Category Archives: Crime and Punishment

Sid Miller’s political consultant indicted

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this is interesting. Todd Smith, a top political consultant to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, was indicted Tuesday on felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to taking money in exchange for state hemp licenses that are doled out … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sid Miller’s political consultant indicted

Come watch Ken Paxton light your tax dollars on fire

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, Theranos would have delivered a greater return on investment than this. Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has been one of former President Donald Trump’s most reliable allies in spreading the myth of widespread voter fraud, particularly in … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Come watch Ken Paxton light your tax dollars on fire

New details about the Deshaun Watson criminal investigation

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

All sorts of bad things from the search warrants. Houston police have at least nine reports accusing Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions, with search warrant records showing that investigators are eyeing indecent assault — … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Indictments and guilty pleas in FBI investigation of former HISD officials

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Woof. A former top Houston ISD official and vendor were indicted Thursday in connection with an alleged bribery scheme over the last decade that federal prosecutors estimate cost the district millions of dollars and resulted in plea agreements with at … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

CCA tells Ken Paxton he’s not the supreme prosecutor

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Cry me a river, Kenny. Texas’ highest court for criminal cases on Wednesday struck down a law that allows the attorney general to unilaterally prosecute election cases. The state’s Court of Criminal Appeals issued an 8-1 opinion saying a provision … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Aguirre indicted

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta admit, I had thought this happened long ago. A Harris County grand jury on Tuesday indicted former Houston police captain Mark Aguirre on an assault charge after he was accused of running a man off the road and pointing to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Crystal Mason using SB1 to try to overturn her illegal voting conviction

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. It would be one small good thing to come out of that otherwise harmful law. Crystal Mason, the Tarrant County woman whose illegal voting conviction has garnered national attention, is asking for a Texas appeals court to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Crystal Mason using SB1 to try to overturn her illegal voting conviction

A long story about the bail industry

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s complicated. Judges set bail, but it’s the bondsmen who decide how much a defendant pays to get out of jail. The long-held 10 percent standard — with defendants or their loved ones paying a tenth of the bail amount … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FBI involved in Deshaun Watson case

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Never a good sign, though there might be a wrinkle in this one. The FBI is looking into sexual assault allegations against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to opposing legal parties in the player’s civil court cases. The extent of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More criminal complaints against Deshaun Watson

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Yeesh. Multiple women have filed complaints with the Houston Police Department related to Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to both sides in the football player’s civil sexual assault cases. Almost half of the 22 women who filed civil claims against … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More criminal complaints against Deshaun Watson

The arrest of Hervis Rogers is a travesty

Posted on July 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

You should be very mad about this. A Houston man who made headlines last year for standing in line six hours to vote at Texas Southern University was charged this week by Attorney General Ken Paxton with casting that ballot … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

FBI looking into Constable “bachelor party sting” mess

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Never a good sign. Federal investigators are probing the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office after several current and former female employees accused superiors of sexually exploiting them during undercover anti-human trafficking operations, a lawyer for the women confirmed Thursday. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Andrea Yates, 20 years later

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This case still breaks my heart. Twenty years after their killings, attorney George Parnham still dutifully visits the graves of Andrea Yates’ five children. He regularly drives to Clear Lake to leave flowers for Noah, 7; John, 5; Paul, 3; … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The HPD transparency portal

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is good. Traffic stops. Discipline. Use of force. Following widespread calls for police accountability, Houston residents now can use the city’s “Police Transparency Hub” to get far more detailed, accessible information about some of police’s most controversial topics than … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Capitol date rape drug allegation was fabricated

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Jesus Christ. The news landed at the Texas Capitol last month like a bombshell: State police were investigating claims that a male lobbyist from one of the most influential firms in Austin had used a date rape drug on two … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | 28 Comments

HempLicenseGate

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The headline on this Trib story is “Top political aide to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller arrested in alleged scheme to take money in exchange for hemp licenses”, and I have no idea how to make it any pithier than … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Houston police reform items announced

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday unveiled a sweeping effort to reform policing in Houston by banning no-knock warrants for non-violent offenses, restructuring the police oversight board, publicly releasing body camera footage when officers injure or kill residents, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston police reform items announced

