|
|
 Newsletter sign-up: Top Headlines |
 
|
Get Breaking News on your cell|
February 2010
Recent Posts
Family of woman killed in Southlake crash sues Toyota, citing faulty accelerator Second episode of Dallas police show 'First Watch' offers advice on preventing home burglaries Prominent attorneys seek Supreme Court review of Hood death penalty case Stricken police officer returns to full duty Dallas Bar Association invites judicial candidates to public forum Do Dallas police always collect crime stats based on the Texas Penal Code? Death penalty opponents to hold meeting in Dallas this weekend Recent Comments
Categories
dallasnews.com Blogs
|
February 19, 2010
The suit, filed on behalf of 56-year-old Sharon Ransom, alleges that a malfunctioning accelerator caused the Toyota Avalon to speed out of control, crash through a fence and bounce off a tree before flipping over into a private pond in Southlake, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Toyota has come under fire in recent months after a series of recalls for sticking gas pedals, accelerators getting jammed in floor mats and momentarily unresponsive brakes on many of its cars. The recalls affect more than 8 million vehicles worldwide, including the Avalon. Also killed in the Dec. 26 accident were the driver, Monty Hardy, 56, of Southlake; Hadassah Vance, 35, of Euless; and Wendy Akion, 38, of Irving. Southlake police investigated the crash but said they were unable to determine whether a stuck accelerator or driver error was to blame. Above right: Tire tracks mark the car's route through a fence and into a pond on the grounds of a Southlake mansion. (MARK ROGERS/Special Contributor)  Comments (0) Leave comment
|  E-mail entryThe entry "Family of woman killed in Southlake crash sues Toyota, citing faulty accelerator" is tagged: Sharon Ransom , crash , lawsuit , pond
Cowboys Dance Hall will host a benefit concert Sunday to benefit the family of Arlington motorcycle Officer Craig Story, who was killed January 13, when he slammed into a school bus while pursuing a speeding motorist.
Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Arlington dance hall to hold benefit concert for fallen police officer, featuring country singer Deryl Dodd" is tagged: Arlington Police Department , Cowboys Dance Hall , Craig Story , Deryl Dodd , school bus
The second episode of the new Dallas Police Department web show "First Watch" is out. The star of this installment is Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther, a department spokeswoman. As always, we're curious what you think of this episode. Let us know in the comments section. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Second episode of Dallas police show 'First Watch' offers advice on preventing home burglaries" is tagged: First Watch , Janice Crowther February 18, 2010
A former governor, a former district attorney, a former U.S. attorney from North Texas, and the former director of the FBI are among a group of 21 lawyers who have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a controversial Texas death penalty case. The group, which was organized by the Constitution Project, is asking the court to hear the case of Charles Dean Hood, who was sentenced to death for killing two people in Collin County in 1989. Hood's case has garnered national attention not for the horrific crime, but because the prosecutor in the case had an intimate relationoship with the judge. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has declined to address the merits of the case so lawyers are asking the Supreme Court to intervene. Among those who joined the brief areghell Kenneth Mighell who served as U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, Sam Millsap, who served as Bexas County District Attorney, William S. Sessions, who was director of the FBI and a federal judge, and Mark White, former Texas Governor who once bragged about his use of the death penalty in campaign ads. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Prominent attorneys seek Supreme Court review of Hood death penalty case" is tagged: Charles Dean Hood , Collin County , Mark White , Sam Millsap , William Sessions
It has been a long road for Garcia, 23. In the days after his July 8 collapse, things looked grim at points and it wasn't clear whether or not he would make a full recovery, let alone return to regular police work. Garcia had suffered severe dehydration and underwent three surgical procedures to remove the clots. He remained in a Denver hospital's intensive care unit for three weeks. He was flown home by air ambulance in late July thanks to the generosity of McKinney resident Eugene Knies after the city's insurance carrer declined to cover the $7,500 air ambulance flight home. In the days and weeks after he collapsed, Garcia had difficulty reading and with his memory because that part of his brain was affected by the blood clots. Those problems have since become a thing of the past. Garcia returned to work on light duty late last year. At 3 p.m. today, he started his first shift on regular patrol. "It's been a long haul from not being able to hardly speak to working the street," said Officer Chris Grall, a colleague who remained at his bedside during much of the time Garcia was in the hospital. "He's very excited." Congrats and best wishes to Officer Garcia! Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Stricken police officer returns to full duty " is tagged: Alex Garcia , Chris Grall , Police Explorers , Tanya Eiserer
Got a question for a judicial candidate? Then you may want to attend a forum for candidates in contested primaries spnsored by the Dallas Bar Association. Judicial candidates have been invited to appear at the Belo Mansion at 2101 Ross Avenue at noon, Friday, Feb. 26th. An optional buffet lunch is available for $12.76. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas Bar Association invites judicial candidates to public forum" is tagged: Dallas Bar Associatioh , Diane Jennings , Judicial candidates
