Ray Jackson

Oak Cliff Girl Mistakenly Deported to Colombia Returns, Leaving Trail of Unanswered Questions

Photos by Leslie MinoraJakadrien Turner, home at last, with grandmother Lorene on her right and mother Johnisa on her left​At 11 a.m. Friday morning, Lorene Turner got the call: Her granddaughter, Jakadrien Turner, who had run away from her Oak Cliff home and her life as a student at Kimball H ... More >>

Stroke Victim and Son, Arrested by DPD in March, File Federal Suit Against City of Dallas

​For those who don't recall, on February 23 Dallas Police officers were dispatched to the Hudspeth Avenue home of Dianne Irons after a call concerning some kind of a domestic dispute at the East Oak Cliff residence. Irons and her nephew, who'd once lived at the house, were arguing over its ownersh ... More >>

Bill Fisher handed the FBI a chance to clean up City Hall. Does that make Fisher Mr. Clean?

Last Night: Phosphorescent, Shiny Around the Edges and Dallas Family Band at The Kessler

Phosphorescent, Shiny Around the Edges and Dallas Family Band The Kessler, Dallas July 23, 2010 Better Than: Navigating the freak show that was the second night of Lady Gaga's stint in D-Town.Martha Jewelle​Friday night at The Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff might has well have been diversity night. ... More >>

Sure, We Lost The College Football Hall of Fame, But At Least There's an Office Building in the Works as a Consolation Prize

Sam MertenJack Matthews​Two months before last year's May 9 referendum on public ownership of the Dallas Omni Convention Center Hotel, we cautioned voters that one of the key selling points of the project -- the erection of residential units, restaurants, shops, bars, nightclubs, and other ent ... More >>

Judge Agrees Two Charges in Corruption Case Warrant Further Consideration, Dismisses Motions for New Trials

Sam MertenDon and Sheila Hill cross Commerce Street this afternoon after Judge Lynn said she'd consider arguments against honest services and money laundering charges.​Four of the five defendants convicted last month of bribery and extortion in the City Hall corruption trial gained traction in ... More >>

More Delicious Corruption Trial Leftovers: Juror Says "There Was a Lot of Disagreeing," Fax Machine Was "the Talk of the Day"

Sam MertenAccording to juror Nedra Frazier, the arguments against conspiracy surrounded Rickey Robertson, seen here leaving the courthouse with his wife and baby daughter after the jury found him guilty on two counts.A few hours after she and 11 other jurors found Don Hill and his four co-defendants ... More >>

Don and Sheila Hill, the Unfair Park Interview

Photos and cutlines by Danny FulgencioAn inclination for religious references did not save Don Hill from lawful judgment.A little more than 24 hours after a jury found Don and Sheila Hill guilty on a total of 12 counts in the City Hall corruption case, the two sat down with me for a lengthy intervie ... More >>

How the Feds Convicted Don Hill

As Hills Look Forward to Appeal, Don Says Brian Potashnik "Did What He Had To Do"

Sam MertenAt approximately 10:40 this morning, a packed courtroom on the 15th floor of the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse filled with friends and family of the co-defendants, members of the media and lawyers sits abuzz with anticipation. This is it. Finally. U.S. District Judge Barbar ... More >>

Don Hill Explains Fairness and Why He Didn't Do Brian Potashnik a Solid on the Walker Consent Decree (Now a Live Blog)

Sam MertenDon Hill's third day on the stand in the City Hall corruption trial began with his attorney, Ray Jackson, asking about statements he made in wiretaps about fairness concerning developer Brian Potashnik's decision to reject bids from Ron Slovacek and Andrea Spencer because they were too hig ... More >>

Best Defense is a Good Offense: Former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill Takes the Stand in City Hall Corruption Trial. And We're Live Blogging It!

How many witnesses until you take the stand, Don? Wrong. You're up!As expected, former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill has taken the stand to defend himself against charges of corruption and extortion, as U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn reminded him that he has a constitutional right not to testify, which h ... More >>

So, Don, How Ya Feelin' After Your First Day on the Stand?

