Harris County DA Refuses To Step Down

The local Republican Party has asked DA Chuck Rosenthal to step down and not seek re-election but he refuses to do so. More of story--here.

Do you think he should abandon his re-election bid?

Can We Trust The Statistics?

Can we trust any of Houston's crime statistics? After all, it has been reported that the Houston police department were playing with the numbers in order to have us believe that crime was low. According to FBI statistics:

Hate crimes in Texas fell to their lowest level in five years and Houston has the lowest per-capita rate of hate crimes among the nation's 10 largest cities.

There were 7,722 hate crimes motivated by prejudice against race, religion, sexual orientation or a disability in the United States in 2006, according to the FBI. That included 245 in Texas.

Are these figures legit?

Bank Robberies Increase In Houston

Oh no...not in Houston!!!!

The number of bank robberies in the Houston-area this year has more than doubled.

There were 54 last year and 116 this year.

Investigators said there is no one particular reason for the jump.

I am shocked that no one is trying to blame the increase on Katrina evacuees.

Will We Learn More About The 'Naughty DA'?

It seems that a federal judge has resealed the documents.

“Our contention has always been the public should have access to see what their elected officials are doing on taxpayer time and taxpayer equipment,” plaintiffs’ attorney David Tang said.

We here in Houston do have a right to know about what our naughty prosecutor is up to. The question is will we find out more or will DA Rosenthal's dirty little secrets remain on the down low?

Can Houston Cure Its Ills?

Houston's illegal immigration problem reminds me of a new form of incurable cancer. You want to rid people of it, but where do you begin?

While statistics show trafficking and smuggling are growing worse in Houston, some immigration groups are not so sure the immigrations officers are ready to handle the onslaught.

“The cases continue to pile on top of them and they get overwhelmed and they fall through the cracks,” said Curtis Collier of the Houston branch of U.S. Border Watch.

Meanwhile, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is getting involved.

Houston need all the help it can get in ridding the city from this type of cancer that has a detrimental impact on the City's economy as well as its citizens safety.

Smugglers Are On The Prowl In Texas Again

Not even do CHRISTMAS DAY keep the smugglers away:

A 14-year-old boy, who’s kidnapping was likely related to an attempt by an illegal immigrant smuggler to get more money, returned home Christmas Day.

Antonio Gonzalez, 14, may have been kidnapped in an attempt by a coyote to get money from his family.

Antonio Gonzalez was with his mother at a Shell gas station near Becker Road and State Highway 290 on Monday when he was taken.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Gonzalez was kidnapped by Santos Vasquez, of San Marcos. Investigators believe the kidnapping was part of an illegal immigrant smuggling plot.

We have to keep a close eye on our kids because of these pathetic desperados.

Houston officials are at it again

It seems like Houston law enforcement officials always make news and not for the right reason:

A group of Houston police officers has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and Chief Harold Hurtt, alleging a "longstanding history of policies and conduct that discriminate against Hispanic police officers."

The 23 plaintiffs in the civil complaint say they are underrepresented in management, and that rank-and-file Spanish-speaking officers aren't properly compensated for "additional work" they perform, such as translations.

Let's hope their complaint is fully investigated.

Houston Toddler Won't See 'Dad' This Christmas

One Houston, Texas toddler will not be celebrating Christmas with his dad. His dad, Stan "Pampy" Barre, III is currently serving his sentence for residential burglary in Federal Way, Washington. This is nothing new to the poor little tyke since he hasn't seen his dad since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast.

He barely recognized his dad during his brief visit since the unemployed father of three other children never spends any quality time with him.

The poor tyke's grandfather though received good news this week from the federal government. His grandfather, Stan "Pampy" Barre, of New Orleans, is currently awaiting sentencing for looting from a massive energy savings contract that was awarded to the City of New Orleans during the last year of former New Orleans Mayor, Marc Morial's administration.

He was originally due to be sentenced next month, however, his sentencing has been postponed until April.

Houston Becomes Safe Haven For Illegal Immigrants

It appears that Houston's mayor, Bill White, is in a teezy over Bill O'Reilly's latest Comment.

"These two illegal aliens are dead because of Houston's sanctuary city policies," O'Reilly said during an interview segment on his cable TV show. "That's why they're dead."

I remember being in a Wal-mart, in Houston, Texas, where I tried to ask an employee for assistance. Her response was...me speak no engles..

Apparently Bill O'Reilly has a point.

Staged Fight At Stafford High School

Should it make a difference whether the teacher was a substitute or not? Someone could have been seriously hurt.

The superintended was surprised, but confirmed the fist fights, slam dunks and pillow fights did in fact occur in one of his classrooms – under the supervision of a substitute teacher.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Filling Priscilla Slade's Shoes

Why is it taking so long to find a replacement for disgraced ousted president, Priscilla Slade? Is is worth risking accreditation?

The board is under pressure to move quickly to the fill the position, which has been vacant since the firing of Slade in June 2006 amid a spending scandal. A hung jury recently spared Slade of a criminal conviction on charges related to her use of school money for personal expenses, but her former chief financial officer, Quintin Wiggins, received a 10-year jail sentence for his role in the scandal.

TSU is at risk of losing accreditation if campus leaders do not rectify a series of financial and management issues within a year. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the state's largest historically black university on probation last week because of the school's poor financial picture.

"I would hope that a decision be made and a new president on campus by the beginning of next semester," said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat whose district includes the 9,500-student campus. "If not, it's a big problem."

The university needs a good leader in order to rectify its' problems. One would think the 'politicking' would stop in order to get down to business.

Houston plugs movie

Typical of Houston, Texas grandiose style, any mention of someone remotely connected to the city will enjoy days of fanfare. Remember this: Houston's own Anna Nicole Smith...Houston's own Beyonce Knowles...Houston does a lot of claiming...Now we have the LEGEND...Charlie Wilson's War

“When I was growing up in Texas, I never imagined I would end up in Afghanistan,” said Houston socialite Joanne Herring.

On the silver screen, Herring is portrayed by Oscar winner Julia Roberts while Charlie Wilson is played by Tom Hanks.

The movie studio describes it as a film about a Texas congressman who loved a good time, a Houston socialite who loved a good cause and how they conspired with the CIA to bring about the largest covert operation in U.S. history.

Toot..toot for Houston, Texas

The Great Debate

From the Houston Chronicle:

Science teachers are not allowed to teach creationism alongside evolution in Texas public schools, the courts have ruled. But that's exactly what the Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research wants them to do.

The institute is seeking state approval to grant an online master's degree in science education to prepare teachers to "understand the universe within the integrating framework of Biblical creationism," according to the school's mission statement.

Last week, an advisory council made up of university educators voted to recommend the program for approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, sparking an outcry among science advocates who have fended off attempts by religious groups to insert creationism into Texas classrooms.

Joe Horn Ordinance Passes

When Joe Horn acts, everyone listens.

The City of Pasadena passed an ordinance restricting demonstrations in front of people's homes. The new ordinance came about because of protests in front of the home of a Pasadena homeowner who shot and killed a pair of burglars after they broke into a neighbor's house.

The new law all but bans picketing in front of privately owned homes. In a 6-0 vote, the Pasadena City Council banned picketing on front of a residential dwelling.

Wow, that was fast work. Showing your true colors, uh?

Judge's Daughter to begin serving Lenient Sentence

The judge's daughter, who was convicted of manslaughter, will begin serving her very lenient sentence.

Elizabeth Shelton, convicted in a crash that killed her boyfriend, will start serving her 120-day jail sentence Thursday.

Shelton, whose father is Judge Pat Shelton, previously had asked to serve time on the weekends and holidays to avoid problems with her school schedule.

We must not interfere with her education. Boo, hoo, hoo

Pervert Admits to Sexual Contact With Student

According to court records, Carlos Hector Valencia admitted to engaging in sexual contact with one of his students.

He said it happened twice in the barn located on the campus of Westfield High School, where Valencia, 42, taught Spanish.

Get this idiot some help. He really needs it.

Teacher Accused of Improper Conduct

Improper conduct seems to be the norm here in Texas. A substitute teacher has been accused of fondling a student. According to a released report:

“The Westfield High School administration was notified anonymously by a student on Nov. 26 of an improper student/teacher relationship. The notification was made through AnComm, an anonymous communication system, which the school encourages students to use when they have concerns.

Sam's sells fake Prada bags

Court documents indicate that a couple in Kentucky purchased a Prada bag at a Sam’s and mailed it to a family member in Italy. That family member took the bag into a Prada store for a repair and was told it was a fake.

The couple filed a lawsuit against Sam’s. As part of the settlement, customers can expect a full refund if they return the suspect handbags.

Other Rappers expected to attend Rapper's funeral

Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z are among the entertainers expected to attend fellow rapper Pimp C's funeral today in Port Arthur. As a result, security will be tight.