This reduces the department's violent crime stats. What about when it comes to burglaries? Following Texas law instead of the federal guidelines when classifying burglaries would raise the department's crime stats, not lower them. So how does the department handle burglaries? Read on to find out. Comments (4) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Do Dallas police always collect crime stats based on the Texas Penal Code?" is tagged: chief david kunkle , crime stats , fbi , federal guidelines , statistics , ucr
Death penalty opponents will gather in Dallas this weekend for the annual conference sponsored by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Panelists at the event to be held Feb. 20 at Highland Park United Methodist Church include Mark Osler, a Baylor University law school professor and author of Jesus on Death Row; Richard Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center and Linda White, Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation. Check out the flyer for more details. Comments (3) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Death penalty opponents to hold meeting in Dallas this weekend" is tagged: Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
• A 15-year-old Richardson schools student who insisted that her bus driver stop and let her off somehow made it through the bus doors while the vehicle was moving and was crushed beneath the tires. • Eddie Ray Williams plead guilty in the murder of four people during a botched robbery in 2004: Rosa Barbosa, Mark Barbosa, Austin York and Matthew Self. He received a relatively light sentence of three concurrent 20-year terms for the slayings that shocked quiet McKinney because prosecutors say he didn't plan the crimes and testified against another defendant. • Willy freed: Marcia Norris had a joyful reunion with her chihuahua -- Willy, who had been stolen from her home and who was a gift from her late husband. Facebook CrimeBlog DallasNews! Tweet with DallasCrime on Twitter. Have a crime news tip? E-mail us. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas Crime Watch: Thursday, February 18, 2010" is tagged: Crime watch , Dallas crime watch February 17, 2010
Dallas police began a new initiative today to combat drugs. Citywide, officers are headed to suspected drug houses to "knock and talk" with the occupants. The technique involves knocking on the door of a suspected drug house and trying to talk the people inside into inviting officers in to search without a warrant. Police can enter without a search warrant if they see illegal activity happening. Dallas police have long used the technique, but its use will be widened during the next few months to include more officers and more areas within the city. There are some tricky legal issues involved, and defense lawyers put the technique under scrutiny in court. But Dallas police officials say officers have undergone training to make sure they are doing it right and the cases will hold up in court. "We're doing this to close these particular locations down," said Deputy Chief Rick Watson at Southwest Patrol, who is heading up the effort. Comments (14) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas police launch "knock and talk" drug initiative" is tagged: drugs , knock and talk , warrant
A Mineral Wells police officer has been arrested in connection with three fires early Tuesday in the Palo Pinto County town. John Gore was arrested near Wolters Industrial Park after three fires broke out at a storage building, an aviation company and a fireworks stand, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. One of the firefighters battling the blazes was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Mineral Wells police officer arrested in string of commercial arsons" is tagged: fires , John Gore , Mineral Wells
But one political activist has decided to inject a little humor into the torrid saga to show his distaste for an incumbent constable -- Michael Gothard of Precinct 2. Gothard, whose precinct includes northeastern Dallas County, has a challenger in the March 2 Republican primary. And two Democrats are vying for the chance to unseat him in November. Gothard, you may recall, has been criticized over a recent canine controversy. But the constable says disgruntled ex-employees are to blame for trying to tarnish his image. He says his office is well run and he's confident of victory. He's probably thinking, "Who is this clown?" Comments (16) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Clown: Dallas County constable circus must stop" is tagged: Michael Gothard , police canine
Kunkle told the committee that he classifies aggravated assaults under the definition provided by Texas law when reporting numbers to federal authorities. The FBI tells departments to use federal guidelines, not local or state laws in reporting crime statistics. But leaving that aside for a minute, I'm wondering if Kunkle is stating even Texas law correctly. "A crowbar is not a deadly weapon under the Texas Penal Code," the chief told council members. Read on to see more of what Kunkle told council members about the Texas Penal Code and compare that to what the penal code actually says... Comments (6) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Did Dallas police Chief Kunkle misstate Texas law to council members in defense of his crime stats?" is tagged: aggravated assaults , assault , chief david kunkle , crime statistics , crime stats , guidelines , texas penal code , ucr , uniform crime reporting program
Attorney: You don't know what you don't know, fair to say? Witness: Yes. Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Overheard in a Dallas County courtroom ..." is tagged: criminal trial , Dallas County
