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March 2010
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Video captures officer chasing down drunken-driving suspect in Dallas drainage tunnel Holy Land associate gets 18 months in prison in Arizona North Texas business become first in area to get C.A.U.S.E. certification Bank robbers in Dallas, Fort Worth opted for fedoras over bandannas Judge tries to soften intimidating courtroom Texas Department of Public Safety warns spring breakers to avoid Mexico Email: City of Dallas instructed vendor to restrict public access to some online police reports Exonerees Scott and Simmons cleared by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Dallas Crime Watch: Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Houston Chronicle: Many police officers killed in on-duty car crashes weren't wearing seat belts Recent Comments
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March 5, 2010
Here's a report from staff writer Abigail Thatcher Allen: A traffic stop led to a foot chase and a brief search this morning near American Airlines Center, authorities said. The chase ended when an officer tackled the suspect in a drainage tunnel. A video shot by KDFW-TV (Channel 4) shows the unidentified officer demanding to know whether the suspect is armed. "You better tell me if you have any [expletive] guns on you ... or I'll [expletive] kill you," he tells the man. (Be warned: The video below contains foul language.) About 4:45 a.m., a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped a drunken-driving suspect along Stemmons Freeway near the arena. Enrique Franco, whose age was unavailable, fled after being handcuffed and entered a nearby drainage ditch, authorities said. Officers from Dallas and DPS converged on the area and within 30 minutes had the suspect in custody, DPS spokesman Lonny Haschel said.  Comments (0) Leave comment
|  E-mail entryThe entry "Video captures officer chasing down drunken-driving suspect in Dallas drainage tunnel" is tagged: dallas police department , DWI , Fox 4 , KDFW , texas department of public safey , tunnel , video March 4, 2010
Akram Musa Abdallah, a former Holy Land fundraiser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2007, was sentenced today to a year and a half in prison. But U.S. District Judge Neil Wake in Phoenix also criticized the Justice Department for how they questioned Abdallah three years ago. "The FBI was interviewing Abdallah, a resident of Mesa in 2007, about his mid-1990s fundraising for the Holy Land Foundation. Agents had wiretapped his conversations and knew that he had actively done fundraising while he was an imam at a Phoenix mosque. But he denied that to the agents. Abdallah is not the only former Holy Land associate to face charges since a Dallas federal jury deemed it a Hamas front in 2008 and convicted five of its five former organizers. In January, Michigan authorities unsealed charges against Mohamad Mustapha Ali Masfaka for not disclosing his Holy Land ties on immigration forms. Click below for a full account of Abdallah's sentencing hearing on Thursday, courtesy of the mighty Associated Press. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Holy Land associate gets 18 months in prison in Arizona" is tagged: Akram Musa Abdallah , FBI , Holy Land Foundation , Mohamad Mustapha Ali Masfaka , Phoenix
The Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment group, or C.A.U.S.E., has certified its first North Texas company, Mr. Handyman, which serves southwest Denton and north Tarrant counties. The group, founded in 2004 by Lucia Bone of Flower Mound, pushes for businesses that employ home service workers to conduct complete background checks before they are hired and offers its C.A.U.S.E. certification to businesses that agree to adhere to certain safety and security standards, primarily annual background checks of employees. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "North Texas business become first in area to get C.A.U.S.E. certification" is tagged: background checks , C.A.U.S.E. , Lucia Bone , Mr. Handyman , Sue Weaver
Last month, we wrote about a man who robbed a Dallas bank in a dapper hat and sports jacket. Well, today another robber wearing a fedora knocked over a Fort Worth bank, the Star-Telegram reports. It wasn't the same man. The Dallas robber (pictured at right) was a black man in his 30s, while the Fort Worth suspect is an older white man. If I owned a haberdashery, I'd invest in some security. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Bank robbers in Dallas, Fort Worth opted for fedoras over bandannas" is tagged: bank , fedora , robbery
