"Good Luck. We're All Counting On You."

Wise County Messenger Being Blocked By Montague DA

I mentioned a few days ago that all officers were cleared by a grand jury in the shooting death of Alan Alverson near the Montague/County line. You may remember Alverson as the guy who allegedly shot the police dog of the Wise County Sheriff's Office.

Now that the criminal case is over, the Messenger wants certain records from the DA's office.

This excerpt from a Messenger story: "Despite the grand jury finding no reason to move forward with criminal charges in the case, [District Attorney Paige] Williams has declined to release the full autopsy or report by the Texas Rangers investigating the case. She is seeking an attorney general’s opinion as to whether she must release that information, arguing that the information is not public because the case concluded in a final result other than a conviction or deferred adjudication, thereby making it excepted from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act."

Records subject to the Information Act must be released with 10 days or it is a crime not to do so. But for some crazy reason, any public official has the right to ask for an Attorney General's Opinion on whether the records must be released and this automatically puts everything on hold. Oftentimes that request is made to simply stonewall.

I'm no TPIA expert, but whether those records are public in this situation has absolutely been decided by prior AG opinions. This situation happens all the time. This is not new ground.  Without researching it, I'm guessing that autopsy report has to be subject to disclosure now.  How about the Ranger's report? Honestly, I don't know. But why shouldn't it be? Everyone involved in this investigation works for you and is paid with your money. You even bought the paper it was written on and paid the person who typed it and copied it. There is no criminal case now. Name one legitimate reason why it shouldn't be turned over to the public.

And there's nothing to prevent the DA from voluntarily just turning them over. How do you think the media sometimes immediately gets ahold of 911 tapes or videos or toxicology reports. Some of that information could be legally withheld until the case was concluded, but the government just turns it over anyway.

White House Reveals American And Italian Hostage Killed In Drone Strike

Statement from the WH press secretary on the innocent hostages killed in Pakistan http://t.co/HziCtGMRGz pic.twitter.com/GOdPLNzerx
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 23, 2015

Those drone strikes are accurate and effective. You just have to know who is within the targeted building. But I don't know how you ever could.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Somebody better check on Pete Delkus. He has to be in massive depression this morning after missing the forecast and not getting to dominate TV last night. (And he is, in fact, a little sensitive this morning.)
• I may be stating the obvious, but I think everyone is beginning to see how this oil price crash is impacting the Texas job market. I bet all of us know someone who has been significantly impacted. 
• I've told you for two years that we are headed for a decade long stretch of horrible Mavericks basketball once Dirk declines.  Get ready. We have lift off. 
• With all the guns and bars/clubs in Texas, I'm stunned there are not multiple shootings every Friday and Saturday night. 
• BagOfNothing.com linked to a series of interactive maps in the Wall Street Journal which focuses on demographics for every county in the U.S. Wait a second:  Only 37.1% of people in Wise County have graduated high school? Am I missing something? (I guess that the 37% could be of the total population which would include people under 18 but even then the 37% seems small.) 
• "Kelley & Anthony Blaine face 18 counts of giving alcohol to minors, accused of stocking a limo with liquor for teens heading to prom. She's suspended from her job as Kaufman County court coordinator. 15 Kaufman High School students were suspended for misconduct & sent to alternative school." So much to think about on this one. 
• Always drives me nuts when one trial court judge in any county or any state makes a ruling that, because of the subject matter, gets news coverage and everyone says, "This will set a precedent for the future." No, it doesn't. Heck, if an appellate court hasn't made a decision on an issue in Texas, a trial judge doesn't even care what the trial judge next door just ruled on the same issue.
• I saw a horrible (one car?) rollover wreck this morning near the Wise/Tarrant county line. People were scrambling to help, a car on its side caught fire, a guy ran and got a fire extinguisher, and people were gathered around a person in his grass who I presume was thrown from the vehicle. By their reactions, this was bad. 
• Below: Clever Harding headline and a little bit of a disturbing Blue Bell photo . . . 

Missing Bridgeport Boy News

Background:

And Speaking Of Open Carry

“We unintentionally just got unlicensed open carry." http://t.co/4T9K0TfZe1
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) April 22, 2015

I wrote this morning about the legal question of whether police would have a "reasonable suspicion" to stop and detain someone if they saw an exposed handgun if the proposed Open Carry If You Have A Concealed Handgun bill passed. Cops can only detain someone if they have a reasonable suspicion that a crime might be occurring. The County Attorney and I actually talked about just last week.

But I had complete missed the above news that trickled out over the last 24 hours that there was an amendment to the bill on Friday which passed the House:

That answers my question. The courts would never have to decide if the cops could lawfully detain someone for seeing an open guy because the legislature has settled it. (If the bill becomes law.)