A Denton County man who was trying to sell his boat on Craigslist instead received unsolicited offers of a different kind. Mike Martin, 41, says he's being targeted by a potential buyer who told him his boat was overpriced, according to KTVT-TV (Channel 11). His concise response: "I guess you won't be a buyer." Martin said that provoked an abusive phone call, e-mail and text message -- and finally inspired his harasser to post ad on Craigslist's "Men Seeking Men" personals section listing Martin's e-mail address and phone number. "It was basically these men calling me to solicit sex, and I kindly said, 'Well, you got the wrong cowboy,'" Martin told Channel 11. Comments (4) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Denton County man seeks relief from Craigslist harasser" is tagged: Channel 11 , Craigslist , KTVT , Mike Martin , sex
•Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle defended his department's reporting of crime statistics Tuesday during a City Council public safety committee meeting undercut by confusion over the issue. The crime reporting methods have come under a spotlight after several Dallas Morning News stories showing that the department lets hundreds and perhaps thousands of offenses slip from the city's crime tally each year by not following federal guidelines. •A judge on Tuesday said Kimberly "Asma" Al-Homsi, 45, and an 18-year-old friend would remain in jail until tried on charges related to the possession of several pipe bombs. Al-Homsi and Yasinul Alan Ansari, 18, both of Arlington, appeared in a Tarrant County federal court Tuesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Charles Bleil following their arrest after being pulled over at the end of a police pursuit Saturday. Facebook CrimeBlog DallasNews! Tweet with DallasCrime on Twitter. Have a crime news tip? E-mail us. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas Crime Watch: Wednesday, February 17, 2010" has no entry tags.
Dallas police arrested a robbery suspect after a standoff this morning in Red Bird. James Farley was arrested on an aggravated robbery warrant shortly before 10 a.m. at a home in the 700 block of Oceanview Drive, police said. Police did not immediately provide information on what crime Farley is suspected in. Police initially believed Farley had barricaded himself inside the home after officers arrived to execute the arrest warrant. Officers shot two pit bullterriers at the home during a brief standoff, police said. Farley was taken into custody without further incident, police said. Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas police shoot two dogs during Red Bird arrest" is tagged: James Farley , two dogs February 16, 2010
Witnesses in the report, released yesterday, say they saw Dowdy Ferry's owner, Milad "Chris" Nasrallah Sr., give vehicles to Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes and envelopes full of money to one of Cortes' top deputies. Witnesses claim in the report that Nasrallah was paying Cortes kickbacks that amounted to $25 per vehicle. If true, Cortes is guilty of accepting bribes, the report concludes. A similar investigation of Precinct 1 Constable Derick Evans is still ongoing. But the Cortes report also cites witnesses who claim to have seen Nasrallah hand suspicious envelopes to Evans. Evans and Cortes have not been charged with a crime and both deny any wrongdoing. One witness heard Nasrallah tell Evans over the phone something to the effect of: "Stop some cars, get me some cars. I'll take care of you," according to the report, prepared by the county's special investigator, Danny Defenbaugh. Comments (9) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas County constable report: constables too cozy with towing company" is tagged: Danny Defenbaugh , Derick Evans , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , impound lot , Jaime Cortes , kickbacks , Milad Nasrallah , towing
The shooting of a Euless couple found dead on Valentine's Day has been ruled a murder-suicide by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office. K'Lynn Low, 31, and Jeffrey Meekins, 34, were found Sunday in their Euless apartment. Both were shot in the head, with Low's death listed as a homicide and Meekins' as a suicide. The bodies were found by a neighbor's child who had stopped by to see if one of Low's children could play, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Both of Low's children were away for the weekend. Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Shooting deaths of Euless couple ruled murder-suicide" is tagged: euless , Jeffrey Meekins , K'Lynn Low , murder suicide
In Virginia, a state that, like Texas, is known for its use of the death penalty, legislators recently rejected several efforts to expand capital punishment. The only measure to survive was one that would allow the death penalty in cases where an auxiliary police officer is killed on duty. But what caught my eye in this Associated Press story was a comment by the state's former executioner, Jerry Givens of Henrico, who presided over 62 executions and now opposes the ultimate sanction. "The people that recommend executions, that pass these bills, they don't have to do these things," Givens said of legislators. "The executioners and the people that participate in these things, they have to suffer through this stuff."
Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Former executioner in Virginia opposes death penalty" is tagged: death penalty , Diane Jennings , Virginia |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bio
I don't think misreporting your crime n
UUU: drug prohibition started not becau
The incredibly high prices of these dru
I don't understand why cops and other g
If these are "suspected drug houses," p
So the DA is saying that all of the exi
They were pit bulls. I am sure they wer
Dave, you say and I quote "just as we d
Dont know the families...two wrongs don
You're both right. I just found this ar