6/03/10   Democrats covering DA's bad acts?

Warning, this is going to get partisan because the bad guys in this particular commentary are Democrats.  I always have been a Republican, and I have always believed government officials should be held to a higher standard of integrity than average citizens. 

Whether elected, appointed or employed, those who go into public service do so knowing they will be subject to scrutiny and criticism.  Some choose public service for altruistic reasons.  Some do so for a high profile opportunity to build resume, contacts and professional advancement.  Some see it as a secure job with a solid retirement plan.  Then there are those who see public service as a vehicle to feather their nest and create a power base for the benefit of themselves and their political friends. 

I have made no secret about my contempt for Craig Watkins.  It amazed me when Democrats first nominated him as their candidate.  It disgusted me when Dallas County voters picked a bail bondsman over an experienced prosecutor who actually thinks crooks belong IN JAIL!

In the first days of Constablegate, it was obvious Democrats were closing ranks to protect elected Democrats.  There were rumors that higher up elected officials (and/or family members) were driving some of the cars lost in the towing scam. 

It is embarrassing for something so crass and brass to be happening in Dallas County, with people like Domingo Garcia (who's wife is running for the Commissioners Court herself) defending Cortes and Evans.  It is personally unsettling for me because I live in Constable Precinct 6, where Cortes carries a gun.

When I first saw the headline of the below DMN story, I was so excited.  Unfortunately, the headline is entirely misleading.  The "special prosecutor" will not be investigating the car-towing scam or Watkins' connection.  The "special prosecutor" will be investigating a claim that Danny Defenbaugh's investigation was corrupt and a political scheme to "implicate public officials, including District Attorney Watkins".

Special prosecutor to examine corruption allegations involving Dallas County constables By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News, 6/2/10

A state district judge this morning appointed a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of corruption by Dallas County constables after a witness came forward about a "scheme" to lie about wrongdoing by other county officials, including Dallas County District Attorney State District Judge Don Adams appointed Ted B. Lyon, a Mesquite personal injury attorney and former Democratic state legislator, to look into the allegations of corruption by constables and the possible scheme. Lyon, a former police officer, spent four years in the Texas House and 11 as a state senator. Dallas County First Assistant District Attorney Terri Moore announced the appointment at a news conference this morning. "It's about lying, scheming and conniving," Moore said. "It's about that kind of harm." The witness was involved in an earlier investigation of the constables that was conducted by former FBI agent Danny Defenbaugh. Defenbaugh was hired by the Dallas County Commissioners Court because some commissioners were unhappy with the pace of a separate investigation by Watkins' public integrity unit. Those commissioners suggested that Watkins was dragging his feet because the constables under scrutiny, like Watkins, were Democrats. ... "Last week, we were made aware of a detailed letter sent to two attorneys from an individual who alleges he was participating in Mr. Defenbaugh's investigation on behalf of Dallas County Judge Jim Foster and Commissioner [Ken] Mayfield," Moore said. "This letter details of a scheme to implicate public officials, including District Attorney Watkins, by lying to investigators. Obviously, this new information alters the nature of this investigation, and since Mr. Watkins is a potential victim, it is necessary that an independent prosecutor continue with a thorough investigation." She added: "It is clear that there are multiple people with political and personal agendas who have attempted to manipulate the constables' investigation. It is crucial that the investigation be done with integrity in pursuit of the truth and free from any conflict." Moore would not say who may have collaborated to lie about public officials, what the lies were, or what other county officials may have been a target. The Dallas County Republican Party said the decision to appoint a special prosectuor was motivated by politics, an attempt by Watkins to divert attention from the accusations that he has been reluctant to investigate Democratic constables. And local GOP leaders questioned the choice of Lyon, a Democrat who, they said, has donated money to Democratic officeholders, including Watkilns.

A Democrat Criminal District Judge has appointed a Democrat ambulance chaser (who made campaign donations to Watkins) as a special prosecutor to protect Watkins' criminal-loving butt.  This is almost as bad as the Obama administration offering government posts to two different candidates to try to clear the way for their preferred candidates.  Shameful!.

It's not just shameful, it's a threat to Democracy and our judicial system. 

Who will stand up for the little guy when everyone in the process is a crook?  When a Democrat criminal judge appoints a Democrat ambulance chaser to derail an investigation into corrupt activity by two Democrat constables that may involve bigger Democrat fish, how can we trust our government officials. 

Watkins' #1 Assistant claims "It is crucial that the investigation be done with integrity in pursuit of the truth and free from any conflict."  Conflict?  As in "conflict of interest"?  You and I are paying the salaries of Moore and Judge Adams.  So, we are paying for these two powerful people to subvert the entire concept of fair play.  Moore and Lyons (the ambulance chaser) have a conflict of interest from the get go.  They are totally committed to Watkins.  Lyons cannot be trusted to be a fair investigator when he has made political contributions to Watkins.

This is more freaky than anything Lewis Carroll could have imagined in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  Alice was only 7 years old.  It would be expected that she might get confused about what she heard and experienced in Wonderland.  Adult behavior can be confusing and frightening to children.  Adults make rules that defy common sense and then spend great energy breaking the same rules they demand others obey.

For over three years, I have questioned how a champion of jail birds could be expected to prosecute criminals.  For over three years, I have asked who victims can turn to for justice in Dallas County.  Certainly, not DA Craig Watkins.  Obviously, not the DA's First Asst. Terri Moore.  Now, we know at least one criminal district judge puts politics before justice.

The people who were harmed by the Constables' car-towing scam are not powerful, connected big shots.  Many of them are minorities who could not afford to get their car out of the pound after they were denied information on the car's location for so long that the fees were exorbitant.  Where do they go for justice?

Other people harmed by the Constables are deputy constables and employees who were forced to do free work.  Not high paid officials, but little guys trying to make a living and feed their families.  Where do they go for justice?

This is all so wrong.  

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