But here's the unintended kicker: If cops can't stop you to check your license, then doesn't it become practcially open carry for everyone? Sure it would still be a crime to open carry without a license but cops will need a different reason to detain to ever discover that. So it's not legally open carry for everyone but more of a "there's a really good chance you can open carry without a license and not get caught" situation.

I suppose it is like driving on a suspended license. Yeah, it's illegal, but you are going to have to be stopped for a different traffic violation for the cops to ever discover that.

DPS In The News Again

The Austin-American Statesman just unearthed this video from 2012.  It involves an unseen chase and the shooting of a guy in the thigh , and this ending.  The trooper was suspended for three days.

Think I'm about to go on a rant about police brutality? Nope. That flying kick right of the WWE is just too sweet of a move to give the guy grief.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I may have had a full blown nemesis on my jury panel yesterday.  He didn't get selected and the trial is still going on, but I'll explain later. Plus, I have to confirm what I think was going on. 
• Did I see what looks like a police car in town that had Wise County Regional Public Safety on it? Is that a private security car? They don't have an authorized mini police force do they? 
• The in-state Republicans are fighting over the concept of "local control" after the proposal for overturning the Denton fracking ban by the passage of a state law. Some are saying the cities are to Texas what states are to the federal government. Other than State law trumping  municipal law, that analogy is not correct. There's no equivalent of the 10 Amendment for cities in the Texas constitution.
• I've got a ton of thoughts on the school electrical project including our educational system, the way your mind works, and the role of parents. I'll get to it maybe later today. 
• An email friend wrote me about my post from yesterday of the Bridgeport man who died at 44.  He thinks it is unhealthy for me to ponder life's moments like that. I've always consider those posts to be a moment of reflection by me of how all of us need to stop and think about our lives. (And sorry I didn't get back to you buddy. I've been busy . . . . And I as I just quickly typed those last two sentences  I think I just inadvertently made my point.)
• Fort Worth police killed a man last night. They say he fired a weapon at officers. 
• Lots of news reports about how the autopsy of the motorist who was shot dead by a Grapevine officer which show the now dead man was "legally drunk".  So what? (That's the case where they won't  release the video but have no problem releasing the autopsy report.) 
• In my trial yesterday, I abandoned using Powerpoint for the first time in two decades.  I just had a feeling of the need to put down the electronics and just be engaged. I don't know if it helped or hurt, but it felt better.
• My computer maps show a big chance for some storms later today. Get ready for Over The Top Pete Delkus.  And I'm serious. He will be in full Armageddon mode because this is the day he's been waiting for. 
• I've seen reference to a Batman vs. Superman movie. Hey, how is that even a fair fight? When I was a little kid there was some cartoon on Saturday mornings that had the combined fighting force of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Superman.  I even thought back then: What's Batman bringing to the table in that group?
• There will come a day where not only will every TV channel  be broadcast over the Internet but you will either decide to pay directly to that channel/company to get it. You want one channel? You got it.  The concept of "bundling" by cable and satellite companies will be gone, right? 
• And when I mentioned cutting the cable the other day since most everything is online anyway, I had completely forgotten about HD over the air antennas for local programming. They actually work.  How many channels can you get for free that way?
• Forgot to mention The Family Cat is back to normal after some brief sickness. And I'm not sure that's a good thing. 
• Great legal question if the new Texas Open Carry (if you have a concealed license) law comes into effect: Cops can stop and detain you if they have a reasonable suspicion that some criminal activity might be afoot. If an officer now sees someone in Walmart with an open handgun, can he stop them to check for a license? He wouldn't have a "reasonable suspicion" that the gun was illegally carried, would he? 

Lunch Break From A Hectic Day

I didn't know the guy but the Messenger profiled him somewhat last year.

44.

I've been mocked by a few for my recent discovery and appreciation  of "living in the moment" instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. I hadn't thought about this aspect of it: That moment you focus on appreciating may be the last one you ever have.

The Junior In The House's Science/Physics Project

Front view: Parallel circuits in the on top. One series circuit in two rooms on bottom. Can't get much more basic than that.