On Wednesday, crews put up portable barricades at the Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur.

Pimp C, whose real name is Chad Butler, grew up in Port Arthur. He was half of the Grammy nominated duo UGK.

Butler, 33, died last week in Los Angeles.

Sex Trade In H-Town

Prostitution must be popping in H-Town.

HPD officers have been working undercover to make arrests at some of Houston's 'spas.' They say, rather than massages, the women at these businesses are serving up sex for cash.

Police say many of the spas are operating illegally and involve Asian women who were brought to the States for the sole purpose of participating in the sex trade.

Meanwhile, the missing minister has his own woes:

The wife of a local minister who police say was brutally stabbed and robbed while meeting a woman at a hotel says there is no way her husband would visit a prostitute. Police have charged two suspects in the attack.

Miles is not denying he was at the motel, but in a note to his wife from his hospital bed he said he was not there to meet a prostitute.

Billboards to be Removed

Clear Channel Outdoor Inc., one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in Houston soon will begin removing more than 800 of its small and mid-size billboards across the city, officials said Monday.

The agreement to remove about two-thirds of Clear Channel's 1,347 small and medium-sized billboards from private property is expected to end two decades of litigation with the city and speed the elimination of signs that were slated to come down in 2013 anyway, company and city officials said.

City officials estimate there are about 4,000 billboards in Houston and just outside its boundaries. Removing them has been a hotly contested battled since the city adopted an ordinance to regulate them in 1980. |Read on|

Scamming Homeowners

A Houston-based company is being investigated by the attorney general for scamming homeowners across the country. Those homeowners were in the most desperate of circumstances – they were about to lose their homes. The name of the company is Southern Residential Capital, also known as House911.com.

A restraining order has also been filed to stop the company from practicing, and their assets have been frozen.

NASA aims for Sunday shuttle launch

With erratic fuel gauges still a possible threat, NASA aimed for a Sunday launch of space shuttle Atlantis after senior managers signed off on a plan to tighten flight rules and shoot for a slim one-minute window.

Managers believe the extra precautions will keep Atlantis and its seven-man crew as safe as possible if, indeed, the shuttle lifts off with a European lab intended for the international space station.

On Saturday, two engineering departments at NASA recommended delaying the launch and doing additional testing to figure out why so many fuel gauges acted up during Thursday’s launch attempt. But in the end, they did not oppose trying for a liftoff, said LeRoy Cain, chairman of the mission management team.

Under the new rules, NASA will proceed with the countdown only if all four of the gauges in Atlantis’ big hydrogen tank are working properly. Two of them failed when the shuttle’s tank was filled for liftoff on Thursday and a third one subsequently acted up.

NASA passed up launch tries on Friday and Saturday because of the perplexing problem, which has plagued the shuttle program off and on for more than two years. After meeting again Saturday, shuttle managers decided to press ahead with a Sunday afternoon liftoff, but only if all the fuel gauges behave.

Now What?

An autopsy report of the burglars shot by a Pasadena homeowner shows that one of the men was shot in the back sources tell 11 News.

A Pasadena law enforcement official told 11 News that late yesterday; detectives finally got their hands on the preliminary autopsy results. Pasadena police sources also confirmed that a plainclothes officer arrived on the scene just seconds before Joe Horn opened fire, killing the two burglars. |Read more|

Economic Fair In Houston

Houston hosted the National Urban Leagues' economic fair yesterday at Minute Maid Park. Its' purported purpose was to "arm blacks with the financial tools needed to secure a prosperous future".

The tour titled, "You, Your Money, Your Future, chose Houston as its fourth stop on its year long tour.

According to Marc Morial, Houston was chosen as a stop on the economic empowerment tour because of its booming economy fueled by the energy industry, but blacks and Latinos are not reaping the benefits of the boon.

Um..the word "energy" is coming up a lot in the New Orleans area.

Inmates Sue Private Firm

Seven inmates who were held at the Coke County Juvenile Justice Center have sued the private firm that operated the lockup, claiming they were abused by a guard who was a registered sex offender.

The inmates allege they were mentally, physically and sexually abused in 2006 and early 2007 by David Andrew Lewis, 24, who worked the night shift until he was fired in March.

The federal civil rights lawsuit, which was filed Friday in San Antonio, names the GEO Group Inc. The Florida-based company ran the facility in Bronte, 30 miles northeast of San Angelo, until the state removed all inmates and canceled GEO's contract in October citing unsanitary and unsafe conditions.

Continental Airlines Makes Boarding Easier

Flying Continental is the best way to go if you reside in Houston. It seems that the airline has come up with a unique approach. Passengers will be able to board flights using just a cellphone or personal-digital assistant instead of a regular boarding pass in a three-month test program launched Tuesday at Bush Intercontinental Airport. The program could expand to airlines and airports nationwide.

Instead of a paper pass, Continental Airlines (CAL) and the Transportation Security Administration will let passengers show a code the airline has sent to their cellphone or PDA.

The two-dimensional bar code, a jumble of squares and rectangles, stores the passenger's name and flight information. A TSA screener will confirm the bar code's authenticity with a handheld scanner. Passengers still need to show photo identification. The electronic boarding pass also works at airport gates.

Flying Continental is the best way to go during this busy holiday season.

Martial Arts Fighter Dies

This weekend was very sad for fans of Sam Vasquez of Houston, who died in a hospice about six weeks after he was injured in a sanctioned bout, a rare fatality for a combat sport that is growing in popularity.

Sam Vasquez, 35, was injured at the Toyota Center on Oct. 20 and died Friday. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Vasquez's death, but spokeswoman Stacey Mitchell said it could be several days before the official cause is determined.

Mixed martial-arts fighting, a free-for-all combination of judo, boxing, karate, Muay Thai, kickboxing, tae kwon do, jiujitsu and wrestling, has grown in popularity and attracted large pay-per-view television audiences.

To broaden its fan base, the sport has limited the violence, attracting new fans without alienating its original hard-core base.

Vasquez was hospitalized after he was knocked out by Vince Libardi of San Antonio in the third round of a fight at the Renegades Extreme Fighting show. He lost consciousness and suffered a seizure.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which sanctioned the fight, said it investigated the incident immediately after the fight. The agency examined the pre-fight requirements, the activity during the bout and the way emergency medical workers responded to Vasquez's injury.

End Family Corruption

This is a wonderful sentiment that we all should remember during this holiday season.

Peace Begins In The Family

Achieving peace in our society means underscoring the importance of family, Aha! Ehem! national coordinator Ronnie Amorado said in his message to the Mindanao Week of Peace (MWOP) celebration.

"The source of many corruptions is the family. If there is unpeace inside your family, there is unpeace when you go out", he said in an open forum by Brahma Kumaris Friday.

He said the family is a basic component in achieving peace and a social capital for fighting corruption.

He said that if Mindanao dreams of becoming a peaceful island, the effort to promote peace must begin with each family and that everything else will follow.

"To achieve peace, we must fix our society, but to fix our society, we must first fix our families,” he added.

Amorado said that fighting corruption is full of violence and that it requires one to have peace within so as not to get lost.

"Stability and peace in the family is where I can find peace in this violent work", he said.

But he admitted that it is hard to find peace within most families.

The "family is an emotional institution. Confrontation with them regarding corruption inside the family is a difficult matter,” he explained.

Amorado recounted how he used to believe that peace could be achieved inside the family even in the absence of a father as long as the wife is there to attend to the family's necessities.

"I used to think that my wife can compensate for my being an absentee father. But that caused unpeace inside my family, and this created unpeace also inside me. This did not do any good in my anti-corruption work for it created only turmoil. If fixing our society means fixing our families, fixing our families means fixing ourselves.”

He said he hopes that the MWOP, hand in hand with Brahma Kumaris and other peace organizations, could help families and individuals promote peace within themselves as a first step to a peaceful Mindanao.
Aha! Ehem!, is a joint anti-corruption project of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus and the Office of the Ombudsman.

If you do not want corruption in government, do not have corruption be a part of your family.

NatWest Bankers Allowed Time To Pay Off Debts

THE three former NatWest bankers who last week struck a plea bargain with American prosecutors over their involvement in the Enron scandal are being given time to repay the $7.3m (£3.5m) they owe to their ex-employer, court papers show.

Known as the NatWest Three, they pleaded guilty in a Houston court to a single charge of wire fraud to avoid the threat of lengthy jail terms. They had faced seven charges.

The Sunday Times disclosed six weeks ago that the trio were negotiating a plea bargain.

Under the deal, prosecutors have agreed that the three � David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby � are likely to spend just over three years in jail. They were also ordered to repay to NatWest, now part of Royal Bank of Scot-land (RBS), the $7.3m gained as a result of a fraudulent deal in 2001 involving Andrew Fastow, Enron’s chief financial officer.

But court papers show that they will have to hand over only a small part of the money to RBS initially. Darby and Bermingham each have to pay $500,000 when they go to jail after formal sentencing in February. Mulgrew, who is heavily in debt, will have to pay $250,000.

The three have also promised to consent to a civil judgment in the UK obliging them to pay RBS the outstanding $6.1m that they owe. Once sentenced, they are expected to open negotiations to try to secure a transfer to British prisons to serve at least part of their jail terms.

Bermingham, Mulgrew and Darby have been in the US for 17 months since they lost their high-profile campaign against an order forcing them to leave Britain to face trial in Houston.

They have been told to stay in the Texas city, where Enron was based, until the hearing in February, when a judge will be asked to confirm the plea-bargain deal struck with prosecutors.

Texas Bird Watcher Leaves State

A prominent bird-watcher who was tried for shooting a cat to death said he left the state after someone shot at him. The bird-watcher, James M. Stevenson, founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society, said he had received death threats since his trial on animal cruelty charges.

A judge declared a mistrial last month when the jury failed to reach a verdict. Mr. Stevenson told the police that he was standing on his porch Wednesday when someone shot at him.

In his trial, Mr. Stevenson admitted shooting the cat but defended the action because he believed it was threatening endangered birds.

DA Looks Into Eversole's Campaign Fund Use

The Harris County District Attorney's Office has launched an investigation into whether Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole misused thousands of dollars in campaign contributions for his own benefit, District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said Wednesday.

The inquiry will focus, in part, on collector-quality guns and a Florida vacation Eversole bought at charity auctions.

The probe was prompted by stories about Eversole's work habits and campaign spending aired by KTRK (Channel 13) in recent weeks. A story by KTRK reporter Wayne Dolcefino questioned whether Eversole benefited from auction items purchased with campaign contributions.

Eversole defended the charity purchases during an interview with the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday, although he has refused to discuss the accusations with Dolcefino.

Texas Oilman Sentenced in 'Oil for Food' Case

Texas oilman Oscar Wyatt Jr. was sentenced Tuesday to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to violate the rules of the U.N. oil-for-food program.

Wyatt, 83, of Houston pleaded guilty last month and agreed to be sentenced to 18 to 24 months in prison. He also agreed to forfeit $11 million, conceding that he approved a $200,000 illegal payment directly to an Iraqi bank account in December 2001.

New Law Requires Teachers to be Fingerprinted

Under a new state law, veteran Texas teachers will be required to get fingerprinted.

Additionally, if it is discovered that they lied about past criminal activity, they would be fired. Is this a bad idea?

While some may argue that they should not be held responsible for something they did while they were teenagers, others would argue that we should not have convicted felons teaching our children.

'Baby Grace' Has Been Identified

Riley Ann Sawyers, the 2-year-old girl missing from Spring is Baby Grace, the girl found dead in a plastic storage bin in West Galveston Bay nearly a month ago, Galveston County Sheriff¹s office officials said Sunday.

Chief Deputy Freddy Poor said that while investigators were sure enough about the match to inform the child’s next of kin, only DNA testing, which still was pending, could provide a positive match.

Meanwhile, the child’s mother and stepfather are being held in the Galveston County Jail charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence, according to jail clerks.

Astronauts Find Damage on Space Station

According to the Houston Chronicle, spacewalking astronauts uncovered new signs of damage within a crucial rotational mechanism of the solar power system aboard the international space station early today.

Dan Tani and Peggy Whitson made the discovery after they re-routed external cooling system lines to prepare the orbital outpost for the arrival of the European Columbus science laboratory module in December.

The troubled rotational mechanism is one of two circular joints on opposite sides of the station that enable outstretched solar panels to track the sun as the outpost circles the Earth. Constant tracking permits the most efficient generation of electrical power for the station's life support systems and scientific research.

Study Says Houston Ranks in Middle for Relocation

Houston cracked the Top 20 of cities believed most desirable for relocation, according to a recent study by the Human Capital Institute.

The Bayou City is ranked No. 19 out of more than 30 cities in the United States. Austin was named the sixth-most-desirable city for relocation, while Dallas came in just above Houston at No. 17.

FAA Selects Houston to Test Unmanned Aircraft

Houston is one of two cities chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration to test whether unmanned aircraft can be used safely in an urban environment, authorities said.

During the testing period, expected to run at least until next June, HPD and the Miami-Dade Police Department will help the FAA establish national flight guidelines, such as how the small aircraft can be deployed and what training is needed to operate them.

DNA Samples May Bring Clues to Baby Grace's Identity

Investigators have requested DNA samples from the families of eight missing children, one of them from Spring, who fit the description of Baby Grace, a 2- to 3-year-old girl whose body was found in a plastic box on a sandbar in West Galveston Bay.

After receiving about 350 leads, investigators chose the eight cases from among 110 cases of missing children who matched the girl's description, Galveston County sheriff's spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said Wednesday.

The eight cases are from all over the United States, he said.

Authorities requested a DNA sample from the father and mother of the Spring girl, Tuttoilmondo said. The father lives in Ohio and the mother lives in Spring, he said.

DNA results from Baby Grace are expected late this week or early next week. Tuttoilmondo did not know whether the DNA samples from the Spring girl's father had been received. He said it takes two to three weeks to obtain DNA results once the samples arrive at the lab.
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If anyone has any information, concerning the identity of this little girl, please contact your local authorities.

DNA Tested in 'Baby Grace' Investigation

Galveston County investigators have poured over the thousands of tips they have received in the case of Baby Grace, the girl whose body was found in a plastic storage case on a small island near Galveston last month.

But Galveston county detectives know little more about the child they've named Baby Grace.

Just knowing who the girl is would be a major key to solving the case.

“That’s all we’re looking for if you can (identify) this little girl tell us who she is,” said FBI special agent John Kinard. The FBI is assisting the Galveston County Sherriff’s office in the investigation.

On Tuesday, the FBI offered a $20,000 reward for help in confirming the dead girl’s ty.

Three weeks into this investigation, from the time a lone fisherman discovered the box off a remote area in Galveston's West Bay, detectives said they've received thousands of phone calls and nearly 300 solid leads, 100 of which have been specific to a missing girl said the sheriff's office.

Two of those leads have resulted in the submission of DNA samples from two different sets of parents living outside of Galveston who claim the child is theirs.

But it will be weeks before they make a comparison to Baby Grace’s DNA

“Unfortunately this is not as fast as we see on ‘CSI.’ These tests do take time,” said Galveston County Sheriff Office Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo

Detectives tell us they have taken each lead seriously, including a report from an Ohio man who says the mother of his daughter took her to the Galveston area.

A source tells 11 News that man called detectives 12 days ago and that for now, it’s a lead that's no more credible than any other is.

Community Activists Are Demanding Charges Against Vigilante

Houston community activists are demanding charges against a man who shot and killed two burglary suspects in Pasadena.

On Monday, they held a protest in front of Joe Horn’s home on Timberline.

“Mr. Horn did not have to kill those men,” said Quanell X. “We believe that Mr. Horn became judge jury and executioner at the same time.”

Horn’s actions were recorded during his call to 911.

Horn claims the men he shot and killed had busted into his next door neighbor’s house.

The shots he took followed repeated warnings from the dispatcher not to go outside.

“Had this black man been on the phone the same way, he would be under the jail and not see the light of day,” said Quanell X.
Pasadena resident reportedly shoots suspected thieves

Robert Hammons lives in the area. “I think they’re the ones turning this into a racial matter, it’s not racist.”

Another neighbor said the shooting had nothing to do with race and that Horn was only trying to protect his family, which he considers to be this entire neighborhood.

But Horn’s actions have ignited a criminal investigation, and could cost him his freedom.
--------------

Yes, I do believe that his actions were that of a vigilante. If any of my readers disagree, please do so respectfully. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Top News Stories as Reported by 11 News

Texans top Saints, 23-10

Andre Johnson was back, Mario Williams was solid and the Houston Texans got the win. Reggie Bush? An afterthought. After scoring 17 points before halftime, the Texans stayed on top of the Saints, 23-10.

Everett discharged from hospital

Injured Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett was discharged from Memorial Hermann/TIRR Sunday. Everett has been receiving treatment since he sustained a critical injury in the Bill’s season opener Sept. 9.

Sugar Land: Safe City, USA

Sugar Land ranked fifth among America's safest cities in controversial new survey that pegs Detroit as the most dangerous place to call home.

Breaking the cycle of child abuse

Parents whose kids have been taken away by CPS meet at the ESCAPE Family Resource Center to learn how to break the cycle of abuse with their kids by showing less anger and more love.

