Dallas County

Walk Like a Woman

Two More Dallas County Maintenance Workers Say Their Boss is a Racist Asshole

David Womble, a Dallas County maintenance supervisor, leaves an impression on his employees. In June, three of them sued the county for discrimination after one, Dennis Jones, was fired for having previously disclosed felony convictions while his white colleagues were not. Womble, the suit claimed, ... More >>

A Human Skull Was Found at Brookhaven College Last Night

A man walking his dog at Brookhaven College last night discovered a human skull in a wooded area on the western edge of campus. Police searched the area today and discovered the rest of the skeleton. The Dallas County Medical Examiner has collected the remains to determine how old they are and who ... More >>

Land Inside Dallas Jail Between February and May and You Could Wind Up in TV Doc

​Back in November the Dallas County Commissioners signed off on part2 Productions' pitch to shoot a season's worth of Hard Time in the Dallas County Jail on behalf of the National Geographic Channel, which would have taken some 120 days and netted the county upward of $120,000. Alas, we find out v ... More >>

The Good and Bad News Contained Within MDHA's "2011 State of Homelessness" Report

Metro Dallas Homeless AllianceA look at Dallas County's homeless population from the "2011 Annual 'Point-In-Time' Homeless Count and Census"​Leslie's at Dallas City Hall at this very moment, where Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance is announcing the formation of the Greater Dallas Homeless Policy Alli ... More >>

County Judge Jenkins Says He Alone Ousted Homeland Security Director Lisa Chambers

Lisa Chambers is due to speak to the Irving Republican Women's Club next month at an IHOP on LBJ.​When Lisa Chambers was hired in June 2010 to become Dallas County's new Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, John Wiley Price had nothing but the nicest things to say about the form ... More >>

U.S. Supreme Court Rules Dallas County's Appeal in Fight Over Voting Machines is "Moot"

​This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a very confusing ruling in the case involving Dallas County's voting machines -- a case, you'll recall, that stemmed from Linda Harper-Brown's 19-vote victory over Democrat Bob Romano in 1998. Long story short: The Texas Democratic Party (represent ... More >>

Marine Fights County Constables, Credit Card Company to Keep His Family's Dallas Home

​Marine Staff Sergeant Thinh Tran is unavailable to speak at the moment; he's training in the California desert in advance of a deployment to Afghanistan. He is, by all accounts, out of the country often: In October 2009, for instance, he received orders he was to ship out for a two-year stint in ... More >>

If You Want to See What It's Like to Be Thrown in Dallas County Jail Without Getting Arrested

The Dallas County Sheriff's Department rarely posts videos to the YouTube, and when it does it's usually something unusual -- like, say, this eerie dash-cam smash-em-up. And then there's this morning's find, initially posted a few weeks ago: a mini-doc in which you follow along as a man (actor Ferna ... More >>

Before Bipartisan Protest, County GOP Chair Pushes Judge Jenkins to Open Doors at Today's Election Commission Meeting to Public

AnonymousThis has been making the rounds. Can't imagine why its creator isn't looking for credit.​Dallas County Republican Party chair Jonathan Neerman says today's 3:30 p.m. meeting of the Election Commission -- the first such gathering in more than two decades -- should be relocated to the c ... More >>

Thirty-Six Sue Private Operator of Dallas County Judicial Treatment Center For Privacy Invasion

The Dallas County Judicial Treatment Center in Wimer​Cornell Companies, the private operator of correctional facilities 'cross the country, has a motto: "People Changing People." A lawsuit filed this week in Dallas County District Court proposes an alteration: "People Filming People." At least, so ... More >>

O, Chari-tree

From California, a Federal Suit Alleging "Cruel and Unusual Punishment" in Dallas County

​Barbara Jean Altemeier says she was arrested in Dallas in 2006. She says the basis for her arrest was a "falsely made up complaint" out of Fruitport, Michigan -- an embezzlement charge she says was eventually dismissed. She says she was kept in Dallas County lock-up for 78 days, and that the Dall ... More >>

The Hangover After Last Night's Call For a Wet-Dry Local Option Election in November

Nick DeWolf​Hard to say when Andy Siegel's going to file his lawsuit against the city of Dallas in which he will claim that the city council called an illegal local option election concerning the sale of beer and wine citywide. He told me last night it should be today; I've also heard tomorrow, de ... More >>

Catching Up With Our Favorite George W. Bush Soundalike at the GOP Convention

Sam MertenWe tried to grab Senator Cornyn after this radio interview, but he scampered off to the VIP area before we could snag him.​As Representative Dan Branch told us yesterday afternoon shortly after addressing the delegation from John Carona's senate district, what a difference two years ... More >>

For Now, And Who Knows For How Long, Dallas County Is Good and Shut Down

​I called over to the Dallas County Commissioners Court a few minutes ago to get an update on clean-up efforts at the Records Building, which flooded last night following a water main break. Good thing I called too: Peggy Lundy in County Judge Jim Foster's office said she's just about to start cal ... More >>

