An open request to the candidates for Harris County District Attorney

Dear Mr. Bradford and Ms. Lykos,

 

My name is Paul B. Kennedy.  I am a criminal defense attorney in Houston, Texas and I publish the blog "The Defense Rests" (http://kennedy-law.blogspot.com).

 

I am offering both of your campaigns the opportunity to answer a series of questions that will run (unedited and unabridged) in my blog prior to the election.  Your responses will run without any editorial comment, as my sole intention is to allow you to speak directly to the voters. 

 

Here are the questions:

 

1. What is your position on releasing minor offenders on personal bonds with a promise to appear in court on a specific date?

 

2. As District Attorney, how would you propose we handle minor drug possession cases?  Specifically, how would your administration handle the issues of overcrowding in the Harris County Jail and the recidivism rate of drug offenders?

 

3. What would your administration do to ensure that Brady material is disclosed to defense counsel in a timely manner?

 

4. What is your position on the creation of a public defender's office in Harris County?  What changes, if any, would you like to see made to the existing appointment system?

 

5. Why should you get my vote (in 100 words or less)?

I look forward to hearing from both of your campaigns and, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at the number listed below.

 

Paul B. Kennedy,
Attorney at Law
800 Bering, Suite 208
Houston, Texas 77057
Tel (832) 606-9432
Fax (866) 587-2584

http://kennedy-law.biz
http://kennedy-law.blogspot.com

Jail can be a deadly place

As reported in Grits for Breakfast, a federal jury ordered Dallas County to pay $900,000 to the family of man who died while in custody at the Dallas County Jail. It wasn't the first time Dallas County has had to pay for its failure to provide medical care for its inmates. In February 2007, the county paid $950,000 to the families of three mentally-ill inmates who died as a result of the jail's negligence.

Dallas-area criminal defense attorney Robert Guest adds that the Dallas County Jail is one of the most dangerous jails in Texas.

Yet we insist on locking up those citizens arrested for possessing negligible amounts of marijuana and crack cocaine. That may change when the new Harris County DA takes office next year as both candidates have expressed a desire to change the way in Harris County deals with citizens accused of petty offenses.

C.O. Bradford promised to use personal bonds to keep minor offenders out of the Harris County Jail while Pat Lykos has proposed a series of single room occupancy facilities in which the mentally ill and addicts could be sent and still receive treatment while their cases are pending.

The question remains whether or not any other elected officials will vote to pony up the money to fund a new initiative.