Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

You know who I was referring to? Ethan Couch. The same Ethan Couch who was not yet infamously known as the "Affluenza Kid." It all started 10 years ago. 

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• We have a jury verdict in the Intoxication Manslaughter case in Wise County: 10 years probation.  Quick synopsis: It involved a wrong way driver by an 64 year old man with health problems and with no apparent criminal history. But the case was complicated because there was no alcohol involved, yet the State successfully alleged he was intoxicated due to medication. 
• The case has local interest because the person killed,  Nikki Etter, 36, of Boyd, was the daughter of Jerry Miller who is the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Decatur.  
• The defense lawyer is listed as Phillip Hayes out of Dallas. 
• Note: The judge is the one who sets the terms of the probation, and he imposed four months incarceration in the Wise County Jail as a condition of that probation. It is required by statute. (That's now in art. 42A.401(a)(5) for the legal nerds out there.) 
• The crazy murder case in Dallas continued yesterday with the Defendant taking the stand.  She is very smooth and very articulate, but I don't think she is telling the truth. But I also have a reasonable doubt about her guilt. 
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
• That's a big headline and the story says the candy was tested for THC. But the results were negative so we don't know what's going on with these middle school kids. 
  
  
  
• Former Dallas DA Craig Watkins is dead at an early age. (No cause of death mentioned.)  His office did some good things as DA but, as a lawyer, he didn't know what he was doing. He snuck into office by being lucky enough to run at the exact moment that Dallas suddenly flipped from Republican to Democrat. But rest in peace. 
  

  
  
  
  
  
• After the world has long since figured out that NFTs are a scam, Trump unveiled some new ones yesterday. And the video of him promoting them seems like a parody.  (But if you spend $5,000, you can get a special extra card.)
  
  
  
• I saw this cryptic post yesterday about state rep Jeff Leach being involved in some law enforcement confrontation in Collin County, but I can't find anything else about it. I'm very interested. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Even Ann Coulter has turned on Texas Republicans for their Draconian abortion position. 
  
  
  
• Interesting view of the former basketball arena at UT which is currently being torn down. 
  
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff involving bad lawyers (as always, click to enlarge.)
• A court is mad after a lawyer filed nude photos in the public court file:
  
  
  
• A court is mad because a lawyer filed a pleading with AI made up case cites.
  
  
  
• Trump's lawyer's in an appeal in the DC Circuit cite Dr. Suess:
  
  
  
• The Business Second™: A new half billon dollar hotel will be built by Jerry World and Globe Life Park. 
  
  
  
• The Texas High School football playoffs start today at 11:00 a.m. It's on Bally Sports if you are lucky enough to have it. The first two games are six-man.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

He spent 16 years at Texas. That bowl game he stuck around for did not go well. 

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• Texas Abortion battle: 
• Yesterday afternoon, the woman who the Texas government wants to force to give birth to a non-viable fetus fled the state to have the procedure. That doesn't violate Texas law. Not yet at least. 
  
  
  
• One little noticed fact is that her attorneys notified the Texas Supreme Court that she would have the abortion out of state but stressed that, under the law, the issue was not moot if the abortion happened and wanted the court to rule on the case anyway. (Letter.)
• The court obliged. Later yesterday afternoon: 
  
  
  
• It was a weird ruling.  Basically: "Hey, no one even has to ask a court to get an abortion in Texas under the new abortion law so long as your doctor says, to himself, the magic words that it is his opinion, based upon 'reasonable medical judgment', that the exceptions in the statute apply. But your doctor just said that he had a 'good faith belief' the exceptions existed and that's not enough. So we won't let the lower court greenlight the abortion that -- once again -- you didn't even have to ask the court for." Opinion here. 
• It's the lead story on The Today Show this morning. 
  
  
  
• The prosecutors of Trump in the Insurrection case pending in D.C. have Trump's deep cell phone data from January 6th. This was revealed in this court filing yesterday afternoon disclosing the summary of expected expert witness testimony.
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• A jury has been empaneled to determine only one thing: How much Rudy Giuliani owes two election workers who he defamed by saying they were tampering with election results. He was already going to get killed in this case, but then yesterday, after jury selection, he doubled down and said the same exact thing again outside the courtroom. (Video.) That jury will bury him. Good. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Edit: The judge is chewing his lawyer out this morning for this. 
• But somehow charging $75 for parking and $20 for a margarita is legal. Can we arrest someone for that?
  

  

  
  
  
  
• I bet she will testify. She'll blame it on the guy and say that everything she did after he killed her (disposing of the body and fleeing with him) was done because she was scared of him. After all, she'll say, he stabbed a lady to death in cold blood. Heck, I wouldn't rule out that being at least a version of the truth. 
  
  
  
• Let check in on Fox News last night: A former "star" from from an MTV reality show is brought in during prime time to give tax opinions.
  
  
  
• Political news out of Waco: Although I appreciate his reasons (he thinks the nuts have taken over the local Republican Party), I don't think there's any chance at all that a Democrat can win down there.
  
  
  
• Contract details: Per the report, $680 million of the $700 million contract will be paid to Ohtani from 2034 to 2043. Hey, that's fine. But if I'm Ohtani, I'm not depending on the Dodgers or MLB to be in business and/or solvent in 2034.  I want the Dodgers to buy, with cash right now, an annuity which guarantees the money.  I bet they did. 
  
  
  
• Newspaper news: The New York Times hit a milestone this morning. 
  
  
  
• The Business Second: Every time the stock market had a positive day, Trump would talk about it.  But we hardly hear at all that the market is up a whopping 20% for the year.
  
  
  
• Fun Fact: The "That . . . guy is not real!" lady from the airplane viral video is 5'2" tall. 
  
  
  
• Yep, the Intoxication Manslaughter case in Wise County is still ongoing. The jury got the case shortly before noon yesterday. They then went to Sweetie Pies. There wasn't a verdict -- or at least one in time for the clerk to enter it -- before 5:00 yesterday. 

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

I know I've beaten that ice storm to death, but it dominated the news back then. Watch this youtube clip of sheets of eyes falling off a building in Plano during the Monday thaw. Insane. 

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• The Texas Supreme Court, at the request of Ken Paxton, has at least temporarily stopped a district court judge's ruling which would allow a 31 year old woman to terminate the pregnancy of a non-viable fetus. A final ruling could come any second. Follow all the filings in the case here.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The woman's lawyer had to file a response last Friday afternoon. They did, and it started off with fire: 
  
  
  
• I watched a little bit of this trial on Friday, and it may be one of the weirdest murder cases ever in Dallas.  This guy lives with two women and claims one of them -- the woman on trial -- stabbd and killed a girl in his bed who he had met on the streets of Deep Ellum hours earlier.  And I'm not sure he's all that believable about what happened. The trial continues today. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Edit: There is one report this morning that the companion murder charge against one of the women who is not currently on trial has just been dropped.  That would be the lady in the middle of the above photo. The defendant is on the right. If true, I don't think that's a good sign from the prosecution. 
• Local politics: I'm not sure I understand why the challenger to our state representative, Dr. Lynn Stucky, is criticizing him for receiving a $1,000 contribution from the President of the University of North Texas . . .
  
  
   
• . . . when he he is the one who received $55,000 from the embattled Texas Oilman PAC and is touting this as a badge of honor: 
  
  
  
• This isn't some online poll. Oh. no. This is legitimate poll by The Economist.  Now if you had told me that 1 in 5 (or even way more) had never heard of the Holocaust, I could more easily believe it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Elon Musk is allowing Alex Jones back on Twitter because of an online poll Musk posted. Jones, who has more conspiracy theories than can be counted, thinks Sandy Hook was a hoax and false flag.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Flashback:
  
  
  
• Last week at a congressional hearing, some high tone university presidents couldn't come out and condemn any of their students calling for the genocide of all Jews. One resigned over the weekend in the fallout. But . . . 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• . . . remember when I told you Big Law was the biggest scam there was? Below is Exhibit A. (Story.) WilmerHale has over 1,000 lawyers and billed $1.34 billion in fees in 2022. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Ken Paxton's lead impeach lawyer couldn't win a city council race in his hometown. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Sports quick hits:
• We've never seen anything like him, and now we've never seen anything like the contract he was just awarded. All guaranteed. (Here's you're occasional reminder that the NFL owners, on the other hand, have a self-imposed salary cap.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• High school football very random note: Brock knocked Paradise out of the playoffs and last Thursday Brock was knocked out as well. This story by a contract reporter by the Star-Telegram had some great photos but some very odd captions. This one got my attention because it doesn't seem possible, and it's kind of harsh considering the kid is in high school:
  
  
  
• NFL excitement:
• Final score:
  
  
  
• First half of of Texans/Jets: 
  
  
  
• The Business Second: Something is going on.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• An Intoxication Manslaughter case that started last week in Decatur might still be going on. I'll find out this morning. A subpoena got issued on Friday, the fourth day of trial.