News That Broke On Friday Which Must Be Mentioned

Last Thanksgiving I read the two part Texas Monthly series on the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton. It was shocking then. It's shocking now.   Afterwards, a "Court of Inquiry" was created to investigate the DA who prosecuted Morton to make a determination of whether he intentionally withheld evidence. Talking to folks, I constantly heard, "That DA needs to be in jail" -- a phrase which most Texans had never uttered before.

But most of my friends in the criminal justice had never heard of a Court Of Inquiry and really didn't know what power, if any, it had.

Well that Court at least believes it can issue a warrant for the arrest of the Former DA and that's what happened on Friday.

Edit: Here's the judge's detailed order.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• And when it was all said and done, the remaining Boston Bomber was caught by a guy who went outside for a cigarette.
• A lot of people were freaking out that the bomber may not have been his Miranda rights. The only consequence for not doing so is that any statement made post-arrest without the benefit of Miranda can't be used against him. That doesn't impact any other proof against him. No reason to freak.
• But then the experts started talking about a "public safety" exception to Miranda. I've been practicing criminal law for over twenty years and not one time have I ever heard of that exception being invoked.
• London Marathon wheel chair wreck. Man, those things move too fast to be in there with runners. 
• While doing yard work, I got hit up by a little Cub Scout to buy a $20 discount card. I shelled the money out on Cuteness Principles. 
• Reese Witherspoon got arrested for Disorderly Conduct over the weekend while her husband was being subjected to field sobriety tests. Apparently, she kept getting out of the car despite instructions to remain inside. After being told to return to the car, she “stated that she was a ‘U.S. Citizen’ and that she was allowed to ‘stand on American ground,’” police say.  Nice touch. 
• Al Michaels got a DWI arrest but I'm not sure he'll suffer much of a consequence since his breath sample was right at the legal limit of .08.
• On Sunday, the UIL's Medical Advisory Committee unanimously recommended limiting football programs to 90 minutes of full-contact, game-speed practices per player per week during the regular season and playoffs. I didn't think much of it until I read that Committee has never had one of its proposals rejected. 
• Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Rick Perry, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz all did a photo op at West, Texas. 
• The old Uncle Julio's on Greenville Avenue burnt/burned down overnight. I feel like I ate their back in the day, but really have no specific memory of the place. 
• 60 Minutes had a feature last night on the 9/11 Museum which is being built under Ground Zero. It looks perfectly done. 
• The Family Puppy has opened its eyes and is trying to stand up. Every female in the house tells me the little thing has already been sold, but they sure are acting brave about its impending departure if that is true. 

Above The Fold

Wow. Just wow.

	Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
4/19/13, 8:00 PM Is the Boston killer eligible for Obama Care to bring him back to health?

If the news is right (who knows), the Boston Bomber is dead in a boat behind this house

Let's now hear from a constitution loving U.S. Senator.

It's Been A Long Week

John Cornyn Goes To West, Texas And Just Dropped Huge News

UPDATE: Sen. Cornyn says 60 people remain missing after fertilizer plant explosion on Wednesday night in West, TX.
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) April 19, 2013

Edit: He might have been a little careless.

McLennan Co. Commissioner says list of unaccounted for hasn't been compared with list of hospitalized bit.ly/11K3BSU h/t @wacotrib
— Nick Dean (@bynickdean) April 19, 2013

DWI Warning Of The Day

Think someone could get a DWI conviction for driving a golf cart at the Texas Motor Speedway? An opinion released today demonstrates that it happened.

Although the DWI statutes require a person to be driving a "motor vehicle", the definition is so broad that the State "offered a horse and buggy as an example [during jury selection] and elicited from the jury panel other examples, including a bicycle, a skateboard, a moped, a golf cart, and a tractor."