And now the good part! The back. I'm still laughing because it worked! I'll edit this later about how I had no idea what I was doing but how I was fascinated by this project. (I'll try to explain the connections, too. There was a method to my madness.)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• It will be short today. Between a trial today and Day 2 of the Electronic Project, I haven't been sitting around yelling at Fox News. 
• I'll auto post a picture of the Electronic Project in a second. It will be the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen and it WORKS.
• And based upon my obsession with it over the last three days, Mrs. LL might call MHMR on me. 
• I don't know who the young weather guy was on CBS 11 on Saturday night when that wicked storm blew through, but he was pretty, pretty good.
• There was some "manhunt" in Haltom City yesterday afternoon and the local anchor asked the reporter what a "blue warrant" was since the guy  had on out for him. I'll be dang, he got it exactly right. (It's a parole violation warrant.)
• Blue Bell might be in trouble (as it pulls all of its products out of the stores.)
• Early yesterday I tried to find Troy Aikman's awkward remembrance of the OKC bombing at the music awards from Sunday night. I haven't checked since.
• Crazy lightning strikes near Rhome this morning. 
• Outside of Houston: "Trooper shoots motorcyclist during chase, kicks him off bike."
• I mentioned the other day that every time the legislature bans a new synthetic drug, a more tricked up (and more dangerous one) is created. I watched the most recent episode of Vice over the weekend and that was the subject. 

Get Ready For A Melt Down Of Epic Proportionsjosh

Loved this part: "Hamilton outlined 34 requests in the petition. Among the requests: prohibiting his wife from using a Maserati and 1972 Chevrolet Blazer in his possession; prohibiting her from 'hiding' the children from him; prohibiting her from making disparaging remarks against him or his family."

I was trying to remember the organization he used to promote and I found it. "I Am Second". But he is gone . . . 

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I'm loopy because I stayed up until 4:00 a.m, so stay with me here. We've got a modified Random Thoughts coming up. I'm about to fall on the Stupidity Sword and I'm about to get great sympathy from some of you and about to get kicked in the crotch by many others. 
• You know why? The Junior In the House has a school project and asked for my help. (She gave me plenty of notice for a project not due until this week). This is from the instruction sheet that she handed me (paraphrased): "Construct a miniature three room component house with lights powered with a battery. The light(s) in each room should be able to be lit individually and also all of the rooms should be able to be lit at the same time. Draw a schematic to show when you used a series circuit and/or a parallel circuit. You can only use on battery."
• Good lord. 
• Let me tell you something. I think I'm really smart in some areas of my life, but I an idiot in a lot more areas. Stuff like that project is one of them. Series circuit? Parallel circuit? My head was spinning. I had (have) no idea what that meant. So I spent a lot of time on Saturday researching it on The Google.  I'll give Mrs. LL big credit. She went to a hardware store after researching as well and bought a bunch of items that she knew would help -- like alligator clips. (Alligator clips? I'll be dang. Love those things now.)
• What's coming up is my Wheels Off/Life Lesson moment. The concept of a series circuit or parallel circuit really isn't that complicated. Basically, in a series circuit, because of the wiring, all the lights will go out when a bulb is blown but in a parallel circuit that won't happen. To create  both type of circuits you need the right size battery, lights, and copper wire -- which is slightly tricky but that's no biggee.  (Once again, stay with me here.)
• But you know what went wrong in my science challenged brain? I watched a great video by this guy on series and parallel circuits but at the end of it he makes a statement (and demonstrates) that you could even disconnect the electrical line and . . . it would still work except for the next bulb down the line. At least that's what I thought he said. That made no sense to me but batteries and electricity make no sense to me either. For some reason, perhaps in trying to grab too much information too quickly or really wanting to impress everyone in the Family that I could do this or, probably, just being stupid, I didn't understand what he said. (Which was: If you cut the line, every bulb down line will go dead. Everything on the battery side will stay lit). At 3:30 a.m. that finally dawned on me. After hours and hours of jacking with bulbs and batteries and wires and alligator clips and electrical switches, I learned what I believed to be true was not true.  (It was a pretty impressive contraption of three batteries lights and switches I might add.) Edit: I told you I was loopy. 
• Two thoughts: (1) What I went through is what learning is about. Trial and experiment. Research and understanding what you see  versus what  you believe.  (2) My real life lesson realization is this: I stupidly misinterpreted a youtube video on parallel circuits and believed something that was not true: I believed if  you cut the line  it will all still work except for the next bulb.  Here we go: In all aspects of your life, once you believe something is true when it is not, it takes waves and waves of ridiculous amounts of evidence to convince you to the contrary. 
• OK, let's address the  Elephant in the Room: I'm up in the middle of the night and not the Junior In The House because I told her I would handle it and explain it to her later? That's inexcusable and completely my fault. She asked to help. Although I will admit that I loved every Wheels Off minute of it.
• Epilogue: I went to bed at 4:00 a.m. after drawing a schematic and notes of how I think this project will now work. That's for tonight. I'll think I'll let the Junior in The House do most of the talking and working. 

Edit: This has gone through multiple edits since it was originally published which is proof I'm loopy.

Double Rainbow In Bridgeport Tonight

If it were not for the high line wires, I would be thinking, "It's so beautiful! (sobbing with amazement) (laughing with joy) ...Its a double complete rainbow in my front yard. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Oh, ... what does it mean? Tell me. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Too much. Tell me what it means?"