Walk into any Texas courtroom, state or federal, and chances are good it looks pretty much the same as the one next door: lots of wood paneling, a couple of flags, somber portraits of a judge or two. But federal Judge Barbara Lynn's courtroom offers a different experience. The walls are decorated with colorful quilts and wall hangings to make the place less sterile and intimidating. "I decided when I got here, I was going to do what little I could to make it a little more soft," said Judge Lynn who was appointed to the bench ten years ago. Two quilts that flank the judge were purchased from donated funds left over from the judge's investiture. After they were installed, "I donated those quilts to the United States," she said. She commissioned another quilt that features the scales of justice, a gavel and an American eagle. One side wall also features a banner brought back from Africa by one of the judge's children, while a portrait of Judge Sarah Hughes decorates another wall. The wall hangings generate occasional comments, Judge Lynn said and she's not necessarily through. It is, after all, a big courtroom. "I still have some space and I'm always on the lookout," she said. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Judge tries to soften intimidating courtroom" is tagged: Diane Jennings , Judge Barbara Lynn , quilts
Ongoing drug violence by Mexican drug cartels is threatening to ruin a longtime rite of spring. Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Texas Department of Public Safety warns spring breakers to avoid Mexico" is tagged: spring break , Steven C. McCraw
As I wrote in that blog post, I was led to believe that the issue was with a new vendor that had recently taken over management of the system. I was told that the city was working with the vendor on some issues. But in response to a Public Information Act request, The Dallas Morning News obtained an email sent by the president of that outside vendor, Orion Communications, to city officials that tells a different story. Leslie F. Delatte wrote the email (posted in its entirety below) to Robert Roussell and Annette Pegram of the city's Communication and Information Services department. Delatte expressed frustration after reading my blog post because, she wrote, "this is not a vendor issue nor a bug in the system. We were asked and we complied with a request to remove from the public site the ability to select the offenses of Murder and Rape." On Wednesday afternoon, I called CIS Director Worris Levine and Assistant City Manager Jill Jordan for comment. Neither returned my messages (though someone in Levine's office called me back twice asking for more details on why I was calling). So why does this matter? Well, for one, I'd like to set the record straight if I was initially misled and, as a result, misled you. But I'd also like to know why the city and/or the Dallas police decided to restrict access to certain offense reports on its public system. Obviously, the best and most reliable way to view complete public records is to request them formally through the records department. But I have to wonder why the Dallas Police Department would launch a public access incident report system only to decide later to scale back which offense reports are available on that system? I'll update the post when someone offers me an explanation. Comments (18) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Email: City of Dallas instructed vendor to restrict public access to some online police reports" is tagged: Jill Jordan , Leslie F. Delatte , Orion Communications , police reports , public information , Worris Levine March 3, 2010
Chris Scott and Claude Simmons, who were freed from prison in October, after students at the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Texas at Austin, looked into their case, were officially cleared by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Wednesday. Scott and Simmons spent 12 years in prison for a murder they did not commit. Their exonerations are unusual because they did not involve DNA evidence. Another man was charged in the murder and another has been implicated. Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Exonerees Scott and Simmons cleared by Texas Court of Criminal Appeals" is tagged: Chris Scott , Claude Simmons , Diane Jennings , UTA innocence Network
•Dallas Fire-Rescue officials continue to investigate Tuesday's stunning fire along Lower Greenville Avenue that destroyed four popular eateries and watering holes. DFR spokesman Jason Evans issued a release this morning that estimated damage to the building and contents at more than $1.6 million. Fire investigators still have not determined the cause of the massive blaze, but they do believe that it started inside Terilli's Restaurant, shot up into a common attic and spread to three other well-known businesses.
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas Crime Watch: Wednesday, March 3, 2010" has no entry tags.