HPD officer killed in gun-cleaning accident

Authorities believe an off-duty Houston police officer was killed Sunday in a gun- cleaning accident at his home.

Dad fulfills fallen Galveston soldier's last wish

A pair of flags has helped the father of a Galveston soldier killed in Iraq fulfill his son's final wish. U.S. Army Pfc. Nathan Given was killed Dec. 27, 2006, by a roadside bomb blast in Baghdad.

Conroe firefighters save Santa

Firefighters in Conroe are hoping to be on Santa's 'nice' list after rescuing the big guy in the red suit Saturday. The jolly elf's beard got stuck in his repelling device as he made his way down the front of an 80-foot sign.

Copper thieves cut phone lines for cash

Many Verizon customers in Huffman have been having trouble with their service, because a stretch of phone lines along FM 2100 has been cut down four times over the past month.

Boy found after HPD issues Amber Alert

Houston Police issued an Amber Alert Sunday after a 4-year-old boy went missing.

Temple's Lawyer Subpoena Chronicle's Reader

Attorneys for a former high school football coach convicted in the shooting death of his pregnant wife want the Houston Chronicle to identify a reader who posted a comment about the case on the newspaper’s Web site.

The thread, posted in the “reader comments” section, suggests that the juror spoke about the deliberations while the trial was still ongoing.

David Mark Temple’s attorneys issued a subpoena Friday calling for the Chronicle to appear in court Monday, with registration information the reader may have given the newspaper.

The comment was posted around 9 a.m. Thursday, about seven hours before a jury found David Mark Temple, 39, guilty of shooting Belinda Tracie Temple in January 1999. Belinda Temple, a special education teacher at Katy High School, was eight months pregnant.

In the posting, the reader, who goes by the screen name “REFster,” wrote: “Psst ... My boss is on the jury. Thinks they’ll have a verdict this afternoon.”

After another reader asked REFster if he knew how his boss would vote on the verdict, REFster replied: “He is playing it very close to the vest. I’m sorry to say at this point, I got nada.”

The last comment by REFster was posted about 6 p.m. Thursday.

About 2,000 comments were posted about the Temple case.

Jurors are not allowed to talk about a case outside the jury room while a trial is underway, and are instructed not to discuss the case with their spouses, family members or friends. They are also ordered to avoid any media reports. Jury deliberations are also supposed to remain confidential until a trial has ended.

Jurors in the Temple trial are scheduled to begin hearing testimony in the punishment phase of the case on Monday.

Defense attorney Dick DeGuerin said he did not know what he would ask the court to do about possible jury misconduct. The jury could be polled on whether they had violated the court’s instructions, DeGuerin said.

Prosecutor Kelly Siegler declined to comment Friday.

The Chronicle’s management said they had not decided how to

respond to the subpoena.

Gag Order Lifted in Benton Case

An appeals court lifted on Friday a gag order that prevented attorneys for a teenage girl accused of fatally stabbing a gang member from commenting on some aspects of her case, including plea negotiations and the potential outcome of her retrial in January.

The unanimous decision by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals means Ashley Paige Benton and her attorneys are free to talk publicly about such matters — including whether they believe prosecutors can secure a conviction — without fear of sanctions by a judge.

Councilmember calls for HPD Crime Lab investigation

Houston city leaders are reacting to the latest findings of troubles within the Houston Police Department’s crime lab.

Problems that could innocent people behind bars.

It is Mike DeGeurin’s job to defend.

"The bottom line is as a public we do not want a possibly innocent person to be convicted wrongfully,” said the famed defense attorney.

Now he has some new ammunition when he has a client accused of a crime in Houston. A document created by HPD Crime Lab Managers showing what they call "Issues with DNA.”

There have been 12 issues since the lab began taking cases in June of 2006.

Crime Lab timeline

Nov. 2005
New DNA section opens
2006
March 2
Accreditation denied
March 3
New Outside Proficiency Test
FBI Audit Finds issues
May 23
First Contamination Issue (Test Case)
June 19
DNA Lab Accredited and Casework begins
Nov. 29
Second Contamination Issue
Dec. 4
Third Contamination Issue
2007
Jan. 29
Fourth Contamination Issue
Aug. 3
Cheating on Proficiency Test Alleged
Aug. 22
Evidence Tampering Alleged
Aug. 24
“30 Day Squad” Internal Investigation Launched
Aug. 27
Lab Temporary Reorganization
Sept. 11
HPD Internal “Issues” timeline distributed to employees
Sept. 12
DNA section closed for deep cleaning
Sept. 21
Employee told Internal Investigation Report sent to Chief Hurtt
Oct. 4
Crime lab Whistleblower J. Phillips resigns
Oct. 5
J. Phillips asked to stay on paid leave
HPD announces investigation launched
Nov. 1
J. Phillips Comes Forward
HPD says Investigation “Ongoing”
Nov. 2
J. Phillips gives more details of troubles
Nov. 12
“Insider” speaks
Nov. 13
11 News discloses DNA Issues document
Nov. 14
11 News reports FBI Audit Details

There were six issues within two weeks in August and September.

It’s a timeline obtained only by 11 News. A timeline that had DeGeurin’s interest peaked.

"This can have a huge impact on an individual case,” he said.

That's why so many people are questioning why very few people, if anyone outside the department, were told about the issues.

And of the shutdown of the DNA lab for cleaning on Sept. 12.

City Councilmember Ada Edwards sits on the city’s public safety committee.

"All I know is what I've seen on TV and that's what bothers me,” said City Councilmember Ada Edwards, who sits on the city’s public safety committee. "It doesn't bother me it angers me."

It appears that the district attorney's office didn't know either.

Even though it is something, they are going to see over and over again in cases now making their way through the courts.

“Any defense lawyer who has a case in Harris County that involves scientific evidence, it is now presumed to be bad science,” said 11 News legal expert Gerald Treece.

Potentially hundreds of cases.

"The gleam in my eye is, here is proof. It is not just a supposition on my part that they make mistakes,” said DeGeurin. “Here is proof that they do.”

Now plenty of people are asking for a full accounting. Asking for all the details.

"I brought it up yesterday at council. (I) asked the mayor for a full briefing either through the public safety committee and or through his mayor’s report,” said Edwards.

The details do exist.

But HPD has yet to release them.

The lab is required under its accreditation to keep detailed records on all problems.

"There is no reason this should be kept secret,” said DeGeurin. “There is no reason it should be explained or spun. Just we’ve got a problem.

“Deal with it.”

Electric Companies Pay Off Lobbyists

Have you ever wondered why Texas' residents electricity bill is so how? Well, read the following:

The electricity industry paid for 343 lobbyists -- almost two for every lawmaker.

CenterPoint Energy paid for 16 lobbyists, spending somewhere between $645,000 and $1.3 million.

American Electric Power, which provides electricity to parts of south and west Texas, had seven lobbyists. It paid between $725,000 and $1 million.

The Association of Electric Companies in Texas paid for 21 lobbyists, spending between $460,000 and $975,000.

The total lobbying tab for all of the electricity industry was somewhere between $10 million and $20 million.

Where does that leave you? Critics say it can cut the consumer almost completely out of the legislative process. They say the industry gets much of what it wants, despite complaints by customers.

Nooses Hung At Baytown Refinery

Exxon Mobil confirmed some disturbing news Tuesday: On separate occasions in the past three days, a noose has been found hanging from scaffolding at the Baytown refinery.

But what they don’t know is who was behind the acts, or why they did it.

“Anytime I hear of any incident like this I’m surprised, concerned, upset by it,” Dena Marks of the Anti-Defamation League said. “It is a symbol of hatred and a symbol of racism.”

But the Anti-Defamation League says companies and corporations should be concerned and upset as well – for legal reasons.

Just last month, four contract workers were fired from their jobs at FMC Technologies in Houston after two different incidents of nooses being hung on the job.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently settled cases with companies in Alabama and Pennsylvania to the tune of a million dollars for nooses found at plants there.

And Conroe saw a million-dollar suit last year after coworkers physically choked Charles Hickman with a noose in a company bathroom.

“They need to be concerned about it because it’s a sign of intimidation and racism, and nobody wants that in their workplace,” Marks said.

Exxon Mobile released a statement on the incidents late Tuesday afternoon.

“These actions are completely unacceptable, and we are investigating this matter. These actions violate Exxon Mobil’s Harassment in the Workplace Policy which prohibits any form of harassment in the company workplace. The objective of this policy is to provide a work environment that fosters mutual employee respect and working relationships free of harassment. Harassment will not be tolerated, and Exxon Mobil is taking prompt action to address this matter,” the statement read.

