Thanks for the insight I’m a newbie, only having been down at the courthouse for about 13 years, and never got to practice before Judge Lykos.

Last time, Lykos first stated plans was to reform and expand Victim/ Witness (who in my opinion already does a good Job)and merge Family Violence with Child Abuse while opening channels with State channels to increase local prosecutions forcriminal non-support.

I could be wrong on this but i seem to recall she also wanted to create a Liason position with CPS and replace County Attorney’s with Prosecutors to increase prosecution in child abuse/abandonment cases.

She also at the time had a Grand Vision of expanding all the social service aspects of the prosecutors office (this was pre-drug court if i recall) with as many increased alternatives to incarceration as she could find funding for.

Hence, my probation department crack.

and I am one of the little dogs down at the Harris County Courthouse and am very happy in anonymity

What do you mean when you say “an extension of the probation department”?

I won’t go into my reasons that I no longer support her other than to say i fear the DA’s office would become an extension of the probation department and politically the Republic Women’s groups which were once her mainstay are no longer as active nor do they have the grassroots drive they once had.

Your view of Lykos seems to be shared by much of the bench and the defense bar. I never practiced before her; what’s the problem with Lykos?

Incidentally, feel free to give yourself a pseudonym so that we know it’s you (whoever you are).

In order of preference, ranked by my perception of the positive change they will bring to Harris County’s criminal justice system (rather than of their entertainment value or how my clients will benefit) and subject to change:

Leitner
Lykos
Bradford
Siegler

A DA should be a trial lawyer (because he needs to lead a bunch of trial lawyers, and I don’t see trial lawyers following someone who hasn’t walked the walk). Leitner and Siegler are the two trial lawyers on that list; Pat Lykos may have tried some criminal cases as a lawyer before she was a judge, but I’m not yet certain.

A DA should also be an administrator. We had a taste of Bradford’s administrative skills when he was Chief; I’ll pass, thank you. I don’t know about Jim’s or Kelly’s administrative skills, but I’m putting Kelly dead last on this list, even behind Bradford, because she’s part of Chuck’s inner circle. Regardless of how much joy the Rosenthal/Siegler administration has brought to my simple life in the last couple of weeks, it’s time for a big change instead of four more years of “different mustache, same principles”.