Houston Chronicle reporter Moises Mendoza reports this week on an interesting police safety issue you probably haven't heard very much about: There's an open secret about seat belts at police departments. Many officers killed in line-of-duty car crashes aren't wearing them. You can read the full Chronicle report here. I wondered how the Dallas police leadership views this issue, so I asked Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson, commander of the patrol bureau. Simpson said DPD's official policy is that officers must wear their seat belts at all times. He said he is confident the department does not have a problem with officers not buckling up, in part because sergeants generally keep an eye on their troops as they leave the patrol stations. But he admits that is not always a realistic policy. Comments (5) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Houston Chronicle: Many police officers killed in on-duty car crashes weren't wearing seat belts" is tagged: Floyd Simpson , Houston Chronicle , Moises Mendoza , seat belts
City Hall has so far released the names of 17 candidates for the job in response to records requests from The Dallas Morning News, Bush reports. Watson is the first current DPD commander on that list. Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson also tells me he recently submitted an application for the job and WFAA-TV reported that First Assistant Chief David Brown and Assistant Chief Danny Garcia have applied. Look for more on them in the coming weeks. (DMN File Photo: May 2009) Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas police commanders among candidates to replace retiring Chief David Kunkle" is tagged: Danny Garcia , David Brown , David Kunkle , Floyd Simpson , police chief , Rick Watson
Here are the unofficial results with 100 percent of precincts reporting: PRECINCT 1 CONSTABLE PRECINCT 2 CONSTABLE PRECINCT 4 CONSTABLE PRECINCT 5 CONSTABLE Original post: 6:50 PM Tue, Mar 02, 2010 Evans of Precinct 1 garnered almost 60 percent of the vote against three opponents. It seems almost a sure thing he'll be re-elected. Cortes of Precinct 5 jumped out to an early lead with 44 percent of the vote. Barring any surge of Cortes voters on Election Day, it looks like Cortes will be facing Italy police officer Beth Villarreal in a runoff. Original post: 6:50 PM Tue, Mar 02, 2010 Controversy has followed them since early last year over towing, firings, heavily-armed tactical units, traffic tickets, canine units, high-speed chases, campaigning techniques, background checks, off-duty work and even allegations of corruption and other crimes. County commissioners have been brainstorming over how to reign them in with new regulations to avoid growing liability. Now it's your turn. You, the voters, have had a chance to pick who you want to be in charge of this important job. This year, there's a crowded field. Three constables have one or more opponents in their primary. In about 30 minutes, we'll see the early vote totals, which should give some idea of what's going to happen. Updates will be posted here throughout the night. Stay tuned. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Update: Final Dallas County constable election results" has no entry tags. March 2, 2010
Luis Sepulveda, a Dallas County justice of the peace, is trailing Carlos Medrano by 42 votes in the Democratic primary with 80 percent of the vote counted. Sepulveda has complained about possible fraud involving mail-in ballots, which are a big part of voting in his precinct that includes parts of Dallas and Oak Cliff. During early voting, more than a third of all absentee ballots cast in the county came from Sepulveda's precinct, the county elections office said. There are five precincts. Sepulveda is offering $500 for the conviction of election cheats. With a race this close, Sepulveda is likely hoping to be able to pay several rewards. Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas County justice of the peace trailing by handful of votes" is tagged: Carlos Medrano , justice of the peace , Luis Sepulveda
Aurelio Castillo, a disgraced former constable, got on the Democratic ballot when a Dallas County criminal court judge wiped away his felony conviction. But his good luck came to an end tonight when he lost his bid for county clerk in the Democratic primary. Incumbent John Warren sailed to victory and will face Republican Beverly Martell-Dingess in November. Ernest White, the judge who pardoned Castillo, was unopposed today and will face Republican David Lewis in the fall general election. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Former Dallas constable helped by judge's pardon loses bid for county clerk" has no entry tags.
Republican Constables Roma Skinner and Ben Adamcik now know who they will face in November. Early voting results show that Skinner, of Precinct 4, will most likely face Roy Williams Jr., a sheriff's deputy who is creaming his two rivals in the Democratic primary. Williams is not related to noted Dallas activist Roy Williams, but I'm sure the name helped him win votes in southern Dallas County. Williams easily dispatched two deputy constables, Charles Woertendyke and James D. Edwards. Adamcik will face Terry Braziel, a deputy constable, in November. Braziel ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. He will have an uphill battle unseating Adamcik in this very Republican precinct. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Democratic voters choose candidates to challenge GOP constables in fall" has no entry tags.