No charges files in Capitol date rape drug incident

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A not very satisfying resolution. The Texas Department of Public Safety and Travis County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday “that there is not enough evidence to support” an allegation that a lobbyist used a date rape drug on a Capitol … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on the Capitol date rape drug allegation

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good for Speaker Dade Phelan for forthrightly calling this out, but the underlying issue is a matter of culture, it’s been this way for a long, long time, and it’s going to be a slog to change it. Texas House … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

DPS investigating allegation that a lobbyist drugged a female Capitol staffer

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the headline on this story, and it’s disturbing. Texas Department of Public Safety investigators are looking into an allegation from at least one female Capitol staffer who believes a lobbyist used a date-rape drug on her during a meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

One crime Texas isn’t so tuff on

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

And that’s sexual assault, in the category of crimes Deshaun Watson has been accused of. As the Houston Police Department investigates at least one criminal complaint against Deshaun Watson, a review of the allegations made in civil court against the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One crime Texas isn’t so tuff on

Watson seeks names of accusers

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This was going to happen sooner or later. Attorneys for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on Thursday urged several state courts to require the disclosure of the names of the women accusing him of sexual assault and harassment — a move … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Watson accuser has come forward

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Listen to what she says. The first of 22 women to file a sexual assault and harassment lawsuit against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson spoke out on Tuesday, coming forward publicly in response to the defense team’s questions over the accusers’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why lawsuits?

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve wondered why the women who have accused Deshaun Watson of sexual harassment and assault have filed lawsuits against him instead of police reports, this Chron story offers some reasons. The 22 women suing Deshaun Watson for allegedly sexually … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HPD now investigating Deshaun Watson

Posted on April 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Someone filed a report. Already facing a rash of civil lawsuits, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson now has been named in a criminal complaint, according to the Houston Police Department. HPD confirmed it “is now conducting an investigation and will … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

CCA to review Crystal Mason’s conviction

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has agreed to review the illegal voting conviction of Crystal Mason, a Tarrant County woman facing a five-year prison sentence for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while she was on … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on CCA to review Crystal Mason’s conviction

Court is now in session

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Another aspect of the maskless mandate. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday lifted most restrictions on in-person state court proceedings after Gov. Greg Abbott this week reopened Texas. Almost all in-person court proceedings had been banned since the local onset … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Court is now in session

A poll about jailing people

Posted on February 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. New polling from The Appeal and Data for Progress shows that most Harris County residents support bail reform measures and want fewer people in the county’s overcrowded jail amid the COVID-19 pandemic The polling shows 59 percent of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trump commutes Stockman sentence

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Crooks of a feather. President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday commuted the remaining prison sentence of former Republican Texas congressman Steve Stockman, who was sentenced to 10 years in 2018 after he was convicted of nearly two-dozen felonies, including fraud. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

A closer look at the Aguirre/Hotze debacle

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This WaPo story was pointed out in the comments here, and it’s worth your time to read. I should note that while the Houston Chronicle has not (at least so far) identified the air conditioning repairman that Aguirre attacked, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Aguirre’s arraignment

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The latest update on the Aguirre/Hotze fever-dream “vote fraud” case. An ex-Houston police officer on Friday swore he is “done” with private investigations after being arrested and charged with assaulting an air conditioning repairman he claimed was involved in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hotze spews some BS

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That could be a perennial headline, like a pinned tweet, but here it’s for a specific purpose. Conservative activist Steven Hotze said Wednesday he does not know if the former Houston police captain he hired to investigate voter fraud really … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The real danger of unhinged conspiracy theories

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Because sometimes malevolent people act them out, with potentially deadly consequences for others. An air conditioning repairman was driving in south Houston around 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 19 when a black SUV rammed the back of his truck. When he … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Why can’t we get our jail population down?

Posted on December 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I found this story from Thanksgiving weekend frustrating. Harris County’s efforts to reduce its jail population have flatlined, despite more than $7.5 million aimed at alleviating systemic burdens so that the county could attempt to reduce its inmates by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments