Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

Our now county judge had some singing gigs back in the day when he was also the mayor of Chico.

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• Athena Strand news.
• This seems to be big: The Sheriff told WFAA that the State will seek the death penalty for Tanner Horner. I'm kind of surprise that he just casually made this statement because (1) that's one heck of an announcement, and (2) that decision is exclusively in the hands of the District Attorney's office so normally that would be entity to make that proclamation.
  
  
  
• The probable cause affidavit has apparently been "sealed." I'm not sure about the propriety of this. You can seal search warrant affidavits for 31 days (art. 18.011) in certain circumstances, but I don't think you can seal probable cause affidavits (art. 15.26.) There is some information which might be able to be redacted in certain cases, but I didn't think you can seal the probable cause affidavit in its entirety. Heck, magistrates are even officially trained in Texas that those documents are public records (Example: Page 45 here.) Maybe I'm wrong. I suppose that it could have been a combo search and arrest warrant which would probably justify a 30 day waiting period. 
  
  
  
• The mother of Athena Stand has hired a law firm based in Fort Worth, and they will address the press at 11:00 a.m. today on the Wise County courthouse steps. I know that firm is a great criminal defense firm, but I wasn't aware they did civil litigation. Full press release here.
  
  
  
• Breaking: Britney Griner freed this morning.
  
  
  
• Hey, I'm thrilled she's out, but it must be noted that Paul Whelan remains in a Russian prison. Fox News just got published this statement from his family:
  
  
  
• Micah Parsons, of all people, coming in hot (Edit - now deleted):
  
  
  
• That case did not seem to be particularly compelling. We'll see what happens. Hot opinion: The defense has to be thinking about resting and arguing the State failed to prove his case.  But if they decide to present a defense case, I would strongly urge having their client testify.  I think he'd be found not guilty if they do.  
  
  
  
• We would probably be surprised how many government-issued-for-business-only phones have TikTok downloaded on them which taxpayer paid employees waste time with. 
  
  
  
• You know how I'm always dogging Medical Examiner's for listing a cause of death which they couldn't possibly know by simply examining the body.  Well, there's a trial doing on right now In Denton where a deputy ME basically admits he changed his opinion because of influence from the cops. It's a front page story today in the Record-Chronicle. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Hanging out with Nazi's on Thanksgiving, advocating that the Constitution be "terminated" the next week, and now he has moved on to QAnon/Pizzagate disciples. That's, Liz Crokin. Google her.  Keep it up, buddy. 
  
  
  
• We've got one Texas Senator who is beginning to see the light yesterday.
  
  
  
• Orders for the electric F-150 have exceeded the expected demand. As a result, a new plant is being built by Ford. Get ready. They're coming. 

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

Someone sent me a photo of the Google Streetview car roaming the streets of Decatur. 

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• Developing (and a little across the journalistic line) . . . 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The most unqualified Senate candidate of all time did not get elected last night in Georgia. 
• In almost every race these days, people vote for their team regardless of the candidate. But a handful of Republican voters crossed over because they couldn't stomach Herschel Walker.  The Democratic win last night in Georgia was their only state-wide win they had in the Peach State.
  
  
  
• This fiasco for the Republicans is 100% on Trump.
  
  
  
• From Cottondale last night. Video.
  
  
  
• Nope, no sign of the probable cause affidavit yet. I really didn't want to bug them, but I might start now. I figured one of the media outlets would have it by now. 
• I'm not prepared to say the cop is going to be found not guilty by a Tarrant County jury, but that case isn't the most clear cut criminal case in the world. 
  
  
  
• Not surprising -- in either the conviction or the response.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Texas DPS has taken a hit lately, but I don't think trying to get recruits from Florida of all places will help.
  
  
  
• Congressional Gold Medals were awarded yesterday to the Capitol Police of January 6th although there was an awkward moment where some of the recipients refused to shake the hand of Mitch McConnell for not doing more to speak against the attack. (Video.)
  
  
  
• These are the 20 Republicans who refused to vote to award the medals. Mind-blowing.  
  
  
  
• I kept seeing the headlines of the Tampa Police Chief getting fired for flashing a badge during a simple traffic stop, so I watched the video.  I don't understand this at all. This is common conduct in Texas, and I'm not sure anyone here has a problem with it. 
  