Todd Hoeffner Claims He Is A Victim of Fraud

Although Todd Hoeffner was indicted in June on charges of bribery and wire fraud, he claims that he was not a perpetrator but a victim. According to yesterday's news story, the government alleges he used kickbacks to persuade two employees of The Hartford insurance company to settle hundreds of his silicosis cases, and indicted all three of them. The 14-count indictment accurately reflected the payments, Hoeffner acknowledges, but not the context in which they were made.

In a 37-page civil court filing known as a "cross-claim," Hoeffner insists that he was the target of an extortion plot in which routine settlements were held hostage by a claims manager and her boyfriend, who were looking for a nest egg to fund a comfortable post-divorce life together.

Adding to the intrigue is the identity of her boyfriend: the head of the company's claims handling division that dealt with silica cases. Hoeffner accuses the two of working together to force him to pay up or risk getting nothing.

Crowne Plaza Reduced to Rubble

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Medical Center was reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds Sunday.

It was a part of a plan to make way for development in the area.

By the year 2011, the site will be home to Texas Children’s Hospital Maternity Center.

It will be a 15-floor, 720,000-square foot space that will host an estimated 5,000 births a year.

Wife of Executed Killer Moves Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed against a judge who prevented a convicted killer from making a last-minute appeal by not extending office hours has been withdrawn from one court and moved to another, an attorney for the inmate’s widow said Saturday.

The original lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Houston, accusing Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller of violating Michael Richard’s rights by preventing his attorneys from filing an appeal hours before his execution.

A notice of dismissal filed Thursday offered no explanation, but on Saturday civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen said that he wanted the lawsuit moved to Austin because that’s where Keller’s court is.

Lawsuit Against Judge Sharon Keller Dropped

The widow of an executed killer has dropped the lawsuit against a criminal appeals judge.

A day after filing, Marsha Richard withdrew the suit, which accused Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller of causing the inmate's Sept. 25 lethal injection. The lawsuit said Keller violated Michael Richard's due process rights when she ordered the court clerk's office to close promptly at 5 p.m. on Sept. 25 before his lawyers could file an appeal.

Galleria Rape Victim Awarded Millions

A jury decided Thursday that The Galleria and its security company must pay a rape victim more than $3.5 million, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Jurors determined that the shopping center did not do enough to protect the woman from the attack in the summer of 2003.

Although it wasn't a unanimous decision, the jury found that the victim should be paid damages for mental and physical pain and anguish.

Judge Sued Over Death Sentence Appeal

The wife of a man executed in September sued a judge who prevented his state appeal from being filed by not extending the office hours of Texas' highest criminal court on the day he died.

The federal lawsuit by Marsha Richard against Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, filed Wednesday in Houston, accuses Keller of violating the rights of Michael Richard by preventing his attorneys from filing an appeal hours before his execution.

Keller refused to allow the court to stay open past 5 p.m. on Sept. 25, even though attorneys for Richard had called and asked for extra time to file their appeal.

Defense Portrays Temple as Well Liked

DAVID TEMPLE

The defense began calling witnesses Tuesday in the murder trial of former Alief ISD football coach David Temple.

In all, 14 witnesses took the stand for the defense in a bid to portray the accused as a loving husband, not a killer who got rid of his pregnant wife to be with another woman.

Temple’s wife, Heather, was the third witness of the day.

Heather Scott Temple had already taken the stand as a witness for the prosecution a few weeks ago in testimony that revealed lurid details about her adulterous relationship with Temple in the weeks prior to Belinda Temple’s death.

Fireworks erupted between defense attorney Dick DeGuerin and prosecutor Kelly Sigler over the hundreds of text messages exchanged by David and Heather.

Belinda Temple was eight months pregnant when she was fatally shot in the head at the couple’s Katy home about eight years ago.

Prosecutors are relying on mostly circumstantial evidence to prove that David Temple killed Belinda to be with Heather.

The defense planned to continue calling witnesses Wednesday. It was unclear if David Temple would be among them.

Houston Doctor Helps Oprah With School Crises

When Oprah Winfrey first heard reports that students were being abused at her $47 million school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa, she wept.

Then the media mogul and philanthropist pulled herself together and called Dr. Bruce Perry, a child psychiatrist who lives and works in Houston.

Perry, a renowned researcher in the field of childhood trauma, accompanied Winfrey to South Africa shortly after she learned of the problems at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg. Winfrey spoke of Perry's help at a dramatic Monday morning news conference in which she acknowledged that former dormitory matron Tiny Virginia Makopo had been dismissed amid allegations of abuse, assault and soliciting underage girls to perform indecent acts.

Did CareFlite Overcharge the Feds?

A government audit finds CareFlite overcharged the federal government nearly $2 million to evacuate sick or injured people during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

An audit by the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services questioned some $2 million of the $5.7 million the medical transport service billed.

The audit said there were times Grand Prairie-based CareFlite used its own aircraft to transport evacuees when it could have looked for less expensive transportation.

However, CareFlite and the Health and Human Services Department defended the costs, saying the contract didn’t require CareFlite to seek subcontractors with lower rates.

Subcontractors were used when CareFlite’s own fleet wasn’t available or when patients were located outside the 1,000-mile range of aircraft in use.

The audit recommended CareFlite refund more than $68,000 of the cost required to transport 11 patients.

It also suggested the Health and Human Services Department work with CareFlite to determine how much can be allowed of the $1.97 million billed without seeking subcontractors.

But Martin J. Brown, Health and Human Services deputy assistant secretary for acquisition management and policy, indicated the agency saw no reason to challenge the charges.
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This reminds me of a situation in New Orleans where Slimy Mac-P, a political operative and former restaurateur had his hands in the City's cookie jar.

Jackson-Lee formally request Kent Probe

A member of the House Judiciary Committee this week made a formal request that the committee begin an investigation into sexual-harassment allegations against U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent of Galveston.

Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, wrote a letter Wednesday to Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., asking that an “investigative file” be opened into the Kent affair.

Jackson-Lee also asked that members of the public be allowed to make allegations against Kent to the committee “as they pertain to this case.”

“The chairman is looking at this very seriously and will work with Rep. Jackson-Lee and others on this matter,” a statement from the Judiciary Committee staff said.

Kent was reprimanded in September by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals after The Daily News reported that an employee of the court, Cathy McBroom, complained that he had sexually harassed her by touching her in ways she didn’t want.

Billions at Stake in Tuesday's Election

Billions of dollars will be at stake when Texas voters head to the polls on Tuesday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The election could impact everything from your home and your health to how you get around the state.

Putting a cap on property appraisal hikes has been the holy grail of Texas Republicans for years. If Proposition 3 passes, they'll finally have it. And Democrats said they are all right with it, too.


"This would mean in any given year, your appraisal value can't go up more than 10 percent, so you don't get really stung with horrendous unexpected increases in taxes," said Gerry Birnberg, with the Harris County Democratic Party.

"Its a first step in the right direction. But ultimately that cap needs to be brought down from 10 percent to 3 percent or lower," said Jared Woodfill, with the Harris County Republican Party.

Republicans oppose two other high profile proposals.

Proposition 12, which would allow the Texas Department of Transportation to sell up to $5 billion in bonds for road projects.

Local Democrats said they believe that's a good alternative to the Trans Texas Corridor, the statewide network of toll roads TxDOT wants to build it despite strong opposition.

"If there's $5 billion available for highway improvement project through issuing bonds, it means we don't have to raise that $5 billion through toll roads," Birnberg said.

But what concerns Republicans is that there's nothing in the proposal that says TxDOT can't spend the money for toll roads.

"Republican voters are skeptical. They're skeptical about what's going to happen to the money. They're skeptical about what's going to happen with respect to toll roads, and so I think there's a real hesitancy to give TxDOT an additional $5 billion," Woodfill said.

And there's a big divide over Proposition 15, which would authorize up to $3 billion in bonds to pay for cancer research.

Democrats said that could be a boon for Houston and the Texas Medical Center.

"That would be a core industry for Houston and for Texas. That would be something Texans could be so in favor of and so proud of," Birnberg said.

Republicans don't have a problem with funding cancer research. They just don't want to borrow money to do it.

"If this is the way we want to spend it, let's take the money out of our own account. Let's not borrow it and place the debt on future generations," Woodfill said.

The polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

Inmates Want Houston's Crime Lab Evidence Reviewed

More than 150 inmates whose convictions may be based on faulty Houston crime lab evidence have asked that their cases be reviewed, a judge said Thursday.

Since Oct. 22, Judge Mary Bacon, a retired state district judge overseeing the review of 180 convictions with flawed blood-typing evidence, has conducted hearings with all inmates currently incarcerated in those cases. Of 160 inmates contacted at various Texas prisons via video conferences, all but four agreed to have their cases reviewed.

The hearings are the first step in a plan that Harris County's 22 criminal state district judges developed last month to review cases with problematic blood-typing evidence from the Houston Police Department's crime lab.

