The next US Attorney in Houston

Now that we finally have an Attorney General, we also have a lot of people who would like to work for him.

The U.S. attorney wannabes who confirmed for the Houston Chronicle that they are interested are Harris County District Judge Marc Carter, Galveston County District Judge Susan Criss, lawyer and ex-prosecutor Philip Hilder, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cedric Joubert, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Magidson, lawyer and ex-prosecutor Ricky Raven, lawyer and ex-prosecutor Eric Reed, lawyer Larry Veselka and lawyer and ex-prosecutor Susan Strawn.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, is collecting applications. His office confirmed that Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark White III and Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos have expressed interest in the job.

Some others whose names are being discussed have pulled themselves off or seem equivocal.

Brownsville lawyer Benigno "Trey" Martinez said he is out of the race since he decided not to uproot his family. Ex-Houston Police Chief Clarence Bradford said he was encouraged to seek the position but probably won't.

The U.S. Southern District of Texas, headquartered in Houston, covers 43 counties and runs down the coast from Galveston to Brownsville and as far west as Laredo. The Houston-based U.S. attorney is one of four top federal prosecutors in Texas.

Those four prosecutors are Tim Johnson of the Southern District, who was an interim appointment, Johnny Sutton of the West District in San Antonio, James T. Jacks of the North District in the Metroplex, and Rebecca Gregory of the East District in Beaumont. I don't know what the normal procedure is here for US Attorneys when there's a new President, especially one of a different party, but I would assume at least one more of these offices will open up. Not to be too crassly political about it, but given the thinness of the Democrats' bench for statewide office, these would be plum positions for someone with higher ambitions.

Most of those seeking the job are Democrats, though Magidson just finished filling a Republican term as Harris County district attorney. White's father was the former Democratic Texas governor. Hilder and Veselka were active in President Barack Obama's campaign.

And Judge Marc Carter is a Republican as well. I'm happy for him that he's interested in the job, but with all due respect, he can get in line behind the Democratic hopefuls.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on February 05, 2009 to Legal matters