No Get Out of Jail Free Card, Dallas County's Veterans Court Heard Its First Two Cases Today

Judge Mike Snipes​A Vietnam veteran accused of forcing a 6-year-old girl into his car to ride on his lap became the first to sign on for Dallas County's new veterans court program on Tuesday, with a chance to avoid having a conviction on his record if he completes a six-month treatment program. Ch ... More >>

Dallas County to Decide This Morning If It'll Try to Put a Stop to Warrior Dash

​[Update at 11:49.: I just spoke again with Darryl Martin, who says that Warrior Dash organizers have requested a meeting with Dallas County officials, which will take place at 1 p.m. "I'll call you before we file anything," he says. Martin wanted to hear from Red Frog reps and attorney Michael Cr ... More >>

Lawsuit Alleging County Wasted Millions By OK'ing No-Bid $17.5 Mil Contract Heats Up

​Back in December, Business Resources Corp. filed suit against Dallas County claiming officials hired Virginia-based GTSI to preserve county docs (birth records, death certificates, etc.) at a cost of $17.5 million over seven years -- even though the county didn't take bids on the contract and GTS ... More >>

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins Thinks He Did a Pretty Good Job in 2009

Brian HarkinDallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins​It's always a good idea 'round this time of the year to make a list of accomplishments, if only to figure out what you need to get done in the coming year. So happens, of course, that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins needs to g ... More >>

Dallas County Sued Over Complaint It Didn't Take Bids Before Awarding $17.5 Mil Contract

​Business Resources Corp., a new locally based historical documents preservation company formed out of the merger of two others, isn't happy with the way Dallas County went about hiring a Virgina company earlier this spring -- so much so that on Wednesday, it filed suit against the county in Dalla ... More >>

Craig Watkins to Talk About Wrongful Convictions on The Colbert Report Wednesday

​Stephen Colbert's people don't like to talk about why they ask guests to appear on The Colbert Report. Trust me. We asked earlier today, when word came down that Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins has been booked for Wednesday's show (which puts him between Tuesday night's guests, auth ... More >>

Because Nothing Says "Meet Your State Rep" More than a Wingding at Zubar Tonight

Sorry, Kurt Watkins, but your invite to tonight's Dallas County Young Democrats shindig at Mayor Tom Leppert's favorite Lower Greenville hot spot got spammed out -- don't take it personally, same thing happened to my mom earlier today. That half-hearted apology out of the way, the DCYD's communicati ... More >>

Craig Watkins Uses Dallas Bar Association Appearance to Make Case Against Budget Cuts

Kimberly ThorpeDallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, addressing the Dallas Bar Association todayDallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins certainly likes to make an entrance, which isn't hard to do when you're 6-foot-5, star of a nationally broadcast reality mini-series, a recent guest ... More >>

"The Exonerator," Texan of the Year

If you had Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins in your office's Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year pool, well, collect your winnings. (This no doubt displeases Dallas County Commissioner Ken Mayfield, who says in the piece that Watkins and his DNA exonerations are "costing the taxpayers ... More >>

In Dallas, Turban Good, Rosary Bad

The Bubble Has Been Breached!

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Electronic monitoring may dramatically curb truancy. So why isn't DISD interested?

How Much Is Innocence Worth?

Why is Hillary Neglecting Delegate-Rich Dallas County?

While Obama has events going on throughout the city, Clinton is nowhere to be found

Counting Down to Craig Watkins and The "Missing" JFK Loot

Well, We Were Getting Tired of Lynn Flint Shaw's Old Mugshot

Eleven More Women Join Suit Against Presbyterian's Eating Disorder Program

Dallas Flashes Back to 1997

A Trinity River vote, the return of the Citizens Council, a corruption case at City Hall. Buzz is confused. Was this 2007 or 1997?

Dallas County Doesn't Want Its People Web-Surfing While Working. Especially If They're Reading Blogs About Dallas County?

County Settles Suit With Inmate -- For Close to a Million Bucks

Mission to Read

Sit a spell with a book at the Majestic

Accidental Victors

Wait...we voted for who?

Party Poop

With Dems likes these, who needs the GOP?

Sheriff Who?

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez was a revolutionary candidate--as a leader, not so much

Communication Breakdown

Coloring Book

What color will the district attorney be, and who gives a rat's rear end?

Cell Disease

Being sick in Dallas County's troubled jail can be a death sentence

Letters

Bench Warmers

In many contested judicial races, the Republicans are grabbing all the incumbencies they can

The Lazarus Effect

Moribund Dallas County Democrats set their sights on judgeships

Talk isn't cheap

Dallas County rakes in millions from pricey pay phones at the jail

Courting disaster

Texas judges rally to save a bit of patronage

Lost in Translation

Dallas judges say unqualified Spanish translators are hindering the course of justice, but county commissioners are hearing another story altogether

No joke

County Commissioner Ken Mayfield isn't laughing anymore about sexual harassment charges