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.

Priscilla Slade Elated Over Jury's Decision

Priscilla Slade was elated over the jury's decision in her trial yesterday. The jury could not decide unanimously whether Priscilla Slade was guilty or innocent. Somehow Ms. Slade looked at their decision as a victory for her. The prosecutor, however, has decided to retry the case. When the case is retried, will Priscilla Slade be found innocent? I previously speculated that the jury would find her guilty. I still believe that she is guilty.

Judge declares mistrial in Priscilla Slade's case

The judge has declared a mistrial in the Priscilla Slade case. The prosecutors, in the case, said Slade misspent more than half a million dollars of Texas Southern University's funds. Her attorneys said all her purchases were legitimate and done to improve the school’s status. If Slade would have been convicted, she faced up to life in prison.

Priscilla Slade Jurors Remain Deadlocked

The jury, in the Priscilla Slade trial remains deadlocked. Priscilla Slade's attorney filed a motion for a mistrial, in the case, however the judge denied the motion and ordered the jury to keep on deliberating. The deadlock is now 7-5, however, there is no indication which side the jury is leaning. It does indicate, however, that some of the jury members are leaning toward her innocence.

Jurors trying to break deadlock in Priscilla Slade's Case

The jury is still deliberating in Priscilla Slade's trial. Something tells me that the jury is leaning toward her guilt.
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Jurors began a third full day of deliberations Thursday in the Houston trial of Texas Southern University’s former president who’s accused of misspending school funds to decorate her homes.

Jurors continue deliberating after telling a judge the day before that they were deadlocked in deciding Priscilla Slade’s fate. Her attorney’s request for a mistrial after the jury said it was deadlocked was denied.

Prosecutors say Slade misspent more than half a million dollars of TSU funds. Her attorneys say all her purchases were legitimate and done to improve the school’s status. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.

In a note to state District Judge Brock Thomas Wednesday, the 12-member jury in the trial of Priscilla Slade said they were deadlocked by an 8-4 vote early in the afternoon. The note did not indicate if the jury was in favor of conviction or acquittal. Jurors did say they wanted advice from the court on how to continue.

Jury Reports 8-4 Deadlock in Priscilla Slade's trial

My gut tells me that the jury believes Priscilla Slade is guilty but they are concerned about how much prison time she would receive. They had previously posed that question to the judge. The judge informed them that they should not be concerned with the amount of time Priscilla Slade could receive.
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The jury in the trial of former TSU president Priscilla Slade was sent back to work by the judge Wednesday after reporting a deadlock.

Members of the jury told the judge they were stuck in an 8-4 deadlock over whether Slade misspent more than $500,000 dollars of the university’s money on herself and her home.

It was unclear which way the jury was leaning.

The judge told them to keep deliberating.

Jury Weighs Fate of Former TSU President

I totally disagree with Priscilla Slades's attorney's argument that her spending university funds was done to improve the school's status. Her spending was based entirely on her own personal greed. How could she elicit funds from prospective donors when she was looting the university's coffers. If she felt the school needed funding, she would have tried to demonstrate, to prospective donors, that the university was not able to meet its basic needs. How does spending approximately $500,000, on herself, demonstrate such need?
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By JUAN A. LOZANO

HOUSTON (AP) — A jury was set to continue deliberating Tuesday whether Texas Southern University's former president spent more than $500,000 of school money to lavishly furnish and decorate her homes.

During closing arguments Monday, prosecutors said Priscilla Slade left a legacy of waste and betrayed trust as she misspent school funds on everything from $100 bottles of wine at lunch to landscaping to $40,000 china.

Her attorney argued that all of his client's spending was done to improve the school's status. He accused prosecutors of making her a scapegoat for Texas Southern University's problems.

After listening to both sides for more than three hours, jurors deliberated for nearly 3 1/2 hours Monday before stopping for the day. Deliberations were set to resume Tuesday.

Slade, 55, is on trial for one of two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property with a value over $200,000. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.

Prosecutors said that during Slade's more than six years as president of the state's largest historically black university, she spent more than $138,000 on landscaping, more than $56,000 on a high tech security system and more than $100,000 in furniture and other home decorations, including nearly $13,600 for custom silk bedding and window treatments.

"Why did TSU have to spend that money to beautify Priscilla Slade's bedroom?" prosecutor Julian Ramirez asked the jury.

Ramirez said the more than $523,000 Slade is accused of misspending could have been used better. "Eighty-five percent of TSU students are on financial aid," he said. "It's money she threw away."

But Mike DeGeurin, Slade's attorney, said Slade's spending was justified because it was done to improve TSU's image.

"You want your presidential house to be something that reflects an institution that is not a dusty, old institution but that it is something to be proud of," DeGeurin said.

DeGeurin said Slade never tried to hide her purchases and blamed the problems on other TSU employees who had mismanaged the paperwork. Two TSU workers were indicted, but one had charges dropped.

Witnesses who testified on Slade's behalf credited her with increasing enrollment, constructing new academic buildings and increasing donations to the school.

"Give Slade back her good name. Give her back her life," DeGeurin said. "She was the greatest thing that happened to Texas Southern University."

The allegations against Slade coincided with reports that revealed a pattern of financial mismanagement at TSU and prompted Gov. Rick Perry to call for a state takeover of the university that was later put on hold. The entire nine-member board of regents resigned at Perry's request.

Enrollment at TSU this fall, 9,544 students, is at its lowest in five years.

Jury deliberates in Priscilla Slade's Trial

"Texas Southern University's former president betrayed the trust of students, officials and the community when she put her needs ahead of the school's by misspending funds to lavishly decorate her homes, prosecutors told jurors Monday.

During closing arguments in the trial of Priscilla Slade, jurors were told she didn't care about being financially responsible when it came to spending school funds.

"That is the Priscilla Slade that duped the Legislature, Board of Regents and everybody that put their trust in her to put the mission of Texas Southern University (ahead of) herself," prosecutor Donna Goode said." |Read more|

Both Sides Have Rested in Priscilla Slade's Trial

After nearly seven weeks of testimony, both the defense and prosecution have rested in the criminal trial of former Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.

State District Judge Brock Thomas has scheduled closing arguments for 8:45 a.m. on Monday.

Attorneys on each side will have 90 minutes to make their final arguments.

Slade is charged with two felony counts of misapplication of fiduciary property. Prosecutors claim she spent public money for her personal benefit, specifically to buy furniture, landscaping and a security system for the home she built near Memorial Park.

If convicted of the charges, she could face probation or up to life in prison.

During the trial, prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses in an effort to prove their case that Slade knowingly and intentionally spent more than $500,000 without first getting approval from the university's board of regents.

The defense, however, countered with witnesses who testified that Slade had acted in the best interest of the university and its students by making her personal residence a place where she could entertain people who would potentially make substantial donations to Texas Southern.

Judge Gets Angry at Priscilla Slade's Trial

Maybe the lawyer who represented Priscilla Slade, during her contract negotiations, was trying to see if the judge would grant a mistrial in the case. Sometimes lawyers knowingly try various stunts in order to sway the jury.



"Tempers flared again in the trial of ousted TSU President Priscilla Slade after the lawyer who represented Slade during her contract negotiations brought up the fact that the district attorney's office had access to privileged attorney-client information during its investigation.

State District Judge Brock Thomas was visibly angered after attorney Vidal Martinez revealed information that Thomas had tried to shield from jurors.

Harris County Assistant District Attorney Donna Goode was cross-examining Martinez about the raise Slade was expecting in early 2006, before her spending came to light.

The school fired Slade in May 2006 after an internal investigation concluded that she and her former chief financial officer had failed to follow university policies and state laws to buy more than $260,000 in furniture, landscaping and security equipment for her house.

Slade is charged with misapplication of fiduciary property of more than $200,000, a first-degree felony punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison."

Heavy Hitters Testify on Slade's Behalf

Yesterday some heavy hitters testified on Priscilla Slade's behalf. I still do not

believe that their testimony justifies her actions. The welfare of the university and its students should have been her main concern. Her position as President did not include personal enrichment through the misuse of unversity's funds.

Texas Gov. Mark White was waiting in the witness room to be called to testify on Slade's behalf.

Earlier, the jury heard from Delynn Walker, who was an assistant to Slade. She defended hundreds of dollars worth of charges that were made at Scott Gertner's Skybar in Montrose.

Walker testified that the expenses were justified because Slade and her staff were conducting official business in an effort to recruit new students.

Prosecutor Donna Goode asked Walker, "Why do you need to be drinking and spending hundreds of taxpayer dollars to recruit students? What TSU mission was being achieved by spending taxpayer money at 2 in the morning?"

Slade has been charged with two felony counts of misapplication of fiduciary property. Prosecutors maintain that Slade spent more than $500,000 of taxpayer money to furnish, landscape and install a security system at the home she had built near Memorial Park.

If convicted,Slade could face punishment ranging from probation to life in prison.

Poor Pricilla Slade - One Wasted Life

I don't know why Priscilla Slade would want to throw her life away like this. There is nothing, in life, worth stealing for. Besides, criminals are always caught.

Prosecutors will soon wrap up their case against former Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.Slade, 55, is charged with two felony counts of misapplication of fiduciary property. If convicted, she could face punishment ranging from probation to life in prison.