Verdict In Decatur Case

99 years in prison! And if you are thinking early parole, think again. He won't be eligible for parole until he serves "one-half of his sentence or 30 years, whichever is less." I think he is 47 years old.. Background of the case was posted earlier today just before noon.

"That didn't work out well" - Defendant leaving court carrying his own law books

There wasn't  anything sensational about this case other than the defendant himself. For months, he has made outburst after outburst during court appearances basically telling anyone who was trying to help him or making sure he was treated fairly that they were crooks and/or incompetent.  Everyone was expecting some kind of crazy conduct during the trial so security was beefed up.  However, he behaved himself (at least in front of the jury) and it pretty much went down as a routine trial.

His worst mistake was timing. His exact crime, even with his long criminal history, carried with it a maximum of 180 days in jail prior to 9/1/01. After that, Evading with a Vehicle (especially if you had a prior Evading conviction) put him in a position where the State could enhance the range of punishment and restrict his eligibility for probation. With the exception of capital punishment, he faced and received the harshest penalty available in Texas.

A Black Hole Is About To Suck Us All Into Arizona at 3:00 PM!!!

Note that it will be in his office, not hers. And not just his "office" but his "Office".  Feel. His. Power.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when those two get together.  Him: "You support me being tough on them illegals if you get that President job?" Her: "No question. States rights. Freedom. Family. And [wink], let's just say that I don't even like Mexican food." [Fade to black as they gently embrace.]

(Side note: Good to see that someone is making a documentary on Sheriff Joe. He's denounced the film before he's seen it.)

Edit: Now with pic!

The Trial Going On In Decatur

What little I know about The State of Texas vs. John Josey:

• It's an Evading Arrest case which is normally a misdemeanor, but the specific charge is Evading With A Vehicle which makes it a State Jail Felony. But the State has attempted to prove that the defendant has a prior Evading conviction (out of Bell County) which would enhance the case to a Third Degree Felony.
• He tried to have the district judge recused yesterday but a Fort Worth judge drove up, heard, and denied the Motion.
• The State put on its case this morning which included a pretty wild video of the defendant driving on 730 between Boyd and Azle while pulling a boat and moving into the opposite lane of traffic on occasion. Let's just say it would be enough to cause me serious concern if I were representing the guy.
• Troopers eventually shot out the tires and, once they got him to stop in a field, one trooper saw two pellet holes and 2 or three bullet holes in the metal of the vehicle. (This was a little hard to follow.)
• It sounds like there was some type of internal investigation regarding how the chase was handled by law enforcement and it appears there were two shots fired at the radiator in the beginning of the chase (not sure with what type of weapon or whether it was hit) that someone or some entity found to be "unjustified". That really doesn't change anything other than I guess the defendant could use it as an excuse of "I was scared of those cops so that is why I didn't stop."
• I don't know what started the chase, but I don't think it was anything of any significance.
• I learned that when a fingerprint expert testifies about "finger ridges" that lots of people in the audience will look at their fingertips.
• The jury will deliberate guilt/not guilt this afternoon. If guilty, the "punishment phase" will fire up. (I can share what I want to share later.)
• Update: convicted very quickly. Punishment range is enhanced to 25-life for the jury to consider because of his criminal history. He has had at least 10 prior felony conviction (most of them were prison sentences of 5 to 15 years for DWI and dope with one forgery thrown in.)

"What's The First Amendment? What's The First Amendment!!?? You Don't Even Know!!!"

And his Ron Paul chant is pretty funny.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Someone sent me a "I think this is your dog" email but it turned out to be a "Hey, now."
• Channel 8 had a story on the Bridgeport Hospital last night.
• Final last words from a Texas man executed last night: "You're not about to witness an execution, you're about to witness a murder . . . . I've never killed anybody, never. This whole thing is wrong." I'd shrug off his comments but, then again, he was convicted in Denton County.
• Anthony Weiner, the Democrat in New York who resigned after a scandal earlier this year, had represented a district which had not elected a Republican since the 1920s. That is, until last night. Boy, the conservatives will be firing off the "See! You're next Obama" battle cry all day long. 
• There was a victim's name misspelled in the engravings at the 9/11 Memorial in New York. The first thought that comes to mind: "Is that all?" 
• For you frequent Lubbock goers, stop and take a look at that War Memorial that you pass in tiny Benjamin sometime. You can tell there are many names that had to be replaced due to mistakes. 
• My girls softball team won its first game of the year last night -- and that was with our starting pitcher not being able to make it at the last minute. After that lineup adjustment, let's just say I've cleared a place on the mantel for that Manager Of The Year trophy.
• The Third Grader in the House thinks it is big entertainment watching me try to back out of the driveway and negotiate around the rented Man Sized Truck that Mrs. LL is driving. 
• The trial I mentioned going on in Decatur did indeed kick off yesterday, but I wasn't able to watch any of it. But I did notice that the windows of the courtroom doors had been covered -- it's still open to the public, but you can't see what's going on from the hallway. 
• It seems like there are a more empty storefronts on the Decatur courthouse square than usual. 
• Blake Beavan was a metroplex kid who was drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers in 2007. Moments after being drafted, he raised eyebrows by saying he could do as well as any pitcher on the Rangers at that very moment. He finally made it to the big leagues this year and he is 4-5 with a 4.32 ERA. Not bad for a very young kid.
• The right high school kid can start right away in the NBA, could play in the NFL after about three years, but MLB needs them to develop for four or five. I've always thought that was weird. 
• I keep a detailed database of every thing that happens in every case that I handle. Once it's closed, there's generally no need to ever update it again. But I always go back and make an entry if I see the client's name in the obituaries. 
• Decatur is ranked third in the state in volleyball?
• A Texas record: Yesterday Wichita Falls recorded its 100th day of temperatures of 100 degrees or more. I'm pretty sure that won't be on the Chamber of Commerce brochure.