Credit.

Don't Get Me This Gorilla!!!!

Whoa!

That was full out Planet of The Apes action right there! And the glass broke?  I would have gone full out George Costanza in a fire and knocked those kids out of the way as I ran out of there.

Take Us Down To DEFCON 5

	David Goins (@dgoins)
4/17/15, 9:56 AM BREAKING: sex offender Charles Sprague in custody in Oklahoma. @wfaachannel8

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Since Texas has screwed up the label of "sex offender" in our system to include folks who are no danger at all, that label hardly moves the needle with me. But that guy on the run in Fort Worth should cause us concern. He was one of those guys who was "civilly committed" after he finished his prison term. You can learn about his background here in a court opinion affirming the civil commitment. 
• I've had a conversation with two different people in the last week on the subject of what the economic effect would be if everyone had a driverless car (which will happen some day).  We've come up with the following which would take a huge or even fatal economic impact or would at least have no need to employ the number of people they currently do: DWI lawyers (that job is eliminated), body shops (basically no more car wrecks), car insurance companies, city governments (which use traffic tickets as a big part of their revenue), police departments (no speeding tickets to write and almost no wrecks to respond to), ignition interlock companies (no DWI so no need for them to be mandated).  
• I've see a flaw in Fit Bit.  When I jog, I get credit for one step for every step. Makes sense. But those are hard steps.  If I go and use my pitchback net, I get a step with every pitch and every time I casually walk to get an errantly thrown ball (very rare, by the way -- I'm very Yu Darvish like).  But those steps should not count the same.  (I only rant because the Family Unit is in a weekly competition and they pick up casual steps all the time.) 
• It took less than a week for a lawsuit to be filed in connection with that wreck in Fort Worth last weekend that killed five. But I've got a question for for you civil lawyers. I don't understand this sentence: "Relatives of a woman injured early Sunday in a fiery crash on Interstate 30 filed suit Thursday against a trucking company and the driver of a truck involved in the collision." You'll see family members sue for wrongful death but is it common for a lawsuit to be filed by  relatives of someone injured? (The only thing I can think of is the old "bystander" claim which allows for a relative to recover when he witnesses another relative get injured. It appears those suing were at the scene.) But does the lawyer not even represent the injured person?
• Yesterday I learned some DA offices in Texas keep  a list of officers that they consider to be so untrustworthy because of the officers' past that the prosecutors feel constitutionally obligated to reveal that information to defense lawyers if one of those officers is involved in a pending case. I had no idea.  
• The Dallas County DA's office has such a list. And, get this, the Austin-American Statesman had asked for the list in the past and former DA Craig Watkins handed it over despite the document not being subject to any open records law. When the Dallas Observer asked the new DA Susan Hawk for an updated list, she wouldn't do it. So, at the request of the Dallas Observer, the Statesman went ahead and published the old list yesterday (it hadn't done so before.)
• Oh, great. Here's a quote from a juror in the Aaron Hernandez trial: "If he had something else to say, he should have testified in that trial." He obviously didn't understood the judge's instruction that if the defendant doesn't testify, a juror cannot hold that against him or consider it as evidence of guilt. 
• Melody McDonald (now Lanier) was a great Star-Telegram reporter and then the PR person for the Tarrant County DA's office. Like so many others, she quit shortly after the new DA took office. But now she is joining the "marketing team" of a Fort Worth (seven person?) law firm.  That reminds me, I haven't checked on my marketing team in a while. Where you guys at?
• The President of UNT was on The Ticket this morning. What the heck was he wearing? (By the way, he was pretty funny. He was probably just dressed up to do a bit.)

Watch An ESPN Reporter's Career Go Up In Flames

Hey, Blondie, that girl behind the counter (probably a bulletproof one because of nutcases like you) has the worst job in the world. And you know what else? She isn't the one who parked in a no parking zone. She didn't even drive the tow truck.

This is incredible. You're mad? Fine.  You want to be a little rude at that moment because you're bent out of shape? I'll give you a pass. But those comments were viscous personal attacks which are a window to her true character.

ESPN has suspended this gal for a week. How bold!!!! Here's a prediction: I bet ESPN will end up firing her. You know who watches ESPN? Spare guys like me who have seen women like this all their lives and rolled our eyes at them.  Is it too harsh to say we despise them? Nope.  And you know who these spare guys are married to? Women who have put up with uppity chicks just like her all of their lives. But here's the kicker: The reporter, after calling the attendant stupid, insulted her further by mentioning her weight and about her looks. Yeah, that will endear you to females. So she basically alienated 100% of that network's audience. Girl, you have no idea the wrath that the public is about to give you.  Nor does ESPN.

And I think the best part is that she was warned she was on camera. As far as TV goes, it may be the last time ever.