And Another: From Kennedale

Story.

(Thanks for the tip, Lari.)

Edit: New Pic

Want To Be A New York Times Fact Checker?

Source.

The No Body Murder Case: An Update That Makes Me Crazy

I subscribe to The Texas Prosecutor which is published "through legislative appropriation." The new issue hit my desk this morning and look what is on the cover: A self promoting article about The Denton No Body case written by the prosecutors. Did they start writing the article the second the trial was over?

From a quick glance at the article (and after getting past a subheading of "Dismantling The Defense" -- sheesh), I did learn the jury quickly sent out a note to the judge right after deliberations began asking for the definition of "reasonable doubt."  Well, there's at least some proof they had no idea what that meant.

At least the appeal has now been filed.

Edit: Someone asked how often a case gets reversed for insufficient evidence. The answer is "very, very rarely." Of all appealed cases, I bet there are no more than one or two a year reversed on that ground-- and that may be a high estimate.  The standard is a tough one: Even with the appellate court assuming that every piece of evidence the State wanted the jury to believe to be true was in fact true,  no rational jury could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.   It takes a mind-boggling weak case to meet that criteria.

I once knew a prosecutor in the early 1990s who was ecstatic when his case was reversed for insufficient evidence because he believed it to be the ultimate compliment: "I was able to convince a jury to convict with legally insufficient evidence!" (Paraphrased: "I was able to do the impossible!")   I, on the other hand, considered it to be the ultimate slap in the face: If the case was so weak that  no rational jury could convict, then every prosecutor should have recognized that to begin with.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Digging up old roots from a flower bed just about can kill a man. Well, at least this man.
• The Mavericks bandwagon sure is getting full.
• The Family Cat now has decided she wants to slap at the water in her bowl until every drop is on the floor. 
• The Colonial Golf Tournament sure seems to be a shadow of its former self. And it's simply wrong for it to take place before the Byron Nelson and not on Memorial Day Weekend. 
• Went down to Baylor this weekend to watch my nephew's graduation. I can now say I've been in the same room with Kenneth Starr. (But it was a very big room.)
• I think the general consensus of the audience of a college graduation is: I'll sit through all of the names to show respect, but I don't necessarily have to pay attention. (Phones, books, magazines are prevalent. But a lot of folks do leave.)
• Don't know about Pat Green's music, but his fans are aesthetically pleasing.
• Posting the Hottest Female Texas Sex Offender's seems a bit wrong. And I wonder if you'd be made if you were eligible but were left off. 
• The Messenger got a lot of heat in its Letters to the Editor for publishing the picture of the eight year old daughter of the alleged Run-Over-The-Guy-Near-Bridgeport defendant.
• Human nature makes you want to click on that link. 
• Someone asked me if I knew anything about the criminal prosecution in Denton of a man allegedly responsible for the deaths of Alvord teens Delaney Mancil and Samantha Rogers in a car wreck last year. Best I can tell, there is no criminal prosecution.
• The new Love's in Rhome won't be able to sell alcohol when it opens because Rhome, although wet, annexed the land the store sits on after the wet-dry election. Thus, a new election is required. I guess Love's new that when they started the project. Edit: Ok. Ok. Ok. Slap a "k" in front of that "new".
• I did not know that the Angel Tattoo Lady in the Miley Cyrus post below was her mom. But a ton of you sure did. 
• Is Golden Triangle Mall still there?
• Argyle elected a mayor who has a pending DWI. Heard on the radio: "That just proves the town wants a mayor who knows how to get his party on."
• The head of the International Monetary Fund is arrested for attempted sexual assault which gives rise to two thoughts: (1) He might want a nickname other than "The Great Seducer" right now, and (2) anyone else besides me completely clueless as what the Fund does?
• Nothing like waking up and finding your back door open by about a foot. (And then sleepily checking the place out while holding a baseball bat because you're 99% sure everything is fine but there's that 1% fear.)
• The BagOfNothing guy posted a short video his pastor played in church.  I was certain I'd know how it would end, but man I was wrong. How this didn't become an Internet sensation three years ago is a mystery.
• If you oppose a higher tax rate for the wealthy on the basis that the government shouldn't mandate that the few benefit the many, I guess you'd also be opposed to the intentional flooding of Louisiana rural area in order to prevent major damage to  New Orleans. 

"It's Friday! Friday!"

I'm more surprised that CNN has a section of it's website that is user generated and not "edited" or "vetted."

Verdict

Edit: Star-Telegram's story today which includes this:

"Wise County Sheriff David Walker, who is [victim] Richter's brother-in-law, said the trial was difficult on his wife and other members of the family, but they never lost faith.

"I deal with this in my law enforcement career and it bothers you, but there is nothing worse than sitting next to your wife and looking at crime scene photos in a trial," he said.

"The family said prayers two or three different times, and I think it was the good Lord's help that helped the jury decide. It's been a long time coming, and it gives the family some closure and will let them start moving again.

Wise County Lawyer Paul Belew . . .

. . .  sends along this pic of a vehicle he saw outside the Tarrant County Justice Center this morning.

Hey, I've Got That Tattoo!

So the paparazzi tracks down Hannah Montana at the beach. Meh. But check out her friend's back.

Random Friday Morning (Barely) Thoughts

• I have no idea why this site was down for almost a day. Google acknowledged they were “working on the problem”, but didn’t really say what it was. I want a refund on this free service! (Yeah, yeah: Try wordpress. Try wordpress.)
• And Google posted this message: “To get Blogger back to normal, all posts since 7:37am PDT on Weds, 5/11 have been temporarily removed. We expect everything to be back to normal soon. Sorry for the delay.”
• There probably won’t be another guy-rams-police-car story for the rest of the year. What you say? There was ANOTHER one last night in Dallas? (No link yet. Saw it on Fox 4 this morning.)
• Man, Mrs. LL has gone “start from scratch” on the flowerbeds. I think I uttered, “I hope you know what you’re doing” yesterday.  And the look on my face must have concerned her because she asked if I had some “sentimental” issues with the bushes that were gone.
• Saw my first interview with Tony Romo’s fiancee yesterday. She’s hot but, man, I bet she’s annoying. Anyway, here’s a pic of her ring.
• More craziness from the Fox affiliate in L.A.where Megan Henderson went: Pole dancing in studio with a crash.
• For a guy who thought Fox News’ treatment of the President for having Common at the White House was silly, Jon Stewart’s segment on the issue was a piece of gold. (Referenced President Bush inviting Johnny Cash to the White House even though he had lyrics of shooting a woman while high on cocaine, and Sean Hannity embracing Ted Nugent even after he told President Obama to “suck on my machine gun.”)
• Enjoy the 70s this weekend (the temps, not the decade), you won’t see them again until October.
• I previously wrote about some Western Hills baseball players sacrificing a chicken on the field. Last night, the team visited Crowley and were met with the “Chicken Dance” song being played over the speakers.
• Man denies he took purse on Judge Judy. He also might be the dumbest man in the world.
• The Granbury double murder trial saw the jury go home for a second night without reaching a verdict. Hung jury? Edit: Looks like there might be one holdout.
• Small south Texas town’s police chief found shot to death in his cruiser.
• The Star-Telegram is laying off people left and right but is also the second fastest growing newspaper in the U.S.? They need to put a reporter on that story.
• Ron Springs, former Cowboy great, died yesterday after four years in a coma. Note to all of you: If I’m in a coma for over six months, grab my pillow and make sure it’s not six months and one day.
• And I was going to mention a great play Springs made in a fantastic Cowboy game in 1979. Then it dawned on me that it would be the equivalent of someone in 1979 telling me about a game in 1947. Wow. Just wow.
• Completely random Cowboy highlight taking you into the weekend: Million pound lineman Larry Allen running down a Saints linebacker who had picked off Aikman. Still amazing.
• San Diego Charger cheerleader tryouts almost caused my “Hey, Now” radar to explode.

As I Was Saying

The deleted posts should return shortly (or so they say.)

And just when you thought about quitting me, you found out how painful it would be to go on without me. Let that be a lesson to you. It's an addiction.

Delkus Is Probably Issuing A 'Imminent Death' Warning

ESPN Writer Needs Some Sensitivity Training

Alabama lineman found dead today. Let's contemplate how it impacts the depth chart.

Source.

LOL: Taliban On Twitter. Wait. What?

Story.

This got me thinking. If they are on Twitter (here), then you can search for and read public messages sent to them.

With Americans being Americans, there's some comedy gold in some of those messages.

(I'm not sure if you have to have a Twitter account to see those links).

Quiz: Spot The Guy Happy To See The President

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• "Winds estimated at 60 to 70 mph overturned several recreational vehicles at the Smith RV Center on U.S. 287 in Decatur and uprooted trees, according to the Wise County Sheriff's Department. The night before, strong winds blew down signs at Braum's and Taco Bell in Decatur." Source.
• "Wise County Fire Marshal Marc Dodd said lightning struck and ignited an oil tank battery, but it was quickly extinguished. He said reported winds as high as 70 mph toppled four recreational vehicles in a Decatur lot, blew two mobile homes from their foundations and smashed some lightly built sheds and barns. No injuries were reported." Source.
• "BRIDGEPORT: Water lightly stained; 67-74 degrees; 5.15' low; Black bass are good on Jackall Bling 55 crankbaits and Texas rigged Jackall Sasuteki Craws. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows." Source. 
• Come on. Throwing in the last one was funny. (And I was thinking yesterday that a Jackall Sasuteki Craw would do the trick.)
• And another guy smashes into a police car. (This time a bit closer to us in Westlake.)  What is that? The fifth time?
• The Family Cat has now decided that running from one end of the house at a speed which might possibly break the sound barrier is a good way to spend the day.
• The Star-Telegram laid off even more employees yesterday. This time the number is 45. 
• Funny tweet I saw yesterday: "Obama's got 99 problems but Common ain't one."
• The Granbury murder trial went to the jury yesterday. No verdict, but they come back this morning. Man, that evidence seems weak. (And what's the connection? One of the victims is the sister of a Wise County officer?) I had heard that some local officers had been sitting in on some of the trial. 
• There will be another DNA exoneration announced in Dallas today. No biggee. He just spent 27 years in prison!  I'll say it again: If you ever serve on a criminal jury, don't be afraid to tell the prosecution that they failed to prove their case to your satisfaction.
• Going to Waco for a college graduation this weekend. Time seems to be moving at rocket speed. 
• Newt Gingrich has announced he will run for president. Good luck with all that. He stands about as much chance as Herman Cain (who America has never heard of despite the claims of Obama haters.)
• My entire front flower bed is being uprooted today and a complete make over begins. Something about how a "clean" look is "in" per Mrs. LL.  (Need to get those home improvement channels removed from the programming package.)

Chico Storm Damage

Decatur Storm Damage Makes Fox 4

About That Package . . .