Hey, I'm Fair And Balanced

I'm don't think that characterization in the title of the video is fair. I'm no fan of Robertson, but I think what he was trying to say was,"If you're going to cheat on your wife when she is in that condition, whey don't you just go all the way and break ties and get a divorce?"  I'm not saying that's good advice, but he's certainly not telling everyone to divorce a spouse who suffers from that disease. (And did some "liberal wienie" edit that video at the end. It looked a little spliced.)

Montague County Fire

The Messenger twitter account told me about Wise County fire departments helping out with a big fire in Montague County right now, and the Bowie News Facebook page posted this picture.  (Somewhere, an old school newspaper copy editor is shaking his head.)

Channel 8 coverage: "Fastest moving" that they've seen all year --- 287 closed at some point.

You Have Got To Watch This

Thirty second youtube clip here. Update on the victim here.

$49,445 - Ponder This With Me

That's the "median household income" as released by the Census bureau this morning. That's down over 2% from 2009.

Trying to find historical data is mind-numbing. Everything seems to broken down by region, age and race not to mention that it may or may not be adjusted for inflation. But it seems that, generally speaking, incomes in America have flattened out over the last decade or more. That is, Americans aren't on a gradual increase in income from one year to the next. Now, and for many years before, we can expect income to remain the same or even decrease from year to year while prices continue to slowly ascend.

Do you guys agree? Leaving politics aside, because 10 to 15 years includes both Democrats and Republicans being in charge, does it seem like things aren't the same as they were in the 1990s and before?

(And if someone can find a solid Census graph for median household income over the last 30 years, I'd love to see it.)

Edit: WordKyle found a good Census chart. My fears seem to be true. Starting with the late 1990s, we've been flat or in decline ever since. And the latest numbers take us back to the late 1980s.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Think the metroplex is not a football town? The regular season game for the Cowboys on Sunday night had a larger local audience than any of the Mavs' championship games or the Rangers World Series games.
• I feel this way when Mrs. LL puts on her high heels and we go out.
• I saw some of the Republican debate sponsored by the Tea Party last night. Good stuff. Put those guys in front of that crazy audience and it's Entertainment City.
• Uncomfortable moment of the debate: Would the candidate support government inaction and  let a thirty something year old die who had fallen into a coma and didn't have private insurance? The audience general reaction seemed to be "sure." And as much as I like Ron Paul, even I cringed when he said that was a "choice" the guy made to the cheers of the crowd. 
• While you were sleeping: Miss Angola because became Miss Universe 2011.
• The City of Decatur approved the hiring of three new full time firefighters. Really? Every other fire department in the county is volunteer based, aren't they?
• Tried to buy a bag of ice at a convenience store yesterday with a credit card but told there was a "$3.00 minimum." I grabbed a Gatorade and that brought the total to $2.90. He let it slide which prevented a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode from breaking out between us.
• Today we break the record for most 100 days in one year for the metroplex. Even in the middle of the beating-of-a-summer, I never thought we get to 70 days.
• NFL records set this weekend:  Total combined passing yards by all teams (7842), most games where both quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards (5), and most punt and/or kickoff returns TDs (8).  It's turning into the Arena League.
• Forgot about this old (alleged) line from evangelist Tony Campolo delivered during a sermon: “50,000 people around the world died of hunger today. That’s bad, but what’s worse is that most of us don’t give a damn. But what’s even worse is that for many of us, it is more bothersome that I just said the word ‘damn’ than that I said 50,000 children of God died of hunger.”
• A guy received a 30 year sentence yesterday for the Intoxication Manslaughter death of a Dallas physician in a pretty high profile case. Maybe it happens all the time in Dallas, but I noted that the prosecution was composed of two female lawyers and the defense team had two females as well. I think you'd normally see a guy thrown in their somewhere. 
• If you are a sports gambler, you have got to see this story from last weekend.
• That high tone Houston plaintiff's lawyer who has had Sting, Miley Cyrus, and Bon Jovi play at his firm's Christmas Party is going with Rascal Flatts this year. The personal injury business must be suffering.
• There's a potentially wheels off criminal trial starting in Decatur this morning. I'll check out in a second.
• Edit: S Bomb on Monday Night Football last night.
• I've updated yesterday's post regarding the gaggle of lawyers in Decatur and Serena's outburst. (See below.)

 

Story.

From Yesterday's 9/11 Ceremony

Bulletproof Glass Checklist:
- President....Check
- First Lady....Check
- Ex President....Check
- Bagpipe Guy (???).....Check
- Ex First Lady ...Cheeeee........Uh .....Get me the Secret Service on the horn.

What A Coincidence!

"If you ever see me walking down the hall, look the other way, because you're out of control... You're totally out of control, you're a hater, and you're unattractive inside. Who would do such a thing? And I never complain. Wow... We're in America last I checked. Can I get a water or am I gonna get violated for a water? Really, don't even look at me! I promise you, don't look at me, 'cause I am not the one. Don't look my way."

Mrs. LL said the exact same thing to me last night when she asked me to get her a water, and I told her that her legs didn't appear to be broken.

Edit: Serena was fined $2,000 today for her outburst. Her total winnings in that tournament: $1.4 million.

Maybe We Are Winning The World On Terror

Dailymail - Protesters set fire to the U.S. flag outside the American embassy in London today during a minute’s silence to mark the moment the first hijacked airliner hit the World Trade Centre. A group of 100 Muslim radicals, including members of Muslims Against Crusades, shouted ‘USA terrorists’ and brandished anti-American placards. One protester in Grosvenor Square said: ‘You will always face suffering, you will always face humiliation, unless you withdraw your troops from Muslim lands.’


Now before you get all bent out of shape, take a look at that threat! We will always face suffering "unless" we withdraw troops? That's it? We just have to leave that godforsaken place and we'll be suffering free? Deal!! Where do we sign up. You take the sand. We'll take a life of bliss. 


Those guys are either the worst negotiators in the world or we really have them on their heels. I remember a time when their hatred was straight up "Death to America!!!"  There weren't any namby pamdy conditions. There weren't any qualifications. It was good ol' hate -- the kind that keeps a good rivalry going. Kind of like the Aggies and Longhorns, but different. 

Anybody need a lawyer?

This is ONE civil case pre-trial hearing in Decatur this morning. Something about some medical device but it is not a malpractice case. I count 18 attorneys.

Edit:  Oops. It is a personal injury case (that actually floated around in federal court for a while.)  Background here.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I went to bed with the Cowboys leading and woke up to hear everyone dogging  Tony Romo. (The big stat this morning is that it was the first time in 242 games that the Cowboys lost after leading by 14 or more in the 4th quarter. So that was the worst collapse ever? That's hard to believe. )
• One of these days I'll try to explain why I'm interested in the Cowboys (like you would be interested in a book or a TV series), but why I don't care about the Cowboys. 
• I almost got rear-ended on Friday: Hear the squealing of locked up tires, in the rear view mirror I see a car coming at me at rapid speed, in a split second I goose it and brake thereby moving  up the two feet I had to spare, guy gives up on braking -- he's surely going to hit me -- and turns hard to the right and goes by with no room to spare. 
• I was walking up the stairs yesterday morning when, from the TV, I heard the request for a moment of silence as the bell chimed at the memorial site in New York. I actually stopped. 
• The 25 most un-American reactions to 9/11
• At what age should kids see the footage of 9/11 as a learning experience? When they aren't kids anymore? 
• Three date rapes (or at least acquaintance rapes -- if there is such a thing) at TCU in nine days?
• Mrs. LL spent Saturday evening at some wheels off uniform print screening shop actually getting involved in the print screening process. (Those team uniforms were going to get done.)
• If an explosion at a nuclear power plant is something that would make you nervous, get nervous this morning about one in France. 
• A fire in Wise County was caused by a lady violating the burn ban so she was issued a couple of tickets. Today the Update identified her which I bet is a much bigger deterrent than the tickets. 
• Last sports notes: (1) I said Cam Newton would be an NFL bust and he goes out and throws for 422 yards in his first game, (2) on Friday I said the Baylor/TCU game might end up being the best college game of the year and then came along Michigan/Notre Dame on Saturday night, (3) it looks like Garrett Gilbert will not be "the next great quarterback" for the Evil Empire. 
• I dreamed a guy pulled up to me in Jacksboro with a dead body in the passenger seat and asked me what he should do. A few hours later I decided it would probably be a pretty good idea to tell the cops. 
• On WBAP this morning, one of the guys was outraged that the TCU team doctor (who is originally from Pakistan) was detained for over 20 minutes at security in Colorado Springs as the team prepared to fly back from the Air Force game. So now those radio guys are upset with racial profiling?

Wise County Crime Reports: 9/11

(Thanks, Mark.)

Kids, Be Careful

Lavering

Most Likely The Car They Were In (Lavering's)

Edit: He loved his car, but this probably isn't it after all based on the comments.

Ramos

Goodman

No one knows really what happened other than three teens are gone. I did just a quick Facebook search on one of the names and quickly saw that they were all in their "friends" list.  (Story.)

What's Going On At Runaway Bay?

Best pic I've got. (Thanks, Scott.)