey and Cheryl Johnson from the CCA were both front and center, as was Jim Bethke from the indigent defense task force that they fund.<BR/><BR/>Even Rissie Owens, the head of the parole board, was there; I'd even go so far as to say she appeared attentive!<BR/><BR/>Thankfully Ellis seems to know he can't pass any bills on this stuff without wide support, and that seemed to be a big part of his reason for bringing this rather unlikely bunch together.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-31164854675062984072008-05-09T14:40:00.000-05:002008-05-09T14:40:00.000-05:00Scott - with such a large group of lefties congreg...Scott - with such a large group of lefties congregating there in Austin yesterday, did ya'all gather on the Capital steps and sing L'Internationale?<BR/>LOL<BR/><BR/>PlatoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-84995903079360279982008-05-09T08:44:00.000-05:002008-05-09T08:44:00.000-05:00Ha! The only thing Plato and Whitmire have in comm...Ha! The only thing Plato and Whitmire have in common is they've both been around, seemingly, since Reconstruction! ;)<BR/><BR/>I was more interested in photos of the nine exonerees, and some of the other attendees.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-64666705608135486192008-05-09T08:37:00.000-05:002008-05-09T08:37:00.000-05:00You can get plenty of photos of Plato/Whitmire (wi...You can get plenty of photos of Plato/Whitmire (wide angle for the ego) from media services.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-36966749043982400942008-05-09T05:10:00.000-05:002008-05-09T05:10:00.000-05:00Plato, I was just hoping to get photos for y'all, ...Plato, I was just hoping to get photos for y'all, that's all.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-80111213421510120402008-05-08T22:36:00.000-05:002008-05-08T22:36:00.000-05:00Excluding bloggers demonstrates how out of step wi...Excluding bloggers demonstrates how out of step with their constituencies our elected reps are. They know 'real' reporters on the floor will report their sputum in copious amounts between quote marks, while the bloggers might actually asked hard questions based on observation. <BR/><BR/>You're right -- there are far fewer reporters at the capitol now. Used to be, every paper had one, and big papers had several reporters. Now, one reporter feeds several papers, so that if a reporter is stupid, or gets too friendly with one side or the other, even more of the state is less well informed.<BR/><BR/>Keep it up, Scott,<BR/><BR/>GBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-43493484196636114212008-05-08T21:31:00.000-05:002008-05-08T21:31:00.000-05:00You weren't excluded from the Chamber, were you? ...You weren't excluded from the Chamber, were you? What's the BFD? You heard the testimony from the upper deck. Whats the big deal? Youi didn't get on the floor?<BR/><BR/>PlatoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-57286951792273808272008-05-08T21:07:00.000-05:002008-05-08T21:07:00.000-05:00Will the next wave of DNA exonerations, or reversa...Will the next wave of DNA exonerations, or reversals, be due to the 'Prosecutor's fallacy'?<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/NEWS01/805060351" REL="nofollow">Appeals court tosses rape conviction, criticizes scientist's DNA testimony</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-72197722630044050132008-05-08T20:20:00.000-05:002008-05-08T20:20:00.000-05:00John, the Texas House and Senate create their own ...John, the Texas House and Senate create their own rules at the beginning of each session regarding who qualifies for press passes, and last year after a debate in the House they decided to exclude bloggers, so I don't know that a constitutional interpretation by an out of state court would necessarily apply.<BR/><BR/>That said, there are about half as many credentialed reporters at the capitol as 15 years ago, so I really see no justification for excluding bloggers.<BR/><BR/>I should clarify that I didn't apply for press credentials for this event (because the decision on the rules was already made last year) and was really just hoping that, since it was more a PR event than a formal legislative hearing, I could talk my way onto the floor to take photos. No dice, though. I only mentioned it because it made me grumpy, not because I think they had no justification to turn me away. <BR/><BR/>That said, I'm going to apply for the 81st session and make a stink about it, though, there's really no justification for the rule.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-31103474171424151802008-05-08T20:06:00.000-05:002008-05-08T20:06:00.000-05:00Grits, I think the exclusion of bloggers has been ...Grits, I think the exclusion of bloggers has been successfully contested. I don't remember where I read that, perhaps in the NY Times not too long ago. A reporter is a reporter regardless of blog, newspaper, TV, etc. <BR/><BR/>I don't think your exclusion from the Senate floor is constitutionally valid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73859482384852890562008-05-08T19:44:00.000-05:002008-05-08T19:44:00.000-05:00You're absolutely right about your writing circles...You're absolutely right about your writing circles around the "journalists." You should have been in camera range, especially for this hearing.<BR/><BR/>But what triggered my typing-finger was "Legislators have balked in the past for fear open records requests wold be abused."<BR/><BR/>What legislation ever passed, what order ever written, hasn't been abused by someone who figured out a way to take advantage?!?!?! That's no damned excuse for not taking a step in the right direction.Amerlochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17001434250939119091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-54157677150328113402008-05-08T19:40:00.000-05:002008-05-08T19:40:00.000-05:00I have twice been a victim of gun violence by a st...I have twice been a victim of gun violence by a stranger, and both times my eyes were fixed on the weapon. I wouldn't have been able to ID either criminal except that both times the bad guy ended up getting his face busted up. <BR/><BR/>The first time the crime was actually witnessed by two policemen who were a little extra rough in apprehending the guy. The second time he turned his back and I got the chance to do the honors myself. <BR/><BR/>But like I said, the fear is so intense, the adrenaline. You don't really know what is happening. I could have identified the weapon but not the criminals if not for swollen black eyes, busted lips, and abrasions on the face.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-11053503861073716382008-05-08T19:38:00.000-05:002008-05-08T19:38:00.000-05:00Grits,They may think that you're not a "real journ...Grits,<BR/><BR/>They may think that you're not a "real journalist," but I'm sure that most state officials around Texas are always wondering which one of them are going to end up on your blog when they go crooked and you print the facts. <BR/><BR/>We need more bloggers like yourself that don't have ties with the "corporate media." I learn more about Texas politics from your blog in a day then I do in a month from reading a newspaper or watching the news on T.V.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the great work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com