Sam MertenOf course, Hill couldn't actually answer the question as he's restricted from speaking to the media, but this photo we snapped during the media frenzy that followed today's testimony from the former mayor pro tem tells the story. Sure, it was merely a verbal "Wikipedia entry" as Robert de ... More >>

Jim's Play-By-Play From the Inside Baseball Coming From City Hall Corruption Trial

New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection/Library of CongressAt this point, Schutze is like the Mel Allen of the City Hall federal corruption trial.​Today at the Dallas City Hall federal corruption trial at the Earle Cabell, defendant John Lewis, who has pleaded guilty and is testifying for the ... More >>

The Biggest (and Funniest) Revelations So Far in the Federal City Hall Corruption Trial

Carol Reed​Everybody knew it was about "pay-to-play" at City Hall. Don Hill, a former city council member and 13 alleged confederates are accused of strong-arming real estate developers for money.But nobody knew...1. Carol Reed's name would come up. Reed is the top political guru and campaign cons ... More >>

Don Hill's Latest Defense: He Just Wasn't Powerful Enough to Influence Deals

Sam MertenWhat, them worried? D'Angelo Lee, Don Hill and Sheila Farrington outside the federal courthouse​[Editor's note: Jim's on deadline, and Sam's on vacation. So Trey Garrison's down at the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse live-blogging the City Hall corruption trial for Unfair Pa ... More >>

With FBI Informant's Credibility in Question, Prosecution Decides It's Laura Miller Time

Sam Merten Miller crosses Commerce Street this morning, along with husband Steve Wolens and daughter Alex.Moments ago, folks standing outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse got a sneak peek at the prosecution's next witness in the City Hall corruption trial: former ... More >>

How City Hall Really Works: Notes from the City Hall Corruption Trial

Once again, this more or less provides the perfect description of the testimony now being heard in the federal City Hall corruption trial.​O.K., I want to give you an example of the very good lawyering being done by the defense in the City Hall corruption trial going on right now at the Earle Cab ... More >>

That's the Dallas Way! Schutze is Live Blogging From the City Hall Corruption Trial.

Sam MertenLow-income housing developer Brian Potashnik, who's still on the stand in the City Hall corruption trial​In federal court today Ray Jackson, lawyer for former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, has been working on affordable housing developer Brian Potashnik in an attempt to get him to tel ... More >>

Prosecution Hands Over Key Witness to Defense Without Proving Don Hill's Guilt, Bolsters Case Against D'Angelo Lee

Sam MertenD'Angelo Lee crosses Commerce Street in front of the Earle Cabell Federal Building Thursday afternoon.The second full day of testimony from affordable housing developer Brian Potashnik strengthened the prosecution's case against former city plan commissioner D'Angelo Lee in the City Hall c ... More >>

Potashnik May Be the Prosecution's Smoking Gun, But He Sure Didn't Sound Like One

Sam MertenBrian PotashnikNearly all of the 16 jurors grabbed their notebooks and focused on Brian Potashnik as the prosecution Wednesday morning called the witness expected to provide the most damning evidence in the City Hall corruption case. But while Potashnik's testimony raised concerns about th ... More >>

Prosecution Looks to Right Stumbling City Hall Corruption Case By Calling Brian Potashnik

Sam MertenDon and Sheila Hill left the courthouse Tuesday afternoon in good spirits.An admittedly nervous Steve Williams spent all of Tuesday afternoon on the stand discussing his eight-year tenure as Don Hill's administrative assistant, pushing the anticipated debut of developer Brian Potashnik to ... More >>

It's Early Yet, But So Far, No Quid Pro Quo (Updated: Now, Finally, a Live Blog)

Hey, Don Hill, how you feeling after yesterday's testimony and tapes?I will miss some of this morning's testimony in the City Hall corruption case, because this is the day of the Observer's weekly story meeting. But based on what has happened already in court, a certain summary or caution is appropr ... More >>

Don Hill Files Motion to Dismiss, Claiming Government Withheld Exculpatory Evidence

Kimberly ThorpeDon Hill and Sheila Farrington filed a prayer of their own in federal court yesterday.Late yesterday, Don Hill's PR man, Ken Carter, sent to media an objection filed in federal court in which the former Dallas mayor pro tem and his wife, Sheila Farrington, want U.S. District Judge Bar ... More >>

What Gag Order? Yet Again, Don Hill Claims He's the Victim of a Witch Hunt.

Clearly, Don Hill will no longer take this prosecution sitting down.We're still waiting on the preachers' letter to U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, but in an interview with Gromer Jeffers Jr. just posted to The Dallas Morning News Web site, Don Hill yet again claims he's being subjected to federal prosec ... More >>

Running Down That Hill: Yet Another Person Pleads Guilty in City Hall Corruption Case

Hey, Don Hill, how many more folks pleaded guilty today in that City Hall corruption case?And then there were three -- which is to say, three folks who have pleaded guilty in the Dallas City Hall corruption case, scheduled to go to trial in June. Taking his cue from Andrea Spencer and Allen McGill, ... More >>

Don Hill's Genius Idea

Don Hill Claims: Federal Prosecutors Don't Like Black People

Don Hill Slides From Mayoral Candidate to Alleged Criminal

How did that happen?