  
  
• I still have to look to see who is Time's Person of the Year every time. Just announced:
  
  
  
• Breaking baseball news -- over 1/3 of a billion dollars. All guaranteed because the Player's Union knows what they are doing. Unlike in the NFL.
  
  
  
• Here's some exclusive high school sports content. I've always wondered how accurate the Texas AP Top Ten lists were for Texas football. I mean, seriously, how they heck do we know the Top 10 football teams in each division with so many teams involved? Those AP writers aren't watching all of those games, right?
• So here's what I did: We are now down to the final four for each division, so I went back and found the final Top Ten rankings after the final regular season games, and then I looked to see how many of those Top 10 teams are still alive in their respective Final Four.  Put another way, the AP had 10 chances to pick the final four teams for each division. Here's how they did - the teams highlighted in yellow are still alive (click to enlarge):
  
  
  
• As you see, those polls did really well. The most they could get were four. 
• In Class 2A Division I, they were perfect with teams ranked one through four still being alive.
• The blue 5 I've got in 6A is because that level is tricked up. Although there is just one 6A Top Ten poll, those teams might end up in the "big bracket" or the "small bracket" in the playoffs. So there are eight, not just four, of those teams which could still be alive. However, there are only five still in contention. 
• Notice that unranked Decatur plays #1 China Springs on Friday. 
• Also notice that College Station, who Decatur's coach was in charge of last year before being hired away, is still alive in Class 5A, Division I.
• It's the 26th anniversary of what I consider to be the gutsiest and greatest play call in college football history. And it was done by the Evil Empire. 
• Messenger: Above the Fold

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

I still think about this.  It would be at the bottom of the Update and read something like "Admitted: Henry Potter, Mary Bailey, and John McClane. Released: Frank Erwin, Lisa Miller, Baby boy Miller." If you just happened to have the same name as someone on the list, you fielded calls all day from people making sure you were OK. This practice ended sometime in the 1990s, I think. 

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• Athena Strand random bullet points:
• Still haven't seen the probable cause affidavit surface yet. (It's public record under art. 15.26 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure if you can find it.)
• Quick twitter video from the remembrance at the courthouse last night. 
  
  
  
• Messenger's story and their photo:
  
  
  
• WFAA's coverage from last night of courthouse memorial with video. 
  
  
  
• Fox 4 coverage of community response yesterday. (On Youtube.)
  
  
  
• Courthouse square in Decatur.
  
  
  
• Oklahoma news coverage. We'll let them claim her, too. 
  
  
  
• If I have my facts correct, a trial will begin today in the District Court in Decatur which was indicted in March of 1996.
• A former Rhome officer, and the subject of the story below in 2017 when he worked in Montague County, was recently booked into the Wise County jail. (You'll have to type in the booking number 108387.)
  
  
  
• Kind of legal nerdy stuff. The case below involved the guy who assaulted the woman in Deep Ellum, and it was caught on video. The footage made me cringe. He landed some vicious blows.
• The guy caught a big break yesterday because the jury found him guilty of misdemeanor assault instead of aggravated assault because they decided he didn't use or exhibit a deadly weapon -- even though he was holding a pistol. 
• What is really unusual is the guy being indicted on, and being found guilty of, "Obstruction", a third degree felony. That charge in incredibly rare.  Heck, I had to look it up. A prosecutor can get there if a person commits an illegal act against a person and causes "harm" (the assault) if the actor knows the person intends to report the occurrence of a crime. She was trying to call 911 before the assault but he slapped the phone out of her hand, but I'm not sure what "crime" she was going to report. 
  
  
  
• Electra woman going hard but at least she wore a hazmat uniform. 
  
  
  
• Justice Alito proved he is a very weird guy yesterday at oral arguments. (Audio of below). He also joked about Justice Kagan being familiar with AshleyMadison.com - a dating site for married people seeking an affair. (Audio).
  
  
  
• A new Texas Monthly article looks interesting. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Not bad for a one shop operation opened up by the campus of TCU in 2001.
  
  
  
• Another reason to hate lawyers. This is the Christmas bonus list fpr associates (not partners) ant the law firm of Baker Botts. "Deem date" is basically "hiring date."
  
  
  
• College bowl lines.
  
  
  
• I absolutely hate the transfer portal, but I think it is only fair to the players that it exists.