State Rep. Rafael Anchia filed House Bill 1736 in February; Governor Rick Perry signed the Dallas Democrat’s legislation, which ups compensation for the wrongfully imprisoned, in late May; it took effect Tuesday. Which means all those exonerated by DNA evidence in recent years will receive $80,000 per year they spent…
Of 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 described, but…
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 he waived. His attorney, Ray Jackson, just asked him to introduce…
The U.S. Attorney’s Office just sent word that former Dallas Cowboy hitting machine, 48-year-old Eugene Lockhart, is among nine people indicted by a federal grand jury. They’re accused of a running a mortgage scheme out of Dallas between 2001 and ’05 under such monikers as America’s Team Mortgage, America’s Team…
A few years down the road, you just may get pulled over by a Dallas Police officer driving this hot new number. If nothing else, it’s on the DPD’s wish list — appropriate in the hometown of RoboCop.The first purpose-built police car is on a national tour and stopped this…
Much thanks to the many Friends of Unfair Park who’ve sent an update concerning the fate of fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander, about whom we first wrote in May 2007 in the paper version of Unfair Park. In that piece, several aspiring Dallas models, many underage, accused Alexander of sexually…
Former Observer-er Ann Zimmerman has a piece in The Wall Street Journal today concerning a new state law that takes effect tomorrow — one that allows Texas prosecutors and parole boards to “see DNA evidence that links a suspect to an old sexual assault, even though the statute of limitations…
At 6:20 p.m. on February 17, 2004, the state of Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham of Corsicana. His crime, per the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: “On December 23, 1991, Willingham poured a combustible liquid on the floor throughout his home and intentionally set the house on fire, resulting in…
Another day, another Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission news release — this one, concerning the firing of the three agents involved in the Rainbow Lounge raid in Fort Worth and named in the TABC’s 32-page report released earlier this month. One other lieutenant is receiving a three-day suspension without pay and…
As I was leaving the house this morning, I was greeted by Senior Corporal Kimberly Crawford, a detective in the Northwest Operations Division and the lead investigator in the neighborhood cat killings. Crawford’s out canvassing the area and questioning antsy neighbors, who’ve taken to patrolling the alleys late at night…
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission just sent along a press release in which it acknowledges that the agency’s general counsel and Office of Professional Responsibility (otherwise known as Internal Affairs) are investigating Administrator Alan Steen. For what? For comments he made to the media during the days and weeks after…
Maybe you recall the story of Thomas Hannon, who was arrested by Dallas police officers in August 2007 on charges of possessing drugs and a weapon at a LBJ Freeway hotel. Hannon, of course, was guilty of no such thing: A videotape that surfaced just as he was set for…
On its Web site Friday, The Dallas Morning News ran an editorial concerning Dallas County Constables Derick Evans and Jaime Cortes’s “too-cozy” relationship with Dowdy Ferry Auto Service, which is towing thousands of cars under their watch without keeping track of what happens to them after they’ve been impounded. In…
The boy’s heading out the door, about to begin his first day of first grade — meaning, at least, he’ll be off the streets when the police start sweeping up young’uns on this first day of the Daytime Juvenile Curfew. Passed 12-2 by the Dallas City Council last May, the…
We began Thursday morning with the news that Brian Dennehy would be writing and directing the story of Joyce Ann Brown, a then-Koslow’s Furs employee who, in 1980, was convicted of robbery and murder based almost solely on the testimony of a single eyewitness — the wife of the slain…
At long last — which is to say, close to 20 years since Joyce Ann Brown was freed from prison for a robbery and murder she did not commit — the South Dallas woman’s story will become a movie. So reports The Hollywood Reporter, which makes special note of the…
Perhaps you’re aware that in recent days, the Dallas Police Department’s moved to Twitter and Nixle in order to send out alerts — such as Tuesday evening’s press release concerning a suspect in the Skillman-Mockingbird area who, since October, has been responsible for at least four burglaries, one robbery and…
Working for the electric company’s not exactly a job you’d expect to put you in the line of fire, but this morning, one Oncor employee found himself on the wrong end of a shotgun. Dallas Police report that when worker showed up to replace the meter at a Fair Park…
Just got back to the computer to find a note from U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn’s courtroom deputy, who says that since last we were in the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse, the judge met with prosecutors and defense attorneys — separately — to see about picking up the…
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 consultant to the old Dallas…
O.K., this morning I think we are getting a more clear look at the government’s case in the Dallas City Hall bribery case, in which former city council member Don Hill is accused of using racial affirmative action and “fair share” requirements to squeeze bribe money out of real estate…
[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 Park today. Jim’s back tomorrow; till then, take it away, Trey.]Don Hill’s defense attorney, Ray Jackson, spent the morning building on…