Police Seek Info in Death of Girl Found in Box

A little girl whose body was found in a container Tuesday had one or more skull fractures, according to preliminary autopsy results.

The grisly discovery was made by a fisherman over the weekend during Harbor Walk’s first tournament in West Galveston Bay. More than 75 boats lined the marina for the event.

Some of the participants were believed to have fished in the proximity of the body, so detectives are hoping to hear from as many of them as possible. They want to know if anyone saw anything suspicious around the island where the container was found.

The container is described as a Sterilite brand model 1842. It is royal blue with a black handle.

Authorities say the child's body was found a few miles west/southwest of the Galveston Causeway.

Investigators say it contained the decomposing remains of a little girl, believed to be between 3 and 5 years old.

She had long, blonde hair, was about 33 inches tall and weighed about 25 pounds.

The child was wearing a size 2T pullover top—possibly pink and a matching pink skirt with the Cherokee label. The child was wearing size 8-1/2 size white tennis shoes with purple trim, velcro closures and small lights on the heel.

The body was taken to the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s where an autopsy was performed.

Detectives hope the autopsy will help lead to the child’s identity and cause of death.

They are treating the case as a homicide and checking records to see if any children have been reported missing from the area.

“Investigators are certainly looking at that angle—past Amber Alerts, missing children, things of that nature from this general area,” said Maj. Ray Tuttoilmundo with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers or the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office at 409-766-2222 or 866-248-8477.

Harris County Jail to form new Mental Health unit

It is the second largest jail in the nation, and it’s about to set the standard for the country.

On any given day, there are 9,000 inmates in the Harris County Jail, 20 percent of them with a history of mental illness. According to some experts, that makes the jail the largest mental health facility in the state.

Some say the jail's move is revolutionary, but will it make a difference?

With that in mind, the jail has formed a new mental health unit comprised of 61 specially trained officers. The jail also spent $1 million converting four cellblocks into mental health housing. Under the new program, inmates will be screened during intake instead of being placed immediately among the general population. For some of these inmates, it will be their first encounter with a mental health professional.

Spring Teacher Charged with having Sex with Student

A Spring ISD teacher has been charged with having sex with a student. Alison Mosbeck was in court Monday and was released from jail after posting a $20,000 bond.

Three weeks ago, the Pct. 4 constable’s office received a tip that a teacher at Spring’s Dueitt Middle School was having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student.

Following an investigation by its own police department, Spring ISD put Mosbeck on administrative leave.

Alison Mosbeck faces four felony charges for having a sexual relationship with a student.

Late last week, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office filed four felony charges against the 34-year-old Mosbeck, who went to work for the district two years ago. She faces one count of inappropriate relationship between teacher and student and three counts of felony sexual assault.

According to Spring ISD, the student does not attend Dueitt Middle School this year. The district also said because the allegations involve only one student and that it appeared to be an isolated relationship a letter was not sent home to parents.

Mosebeck is due back in court Nov. 29

Assaults and Turnovers high in Texas Prison System

Assaults on Texas prison guards and staffers have doubled in the last five years while turnover among prison employees is at a record level, according to a newspaper report.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice reported that more than 36 staff members have been assaulted this year by inmates with weapons, up from 18 in all of 2003, according to an analysis by The Dallas Morning News.

The increase reflects growing violence among inmates. The department recorded more than 900 cases of inmates attacking inmates so far this year, up more than 30 percent from 2002.

Meanwhile, guards have been leaving their jobs sooner, with one in four employees quitting the agency last year. The department's workforce was down more than 3,900 employees at the end of August.

Criminal justice experts and department officials said the violence can be attributed to factors including the staff shortages, tougher criminals and prison overcrowding. The department struggles to recruit officers because of low pay.

Lawyer says Texas AG's office Pushed Execution

An attorney for the only man put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court announced plans to review the constitutionality of lethal injection said staff at the Texas Attorney General's Office pushed for the execution.

Michael Richard, 49, was executed Sept. 25 hours after justices decided to take up a challenge from two condemned inmates in Kentucky over the same lethal injection procedures used by Texas. Richard's death also followed a refusal by Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, to keep the office open past 5 p.m. so his attorneys could file an appeal.

Richard's attorneys wanted his execution halted until the Kentucky issue was settled.

David Dow, one of Richard's attorneys, said a lawyer on his staff informed Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's office about the failed attempt with the criminal appeals court about 6 p.m. But an assistant attorney general from Abbott's office told lawyers they had six minutes to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court for Richard.

HISD fired officer who authored "Ghetto Handbook"

A Houston school district police officer who distributed a “Ghetto Handbook” has been fired.

Officer Roby Morris was placed on paid leave at the first of the school year after he handed out a multi-page pamphlet that listed “Ebonics” definitions to common phrases.

On Friday, the district moved to fire Morries.

According to HISD, Morris told investigators he created the handbook to get back at one of his supervisors.

He also used as his defense the fact he is married to a black woman and that they have three biracial kids, an internal investigation found.

About a dozen HISD employees, most from the district’s police department, received copies of the handbook back in May. The pamphlet claims to allow officers to speak as if they had lived “in the hood.”

“The publication was incredibly offensive and completely reprehensible. HISD condemns it in the strongest possible terms,” district spokesman Terry Abbott said. “This incident represents an egregious violation of our standards of conduct and decency.”

Perry appoints "3" to Texas Southern Board

Texas Southern University's governing board is nearly complete after Gov. Rick Perry named three new regents Thursday.

The governor selected investment manager Sam Bryant, former Dallas area school board member Curtistene Smith McCowan and Tracye McDaniel, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Greater Houston Partnership.

The appointments leave one vacancy on the nine-member board, which was remade after a series of management and financial missteps at TSU. The previous board resigned under pressure earlier this year.

Texas Judge Draws Outcry for Allowing an Execution

The presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the target of a rising national outcry a month after turning away the last appeal of a death row inmate because the rushed filing was delayed past the court’s 5 p.m. closing time.

The inmate, Michael Richard, was then executed for a 1986 sexual assault and murder — the last person to die in Texas while the United States Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of lethal injection.

The judge, Sharon Keller, has said she did not know that Mr. Richard’s defense lawyers in Houston were having computer problems when they asked the court for 20 more minutes to deliver their final state appeal to Austin hours before the scheduled execution on Sept. 25.

Without a definitive ruling from the state court, the lawyers could not properly appeal to the United States Supreme Court to block the execution.

Judge Keller, a Republican who was elected to her second six-year term last year, declined through her office this week to comment.

The court does not accept computer filings, although one of the court’s judges, Tom Price, said in an interview this week, “We’re reviewing all our procedures and policies.”

Other judges on the nine-member court, the state’s highest for criminal appeals, have said they were in the courthouse or available by phone and would have stayed late to hear the appeal if they had known about it.

On Wednesday, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, with 13,000 members nationwide, said it had just sent a complaint against Judge Keller to the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct, the first judicial complaint the group had ever filed, said its president, Carmen D. Hernandez, of Washington.

“Whatever else happens in the United States of America, the courts are to remain open to litigants,” Ms. Hernandez said.

Also Wednesday, a petition calling for the court to accept electronic filings and signed by more than 300 lawyers — including two former Texas Supreme Court justices and other former judges, the head of the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline and partners of leading Texas law firms — was delivered in Austin by the Texas Civil Rights Project, a legal advocacy group.

This month at least 150 lawyers across Texas announced they were filing a complaint against Judge Keller with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Among the signers was a state district judge from Galveston, Susan Criss, who said, “The Code of Judicial Conduct requires judges to report activity by other judges that violates the code.”

The commission of six judges, two lawyers and five citizens investigates cases of judicial misconduct — defined as bringing discredit upon the judiciary or the administration of justice — and can impose sanctions ranging from additional education to suspension or a trial, but it cannot remove a judge.

The commission will not confirm that any judge is under investigation, said the group’s executive director, Seana Willing.

But David R. Dow, Mr. Richard’s lead lawyer, said Tuesday that a representative of the commission had interviewed him about the case several weeks ago.

Mr. Dow, a University of Houston law professor and a lawyer for the Texas Defender Service, a law clinic representing death row inmates, said, “Obviously Mr. Richard was executed more than a month ago, so none of this helps him.”

But Mr. Dow added, “I am surprised that there are so many people across such a broad terrain who seem to be outraged.”

The controversy stems from an expedited appeal that Mr. Dow and other lawyers rushed to file for Mr. Richard on the day of his scheduled execution — the same day the United States Supreme Court agreed to review whether lethal injection in Kentucky amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

Mr. Dow said that in refocusing their appeal on lethal injection, they suffered a computer breakdown and tried to get the Court of Criminal Appeals to wait 20 minutes after closing time so the brief could be delivered by hand, but that they were turned down.

