8.17.2023

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts




I was reminded while looking at this August 2013 edition of the Messenger that the paper used to be car crash photo central. (Full pdf of that page is here if you want to read it.)


  • Continuing that theme, a faithful reader sent in this pic this morning from the Big Z convenience store in Rhome where a vehicle has ended up under a tractor-trailer. This is the same location where a truck smashed into the building a couple of weeks ago shutting down the Giant Burger restaurant indefinitely. 


  • A young Decatur man killed on a Dallas jobsite was the focus of a WFAA segment last night. The family's attorney, Bridgeport's own Michelle Simpson Tuegel is featured. (I've said it a hundred times. She's got the greatest PR guy in the history of PR guys.)


  • New filings in the Ken Paxton impeachment bring some news:
    • This is the juicy part. His donor/bribery buddy set up a fake Uber account so Paxton could be ushered to and fro to hook up with his paramour. So seedy.


    • But this is what really got the ball rolling and the strongest basis for impeachment. So slimy. 

    • Here's a reminder that the "Wise County Conservatives" (who meet in a church) and disgraced Rep. Ronny Jackson are against the the impeachment and support Ken Paxton. 

  • We've already got a threat by an Ultra MAGA extremist against the Trump trial judge in D.C. which has led to an arrest. She is from Alvin, Texas. 


    • This is what she said (unedited): 

  • STAAR testing results have been released here. Here are Decatur's: 

  • The Trump controlled Fifth Circuit sided with the radical Amarillo federal judge who practically outlawed the morning after pill despite it being approved by the FDA over 20 years ago.


    • It's underreported that the lead lawyer against the pill is the wife of this guy: 

  • New polls from the AP and Fox this morning show why the normal Republicans have a problem with Trump as the nominee: He can't win a general election.  Why the other GOP candidates just don't say, "I like the guy and thank the guy, but he simply can't win and we've got to move on" is beyond me.  


  • Very nerdy legal stuff for criminal practitioners: A case out of the Dallas appellate court two days ago struck down some standard terms and conditions imposed by a trial court which I see all the time including (1) avoid "injurious or vicious habits" and (2) no alcohol consumption.   It also struck down the (strange) conditions that the defendant couldn't seek early termination or a motion to modify without the consent of the state. Note: These are are all conditions which were imposed by the trial court and were not agreed to as apart of a plea bargain.
  • The WCSO pdf of jail inmates is still not fixed.
  • Messenger - Above the Fold