Precinct 2 Constable Michael Gothard may be the first casualty of a growing constable controversy. After early voting, he is losing to opponent Ray Nichols by a little over 200 votes. Nichols is a Dallas lawyer who successfully sued Dallas County on behalf of a former Gothard deputy. The deputy, Michael Rollins, sued over overtime he said Gothard owed him. A jury agreed. Rollins, who is now with Precinct 3, also accused Gothard of caring more about ticket revenue than public safety when he dismantled his canine unit. But this one is too close to call. Gothard could still pull out a narrow victory. Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas County constable trailing in close GOP race" is tagged: Michael Gothard , Ray Nichols
Here are the early voting primary election results for the contested state district judge races in felony courts: 203rd District Court: This race could be headed for a runoff if no candidate earns 50 percent plus one vote. 265th District Court: 291st District Court: 363rd District Court Criminal District Court 7 Mike Snipes* 54% *Incumbant Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Early voting results show incumbents leading in felony court judge races" is tagged: Dallas County , elections
Early vote totals show Jones easily defeating mediator Sylvia Rhodes-Bradley. Jones is headed for another term despite a history of disciplinary sanctions from the state, including another sanction handed down just last year. He does not face a Republican opponent in November. Jones was publicly sanctioned by state judicial regulators in September for failing to fix clerical errors and other serious problems that wrought havoc with cases in his busy and chaotic southern Dallas court. The state Commission on Judicial Conduct issued its public admonition of Jones after ruling that he exhibited "incompetence in performing the duties of his office." It was the fourth state sanction issued against Jones, who's been in office since 1991. Comments (0) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Controversial Dallas County justice of the peace crushing Democratic opponent" is tagged: election , justice of the peace , Thomas Jones
Constable towing operations have been in the limelight since July when we analyzed the number of vehicles impounded by Constables Derick Evans and Jaime Cortes. Both constables, who are being investigated by the county for alleged improper employment actions, ran aggressive towing operations without supervising what happened to impounded vehicles. It turned out Evans and Cortes had exclusive agreements with one towing company -- Dowdy Ferry Auto Services. But Dowdy Ferry had not been reporting abandoned vehicles to the constables or paying a required $10 administrative fee, according to state investigators. Instead, Evans and Cortes had been getting $25 kickbacks from Dowdy Ferry, which runs Evans' and Cortes' impound lot in southern Dallas County, according to a 92-page investigative report the county released last month. Comments (1) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas County close to choosing new towing contracts for constables" is tagged: Dallas County commissioners , Derick Evans , Dowdy Ferry Auto Services , impounded vehicles , Jaime Cortes , Roma Skinner , towing
Some have reportedly been using them to pull over motorists while working off-duty security jobs, including Lt. Howard Watson of Precinct 5. WFAA reporter Brett Shipp caught Watson in the act recently. County Judge Jim Foster said the county doesn't need that kind of liability. He and the commissioners discussed a new policy in closed session this morning that would require deputy constables to obtain their permission before installing lights and sirens in their personal vehicles. Foster said the proposed policy also would require deputies to get special insurance for their cars so they can be used as emergency vehicles. Such insurance would be difficult and costly to obtain, Foster acknowledges. Foster and the commissioners have already regulated deputy constables' county patrol cars. In 2008, they required that GPS devices be placed in them so they could track them to make sure they weren't using them while off-duty. The move was taken because several deputies, including Watson, were caught driving their patrol cars while off duty. Watson lost his take-come car privilege when he was busted in 2007. Shortly afterward, he began repeatedly renewing paper tags (30-day temporary registrations) on several mysterious vehicles, arousing the suspicions of workers in a county tax office. Comments (2) Leave comment
| E-mail entryThe entry "Dallas County commissioners to regulate constables' personal vehicles" is tagged: Dallas County commissioners , Howard Watson , Jim Foster , Maurine Dickey , take-home cars |
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Bio
I believe that if he had a major part i
H.Flores,what an embarressment you are.
For Darren,
Although I don't re
First of all, allow me to say that my h
You think Dallas is bad,you should try
In that case, it does seem surprising t
Speaking of this, the Dallas Police Dep
What are the "other restrictions"?
To Protect And Serve Who?
my question is this.. where does DPD o