The Austin American-Statesman quoted Judge Keller on Oct. 3 as defending her decision to close, saying she had asked Mr. Richard’s lawyers why the court should stay open “and no reason was given.”

“I just said, ‘We close at 5.’ I didn’t really think of it as a decision as much as a statement,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.

Mr. Dow said they had pleaded computer failure, to no avail. Lacking a state ruling, the lawyers submitted an incomplete appeal to the United States Supreme Court, and Mr. Richard was executed. Two days later, the justices blocked another lethal injection in Texas, and there have been no executions since.

HPD Overtime Abuse Could Cost You Money

Police officers are relied upon to enforce the law, not break it. Previously, 11 News learned about HPD officers being investigated for overtime abuses.

But Chief Hurtt is now putting a stunning number of officers to that investigation.

“He used the range 30-60 as a ballpark number that IAD had identified that the DA’s office might want to look at,” HPD General Counsel Craig Ferrell said.

Meanwhile, 11 News obtained internal documents regarding time worked. Once acknowledges HPD’s outdated computers can’t document all the work performed.

In part because of that, a city audit and the internal affairs investigation, a new overtime worksheet goes into effect November 1 requiring, among other things, at least 15 minutes or adequate travel between official police work and an extra job.

That requirement was prompted by allegations of abutments – when an officer clocks out at, say, 2 p.m. and starts an extra job at 2:01 p.m.

“That was one issue, and there were also overlaps,” Ferrell said.

Overlaps are also known as double dipping – when an officer claims overtime pay for the same hours he works an extra job.

HPD says the new system should help clear up innocent mistakes as well.

“Some of these that may appear to be double dipping … may just be bad record keeping,” Ferrell said.

But none of this sits well with patrol officer who already record all their hours, but across three different and incompatible systems.

“Making us fill out more and more forms over something they already have the information on,” Mark Clark of the Houston Police Officer’s Union said.

A new system and software are in the works, but it could take more than a year to implement.

That’s why HPD wants this paperwork now. Other police departments, including Washington, D.C., are interested to see how HPD’s plan works out. D.C.’s force recently had five officers retire and 10 others indicted for double dipping.

HPD’s internal investigation should be completed by year’s end, at which point it may be clear how much the alleged activity has been costing taxpayers.

Report: 15 put to death by Texas had questionable, tainted evidence

Did the state of Texas put 15 people to death even though the evidence against them may have been tainted?

ll/News has obtained a report that explains exactly what may have gone wrong with the Houston Police Department’s beleaguered crime lab. Specific evidence questions that are tied to 180 criminal cases and include convicts who've already been put to death.

These are details we are seeing for the first time. The specific issues with each of the cases are now being examined.

They are catalogued in a spreadsheet obtained only by 11 News.

It was produced by the Bromwich team, tasked by the city with investigating the trouble at the crime lab.

It has been reviewed by HPD as well as Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal.

The spreadsheet coded cases. The color green for cases where evidence still exists and red for evidence still stored at the lab.

We've broken it down for you.

There are 62 murder cases and 40 capital murder cases among the 180 cases now under review.

Of those 40 capital murder cases, 15 of the convicted have already been executed. Ten more are still on death row.

"Just because they're on that list, you have to look at what part the serology played. What was the defect,” said Marie Munier of the DA’s office. “What part that (evidence) played in the conviction. What other evidence was there that these people committed these crimes?”

For some there is no question of guilt. Like Karla Faye Tucker.

There were errors in the lab work related to her murder case. But there was also an admission by her that she did indeed pick axe to death Jerry Dean and Deborah Thornton 24 years ago.

Then there is a case like the quadruple murder at Malibu Grand Prix in 1983. In all, three suspects would be convicted for the murders.

Two, Kenneth Ray Ransom and Richard Wilkerson, were executed.

But the HPD lab evidence shows something strange.

There were four victims and three suspects in the case. Retesting of evidence found two Blood Type AB tests.

But none of the seven individuals in the case are or were type AB.

"Each case will have to be looked at individually,” said Munier.

There are more than 160 hearings planned before Nov. 1 on the cases that are now being reviewed. But 15 already put to death won’t have that chance.

Louisiana's Newly Elected Governor Vows to Change the States' Corruption Image

Changing Louisiana's reputation for corruption would do more than just make over its image, Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal said Sunday: It could help the state attract businesses and win federal aid for hurricane recovery.

The methodical GOP congressman known for his wonkish style says residents of the state are tired of cronyism and corruption and may have had enough of colorful politicians.

The Republican congressman, a day after his historic win in an election that featured a dozen candidates for governor, pressed ahead with his campaign pledge, saying in an interview with The Associated Press that one of his first acts will be to call a special legislative session to reform ethics laws.

Just weeks after Katrina, federal officials brought the country's first post-storm public corruption indictment against Joseph Impastato, a St. Tammany Parish councilman accused of taking kickbacks in exchange for steering contracts for debris removal. Impastato has maintained he is innocent of the extortion, conspiracy and money laundering charges against him.

A few months later, Andrew Rose and Loyd Holliman, two Federal Emergency Management Agency employees, were indicted on charges that they solicited bribes while managing a FEMA base camp near New Orleans, according to federal records. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced in August to 21 months in federal prison.

The most surprising case came in August, when Oliver Thomas, a popular city councilman, pleaded guilty to accepting nearly $20,000 in bribes from convicted political operative, Stan "Pampy" Barre, New Orleans most notorious criminal. Thomas' case, more than any other, shook the walls at city hall, City Councilwoman Shelley Midura said.

Texas Vodka Distillers try to Break into the Market

The Lone Star State, which has long claimed national bragging rights for its picante sauce, mesquite-smoked barbecue and chicken-fried steak, now boasts no fewer than three vodka distilleries.

All three vodkas are made in and around Austin. The distillers hope to tap into the global thirst for vodka, which is the world’s most popular alcoholic spirit.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka, celebrating its 10 th anniversary this year, is the granddaddy of the Texas distilleries, with distribution in all 50 U. S. states and Canada. The other two distillers — Dripping Springs Texas Vodka and Savvy Vodka — have only recently gone into production and have limited distribution in Texas.

With so many vodkas from Russia and other countries to choose from, is there room in the Lone Star State for three homegrown brands ?

Drug Traffic a real pain along Texas/Louisiana border

Texas has been getting an unexpected flood of business from its Louisiana neighbors. Why would so many Louisianans flood across the Texas border?

It’s the draw of Texas pain management clinics that dispense pills much easier than Louisiana.

“At the height of the problem we were getting 80 to 90 percent of our cars from Louisiana,” said Orange County Sheriff Mike White. “Pain management is when you pay cash and you get the same pain prescription over and over and over.”

In fact, the sheriff’s department seized thousands of suspect pills from stopping so-called pain patients as they left the clinics.

“They get a cocktail of hydrocodone, Xanex and soma,” said White.

The problem – authorities say… the pill traffic is stretching from the Louisiana borders to Houston.

Recently federal authorities raided a clinic in Orange County. It’s out of this space now and business owners are happy about that.”

For the moment, seven out of the nine pain management clinics in Orange are no longer open, thanks to raids and crackdowns.

But with the border part of the pill mill gone, it’s unclear what that means for Houston.

Microwave baby's dad pleads insanity

A man charged with burning his infant daughter in a microwave oven will seek to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
Sam Cammack III, attorney for Joshua Mauldin, has filed notice of intent to plead insanity.

Under state law, a person can be found not guilty by reason of insanity if a jury finds the defendant did not know that his or her actions were wrong. It is a defense that worked in the cases of Andrea Yates and Deanna Laney, two Texas women who killed their own children.

Should Priscilla Slade be worried?

The man who signed the checks that funded former TSU President Priscilla Slade's extravagant lifestyle might be willing to testify against her at her next trial, his attorney said Tuesday.

Quintin Williams, the former chief financial officer of Texas Southern University, who was sentenced in May to 10 years in prison for his part in the scandal, might be able to connect the dots, prosecutor Donna Goode said.

"At the time we went to trial, we didn't feel it was necessary," Goode said. "We're willing to learn from experience. If it would have made the difference for the other six, who's to say?"

Alternatively, she said, prosecutors could turn to Bruce Wilson, the school's former head of purchasing, who is awaiting trial on a lesser felony charge of misusing funds. Goode said that either could be useful, but Wiggins was the one who worked closely with Slade during her seven-year tenure.

Students Free Speech Violated on Montgomery Community College campus

The Houston Chronicle has reported that access to an Internet blog critical of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District's chancellor is being barred from campus computers, a lawsuit says.

Richard C. McDuffee filed suit in a Montgomery County district court claiming a violation of free speech. McDuffee is asking the college district not be allowed to deny access to the blog that criticizes Chancellor Richard Carpenter.