"Motor vehicle" is defined as “a device in, on, or by which a person or property is or may be transported or drawn on a highway.” See Texas Penal Code Ann. § 32.34(a)(1)

The Bomber On The Run Used To Be A High School Wrestler

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Dead Boston bomber's photo gallery named "Will Box For Passport".
• "Boston Bombing Suspect Posted Video on Al Qaeda Prophecy on YouTube."
• Those guys are Caucasians from Chechnya but they'll be remembered for being Islamic. 
• Google map of the area where the cops think the Bomber-On-The-Run is located right now. (Although it is sounding like he may not be there.)
• What a weird society: Someone has created a fake twitter account for the bomber. 
• And the surviving bomber is 19 years old and has been in the U.S. for almost a decade?
• This guy claims to be right next door to the house the police are surrounding, he's posting pics, and it seems authentic. 
• Stolen from Twitter: "So far the least interesting news story this week is an Elvis impersonator trying to poison the President." And that's absolutely true.
• The Uncle of the Bombers was told about the death of his nephew on live TV.
• Man, CNN's John King is taking a ton of heat, as he should, about reporting an arrest of a "dark skin man" two days ago. 

While We Wear Sleeping - A Crazy Night In Boston

Audio of shootout:

The Internet Detectives Are Amazing

After the FBI released photos of the "persons of interest" this afternoon, Internet sleuths had come up with the photo below (see far left) within an hour. There will be more.

Edit: And another one . . .

I'll Take "Inappropriate Phrase For Trying To Negotiate A Better Deal" For $100, Alex

And I love it how someone had to slip him a note.

Czech Stop Open Today - I'm Not Sure I've Ever Actually Had A Kolache

From The Email Bag

Today in Decatur.

MADD Study Finds Drunk Driving Not Main Danger For Drunk Teens?

I'm so confused. The numbers don't make sense. A drunk teen has about the same risk of being murdered as dying in a car wreck? And the study was conducted by MADD which you would think would skew the numbers towards the opposite conclusion.

Source.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• The prevalent headline when I woke up regarding the explosion in West was "5 to 15 confirmed dead." Huh? They could say they "confirm at least five dead" but you can't "confirm" a range of absolutes. 
• And if "West EMS Director Dr. George Smith" actually said "as many as 60 or 70 people died" last night, he might need to be stripped of that position. 
• I really like Fox 4's Heather Hays but she gets really excited during breaking news and talks a million miles an hour. (And Steve Eager accidentally referred to a retirement home as an "old folks home" last night.)
• There are already conspiracy nuts comparing the explosion last night to the Branch Davidian Fire. you know: Close to Waco. Involves fire. Obviously a link. 
• What a crazy week. Boston. West. An arrest of the JP's wife in the Kaufman murders. 
• There seems to be an incredible similarity about the tweets from public officials last night after news of the West explosion happened. They all seem to say that their "hearts and prayers" go out and there was also a reference to "first responders." It's like they have the same PR person running their twitter feeds.
• Dennis Prager quote yesterday: "I don't know a single friend of mine who cares about race. The only people who care about race are on the Left."  That's either naive or a very Rush Limbaugh wannabee comment. 
• Saw a tweet from a couple of nights ago complaining about Ron Washington "almost blowing the game against the Cubs" when "doing so as a manager is so hard to do in the first place." I agree.
• I do screw up the past tense of "ran" all the time. 
• From the Update: "The Wal-Mart Warriors Walking For a Cure Relay For Life team will sell chili cheese hotdog lunch plates 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday." Cancer bad. Clogged arteries good?
• Fox News is all bent out of shape about their own report that the "Saudi National" who wasn't, after all, a person of interest after the Boston Bombing is being "deported."  They smell conspiracy between the U.S. and Saudi Arabi based upon a Reuters report of "President Barack Obama met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Wednesday, noting 'the meeting was not on Obama’s public schedule.'” Someone needs to write a book about this. Maybe call it something like House Of Bush. House of Saud.
• Dallas Morning News from April 17th in 1947: