In Response to "Texas Justice"

I completely agree with the author of this commentary. He makes his point clear in a logical, well organized piece and backs it up using nothing but cold hard facts. His outlook on citizens rights is admirable as well as his view on the Texas justice system.

Having grown up in a family of lawyers, I too have had to follow the law all my life. But, there are just certain times when you have to go against the book to do the right thing. I too applaud Joe Horn for his courageous act and wish there were many more people like him out there. This is where the term "good samaritin" comes into context. I would have done the same thing that he had done. Today, crooks and thieves get away with too many things. The right to protect your homestead and or others is something that should be marked "sacred grounds." There are too many thieves these days that think they can do what they want and avoid the consequences. Let Joe Horn serve as an example to others around the great state of Texas that if you mess with the bull, your gonna get the horns, plain and simple.

I too am glad I live in Texas. We live in a state where everyone looks out for each other and has each others backs. We have a background of protecting whats ours with our life and every time an outlaw comes strolling into town they have to remember that the eyes of Texas are upon them and they cannot get away.

Mother Admits to Killing Child

In the red corner, found guilty and given insanity for the brutal murder of her four children, may I introduce to you the former child murdering champion of Texas, Andrea "It's Bath Time" Yates! And in the blue corner, pleading guilty for the brutal murder of her daughter, may I introduce you to the sickest and newest reigning murding mother of Texas, Kimberley Dawn "Of the Dead" Trenor!

Throughout Texas state and local government, there are many upsetting issues and cases that fill our bodies with anger and grief. One such example is child abuse. There are so many of us that wish we could of been there to beat the living crap out of whoever was commiting such an evil act during that moment. There is nothing worse than hearing about a happy, innocent child that has been beaten or as in this matter, beaten to death. In a statement included to the police in an affidavit, a mother admitted to murdering her two-year-old daughter, Riley Ann Sawyers, along with the baby's stepfather. Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 24, and Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were both arrested early Saturday and are in custody on charges of murder. An autopsy discovered that Riley Ann Sawyers, 2, endured three skull fractures, but the cause of death still has not been established yet. Zeigler attempted suicide last week and wrote a letter saying, "My wife is innocent of the sins that I committed." Yeah right. Trenor said in a confession that the girl was beaten with leather belts, had her head held underwater in a bathtub, and was thrown across a room and her head slammed into a tile floor. What a smackdown! They seem to make a really good tag-team. Except they're not professional wrestlers, they're murders. The mother said they kept the body in their shed for a month or two before they put her into a plastic bin and dumped her into Galveston Bay. Ah, the classic hide away the evidence act and get away with the whole thing. Nope! A fisherman found the body in a plastic bin on October 29th and the investigators confirmed that it is the body of Riley Ann Sawyers. Busted. Hopefully they will get the same fate as Bonnie and Clyde, death!

Throughout Texas state and local government, we are presented with issues and cases like this every day. Although a lot of these cases are not as severe as a case like this, child abuse should not be overlooked. We still have to feel some sympathy for the victims and should try to work together to try to save some lives from this ongoing, unstoppable, sad issue.

view the article:
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/11/27/1127child.html

In Response to "Innocent People that Die on Death Row in Texas"

For the most part, I do agree with Mag's opinion that many innocent people do die on death row each year. I also agree with Mag's opinion that the amount of time spent on each person's fate is too short. But, how do we know that they are all innocent. Take her perfect example of the thrilling movie "The Life of David Gale." Throughout the movie he try's to convince the media and general public that he was wrongly accused, when in the end he was really guilty. The governor had to make a tough, quick decision and although it looked like they killed an innocent man, they really made the right decision.

Although, I do not agree that all of them are innocent. A lot of those so called "innocent" people are really guilty. We see them them as what the media portrays them as. In fact, I believe that a lot of them are guilty but are seen as innocent through the eyes of the general public. But, how de we know that innocent people die on death row each year? We don't. The state of Texas might have made the right move or the wrong move. The only person that really knows if they are innocent is the person themself and it basically comes down to a last minute coin toss with governor. A lot of people that are condemned to death by lethal injection in Texas act on their natural instinct, survival. And they know if they want to avoid death they lean toward their biggest supporter, the general public. And once the general public starts protesting outside the prison, it attracts their second biggest supporter, the media. Then, it comes down to the final minutes of the clock, where the governor has to use natural instints as well and make that decision no man or woman would want to make based on factual evidence or his gut reaction.

I also disagree with her opinion on giving lesser penalty's or reprieve's to people on death row. If you are condemned to death, it's not because you were seen on an episode of cops selling dope but it's because you took another person's life which is kind of a very serious matter. Especially in the great state of Texas. Go horns! A reprieve should be given to somebody who assaulted a police officer or someone who stole a snicker's bar from a convenience store (that actually happened). In the end, I do not agree with some of Mag's opinion's but it was still a very convincing and well-written piece. But who knows who was really right on this matter. I guess Mr. Seago will have to play the role as governor on this matter and hope to make the right call on this coin toss.

KFC Murderer Gets Life

Well let me start off by quoting the late great Colonel Sanders, "I'm to drunk to taste this chicken". Actually, that was one of Will Ferrell's lines from his movie "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". That's the only laugh you'll get out of this blog. On Monday, a career criminal and notorious burglar pleaded guilty to the slayings of five innocent people who were taken from a Kentucky Fried Chicken in East Texas. Four of the victims of whom worked at the Kentucky Fried Chicken were murdered as well as another who was a friend of one of the employees. Slayed were Mary Tyler, 37; Opie Ann Hughes, 39; David Maxwell, 20; Joey Johnson, 20; and Monte Landers, 19. The victims were found dead the next day along an abandoned oilfield road in rural Rusk County. This became one of Texas's longest, most unsolved mass-murder cases ever. Romeo Pinkerton, 49, a native of Tyler, Texas came forth with his role in the deaths as part of a plea bargain offered by the Texas attorney general's office. In exchange for the plea, Pinkerton got a life sentence for each of the five deaths instead of the death penalty. Although, the families of the victims wanted to watch him die in misery as did their own, they'd rather him have to live with himself while having to be confined to a tiny prison cell for life. "Romeo Pinkerton's admission of guilt ends decades of uncertainty for the families of five innocent victims," Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a statement to the press. George Kieny, a retired FBI agent who cracked the murder-mystery case, said he couldn't comment in full but added that he was "extremely pleased with the results."Pinkerton was the first of two men to face trial in the Sept. 23, 1983, slayings. After the judge imposed the sentence on Pinkerton, he allowed the families of the deceased a chance to make impact statements. During the statements, Pinkerton sat emotionless with no remorse or feelings of wrong doings as the families talked about how much they had suffered and what it had did to them. The sister of David Maxwell said, "You're not only a murderer, you are a coward to let this continue all of these years". Pinkerton did not seem to care. In his eyes, all he seemed to be thinking about was whether or not he got top or bottom bunk. The other man involved in the murders, Darnell Hartsfield, cousin of Pinkerton, pleaded not guilty and is expected to be tried on the same charges next year. His lawyer, Donald Killingsworth, did not return phone calls monday night. As for Hartsfield, it's only a matter of time before he has to look the families of the victims in the eye with a cold stare in the court room as did Pinkerton. Until that day comes, as for now, justice has been served and only time will tell if he is but merely trying to prolong his time outside of the cell.

view the article:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/30/1030kfc.html

Strike Three for the Bartlett Police Department

Not once, not twice, but for the third time this year the small Texas town of Bartlett is without a police chief or much less a police department. Johnny Whisenant, the third Bartlett police chief this year, resigned on Monday for personal reasons saying he wanted to work somewhere else. He left 6 months after becoming police chief of the small town with a population of roughly 1,500 people. He joined the department in the summer of 2006 and brought an impressive police background with him. Bartlett Mayor Arthur White would not eleborate on the resignation but said many small towns around the country are going through similar growing population struggles and are losing police chiefs to larger cities. White said none of the police chiefs left because of any ill will. The town of Bartlett put it's police department on probation in the spring of 2006 when a departure, a retirement and the placement of an officer on administrative duty left the town with only one officer. Former police chief Jerry Glaeser began rebuilding the department later that spring. He retired in February after only 6 months on the job. His replacement or succeeder, Mike Reed, stepped down in March after only one month. The police chiefs of Bartlett said the town was not budgeting enough money to maintain a full-time staff and equiptment. Mayor Arthur White thought the current budget of $197,410 a year was good enough. White said an interim chief will be selected at the next city council meeting.

Should the town of Bartlett increase the yearly budget for the police department? In my opinion, yes. With the growing small town populations taking place around the country, there is nothing more important than a well-equiped police department. Furthermore, with a growing population the budget needs to expand as well. They need more full-time officers, patrol cars, and reasons to get their police chiefs to stay longer than 6 months. Kind of like an unwritten verbal committment between the city and the local law enforcement. This will enable them to build for the oncoming population wave. Should they have more than 2 active policemen? Yes! Even with a population of 1,500 there should be at least 5 full-time active policemen. 2 policeman is just rediculous. What if there is a town mutany? There's no stopping the locals. A town needs order, security, and justice and you don't get that with two policeman. You get a dozen of donuts and some overworked policmen. Should the town of Barlett lead by example? Again, yes! After attracting all this local media attention they should be the first to increase their budget and bring change to small towns across the country and throughout Texas. That could start a frenzy of change and get other small towns like Bartlett to increase their budgets on local law enforcement.

This article affects all the small towns in Texas and all the others around the country. Local law enforcement is the foundation toward expanding and re-building a small town that is bringing in a giant wave of newcomers. The actions taken by the town of Bartlett can serve as an example to all the other small towns in Texas and around the country that are struggling with budget problems on police force and expansion.

article link:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/17/1017bartlett.html

Death Row Inmate Wins a Reprieve on Lethal Injection

On Tuesday, The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stopped the execution of 28 year old Heliberto Chi, a native of Honduras, who brutally murdered an Arlington clothing store manager 6 1/2 years ago during a robbery. Attorneys had filed appeals to halt his execution that was set for Wednesday, based on claims that lethal injection is unconstitutionally inhumane. Chi would have been the 27th killer executed in the state of Texas this year. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals gave the state of Texas and prosecutors 30 days to prove that his lethal injection or execution would be unconstitutionally inhumane. The Texas Attorney General's Office and Governor Rick Perry, who issued the 30-day reprieve, said that the case is in the hands of the court to justify the matter. Early last week, the courts allowed Texas officials to execute Michael Richard for a slaying 21 years ago that took place in Kentucky. However, the courts reprieved a man earlier this year who slaughtered his parents in Texas. This recent reprieve of a slaying in Texas has brought alot of controversy from Chi's Lawyers. The Texas Government doesn't know whether they should execute him for murder or give him a full reprieve for violating his rights.

Should he be given a full reprieve? In My opinion, to put it bluntly, no. Although this man is an illegal immigrant from Honduras, what he did is still morally wrong and cannot but justified in any way but sick. Although he was not from this country, that doesn't change anything. Your rights should be taken away when you commit an act of violence toward an innocent human being. Does he deserves a vote by the court on the matter? Yes. But will the vote change? Probably not. The man who was reprieved in Texas was from Texas. That doesn't mean that because he murdered a man in Texas that he should be let go. It was that he was from Texas and as a citizen of the United States he still had his rights and his attorneys could act accordingly. In Chi's matter, that is not the case.

The article affects all inmates on death row in the state of Texas. Some of whom are illegal immigrants too. This ruling could change matters on the future rulings of lethal injections in the state of Texas which has the highest execution rate in the country. There are still 3 more inmates who have execution dates this year in the state of Texas. The fate of some of those rests in the hands of the courts decision on this reprieve ruling. So, what is the lesson death row inmates should learn from this? Don't mess with Texas.

article link:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Texas_Execution.html

State Leaders to Meet on Community College Funding

Earlier this year, Governor Rich Perry vetoed over $154 million dollars in community college funding to the state of Texas. As a result, it hurt many students, teachers, and faculty financially. Austin Community College had to raise student fee's by $2 dollars per credit hour and cut nearly $2.2 million from it's normal budget. Now, politicians from the state capitol are confident they can bring back that money for the community colleges in Texas. Governor Rich Perry is now pushing for community colleges to get the $154 million in vetoed funds. In addition, he wants an additional $50 million for performance incentitives and financial aid programs. In my opinion, I think that this article is important because alot of bright students need financial aid to go to college and without it they cannot go. Our youth is our future and without them we are just hurting ourselves. Plus, I think teachers and faculty deserve performance incentives or bonuses for their hard work and dedication for sculpting the minds of our future and generation.

link to thearticle: www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/09/07/0907community.html