The blog, richardcarpenterwatch.blogspot.com reports on Carpenter's conduct while chancellor of the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. The blog contains allegations of racism, corruption, purposeful intimidation and incompetence.

Another example of violating student rights. Blogs can be used as a way to bring attention to a problem. Perhaps that is what the fuss is really about.

Today's Top Stories from 11 News

KHOU/11 News reported today that a triple shooting in Northwest Harris County has left two people dead.


Deputies say the ordeal began when the shooter went to his ex-girlfriend’s home at 11100 Louetta at around 10 a.m. Thursday.

The gunman reportedly shot his ex and then shot her current boyfriend.
She died at the scene and her boyfriend was wounded.

He was taken to an area hospital.

The shooter fled the scene.

Officials say he shot and killed himself in the parking lot of a church on 17100 Hufsmith Kohrville. Plus, Richmond police say a man tried to sexually assault two other women after he posted bond on another rape charge.

Ronald Geathers, 36, had been released on bond after being arrested and charged for a sexual assault that happened in July.

Police say the Richmond man attacked a woman after returning to his apartment in the 1700 block of FM 1640.

At about 1:20 a.m. on Wednesday, an officer was dispatched to that complex to investigate the attempted sexual assault.

As the officer took statements at that scene, another attempted sexual assault incident was called into police.

This incident, police say, occurred in the 800 block of Maiden Lane.

When officers arrived there, they say Geathers was still at the scene.

The victims in the Maiden Lane case and the FM 1640 case identified Geathers as the man who attempted to sexually assault them.

Geathers was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted sexual assault and transported back to the Fort Bend County Jail.

On another note, dozens of opponents to a university rail line told Metro board members they don’t want light rail running through their neighborhood.

“We are very interested in protecting our neighborhood the way it is,” said resident Lizette Cobb who lives on Wheeler Avenue.

The Metro board is expected to decide on a university line that would run along major parts of Wheeler and Richmond avenues. It would provide transportation for students at Texas Southern University, University of Houston, Yates High School and Cuney Homes a public housing complex.

“When you are trying to lay out a system like this you look where the demand is going to be,” said Metro Board Chairman David Wolff. “We have to be sensitive to the folks on Wheeler -- that this does not increase the noise and take any residential property.”

But some Third Ward residents are adamantly opposed to it.

“We are taxpaying people, we are elderly, our homes are historical,” said Wheeler resident Louis Ray. “We have said for years we don’t want you on Wheeler Street. We are in favor of light rail -- just not coming down Wheeler Street.”

Business and community leaders, including city council member Peter Brown expressed support for the recommended new Metro line.

“If we want to be a first class city, we have to have a first class rail line,” Brown said.

Public comment period ends this morning.

The board is expected to a decision late this afternoon.

Tonight on 11 News ata 5 and 6 find out what the board decides and what the next step will be.

Investigators are also looking into the death of a man who fell to his death from a fifth floor balcony.

The man fell to his death from a fifth story balcony.

It happened at a ten story building on West Alabama at Brandt.

Those condos are in the Montrose area.

Authorities are trying to figure out if the fall was an accident or a homicide.

Police did interview several witnesses and have a person of interest in custody.

It's not known if the victim lived in the condo or was just visiting.

That person's identity has not been released

Baby dies after being killed by drunk driver

I hope they put the murderer of this two year old child away for life. We have to send a strong message, to drunk drivers that their behavior will no longer be tolerated. I know the family is going through a lot of pain and anguish right now. Let's keep them in our prayers.

A toddler injured during a hit-and-run has died.

Angel Jesus Hernandez was arrested near the scene of the accident.

Gissela Silvester, 23 months, was with her mother and was crossing in the 6100 block of Windswept Sunday night when she was hit.

The child was being treated at a local hospital, but died from her injuries Tuesday.

The driver who police say hit the child, Angel Jesus Hernandez, was arrested and charged with failure to stop and render aid and intoxicated assault with a vehicle.

Police say Hernandez, 24, was heading west on Windswept when he hit Gissela on the sidewalk and continued down the street.

He then, police say, crossed into the center of the road, hit an oncoming car, then went into a parking lot and hit two parked cars there.

Trial begins in 24-year old Mass Murder case

Can you imagine the pain and anguish these families are going through after waiting 24 years to receive some sort of justice for their loved ones. It reminds me of the old saying: Justice delayed is justice denied.

One by one, relatives of five victims of one of Texas’ most infamous and longest-unsolved mass murders sat in a courtroom witness chair to relive the worst day of their lives and identify a large photograph of their murdered loved ones.

“Monte on his prom night,” Linda Lee said through tears, describing a picture of her son in a tuxedo.

“That’s my family,” Jack Hughes said, his voice choking, as he described a family portrait that included his wife, Opie.

Opie Hughes, 39, and Monte Landers, 19, were among five people robbed, abducted from a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore almost a quarter-century ago and then shot execution-style in a remote field about 15 miles away in Rusk County in East Texas.

The first of two men charged with all five slayings, convicted burglar Romeo Pinkerton, went on trial Monday. A conviction in the long-stalled case could get him a death sentence. The case is being tried in Bowie County, almost 100 miles away, because of publicity in the Kilgore area. One by one, relatives of five victims of one of Texas’ most infamous and longest-unsolved mass murders sat in a courtroom witness chair to relive the worst day of their lives and identify a large photograph of their murdered loved ones.

“Monte on his prom night,” Linda Lee said through tears, describing a picture of her son in a tuxedo.

“That’s my family,” Jack Hughes said, his voice choking, as he described a family portrait that included his wife, Opie.

Opie Hughes, 39, and Monte Landers, 19, were among five people robbed, abducted from a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Kilgore almost a quarter-century ago and then shot execution-style in a remote field about 15 miles away in Rusk County in East Texas.

The first of two men charged with all five slayings, convicted burglar Romeo Pinkerton, went on trial Monday. A conviction in the long-stalled case could get him a death sentence. The case is being tried in Bowie County, almost 100 miles away, because of publicity in the Kilgore area.

TSU students move back into Lanier Hall after Bat Problem

I know one should not blame Priscilla Slade for all of Texas Southern University's woes, but it does make you reflect upon her excessive spending habits, on herself, with the university's funds when the students were plagued with bats on the campus. Where exactly did Priscilla Slade's priorities lie?



Students have returned Lanier Hall at Texas Southern University.

That's the dorm which was battling a bat problem.

School officials say they began moving back into their dorm rooms Sunday afternoon.
The action comes after bats were removed from the TSU dorm. The bat problem was caught on cell phone video.

Students had been beating back the pests with brooms before they moved to two nearby hotels.

School officials say they want to make sure the netting put up to keep the bats out is working.

Osteen's ways to 'Become A Better You'

By: Jeremy Desel/ 11 News


Deep breath moments seem to be few and far between these days for Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen.

Even when there is a break, he is on the phone.

But given the time to reflect?

"I just try to take the pressure off and say this is the best that I have to offer and hopefully people will respond to it,” said Osteen.

Respond they have.

His first book, “Your Best Life Now," was a bestseller for two years. The next hits stores Monday.

"It's exciting. I told my kids and said this is going to be one of the biggest weeks of my life,” said Osteen. “I looked at the schedule and all that is going on. It is just amazing. I can't believe it is here."

“Become a Better You,” is essentially a collection of thoughts from Pastor Osteen's messages over the last three years.
Also online

Read an excerpt from 'Become a Better You'

A collection of familiar themes.

Questions like, "Who told you something was wrong with you?"

And statements, "Other people do not determine your potential."

Potential is not something Osteen lacks, but attempting to follow that success is a challenge.

"You know, it was difficult. I felt a little bit of the pressure. Especially when the offers started coming in and when they told me how many (books) they were going to print."

The bar is high.

Most books have an initial press run of 150,000 copies.

This one has 3 million.

One of the largest from any publisher this year. But pressure is something Osteen is used to.

Jeremy Desel: It there a burden attached to all of this?

Osteen: “I don't think that would be a burden. But I think that I feel the responsibility of the influence that God has given us. You know it makes you think twice about what you are going to say. Preparing your messages knowing that some people are making life decisions over this."

No pressure there.

But one reason Joel is sitting down with 60 minutes Sunday.

But Osteen has plenty of critics too.

Those who say his message is simply Christian light.

"It doesn't really bother me,” said Osteen. “I guess in one sense, it does just being real, but I really don't dwell on it very much because I believe that I am doing what I'm supposed to do.”

And people are listening. Three sold out events at New York's Madison Square Garden next week prove that.

"People are hungry. And that goes back to some of the criticism. But if you touch people something is working and I feel like we are making a difference,” said Osteen.