Harris County D.A. Candidate C.O. “Brad” Bradford will be appearing on HCCLA’s Reasonable Doubt television show with Todd Dupont and Tate Williams this evening from 8 to 9 p.m. on Comcast Channel 17 in Houston.
Call in with your questions for Brad.
Posted in Harris County DA. . . you have your HR officer send out a bulk email explaining the procedure for resigning:
From: Walker, Gale
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 4:31 PM
To: All DA Employees
Subject: Resigned Employees…
Friendly Reminder…
Re: Letter of Resignation
All Employees of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (including Summer Paid Interns) are required to submit a preferred two-week notice of resignation. Upon notification of resignation, please have the Employee send an official Letter of Resignation, addressed to: District Attorney, Ken Magidson. When Payroll receives the approved notice of resignation, an Exit Check List will be prepared for the Employee to turn in on their last official work day.
Thank You,
Gale Walker
Harris County District Attorney’s Office
Human Resource Officer
713-755-8287
Query: are employees who fail to follow the proper procedure required to keep working at the DA’s Office?
(And are these the “resigned” employees referred to in the subject line?)
Posted in Harris County DA, Sinking ShipsOne question that prosecutors in Harris County are overly fond of asking jurors is this:
If we only present one witness, but based on that witness’s testimony you believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty, can you convict him?
The prosecutors then gleefully challenge, for cause, all of the jurors who say “no.”
It is (the courts have held) a legitimate commitment question — because in order to serve on the jury, the jurors must be able to commit to convicting if they find the accused guilty beyond a reasonable doubt — but it’s only a legitimate commitment question on paper.
The problem with the question in the courtroom is that it’s hard for most people to assume something that they don’t think is possible.
The question requires a juror to assume that the State can prove its case to her beyond a reasonable doubt with a single witness. Many jurors can’t see themselves believing a single witness beyond a reasonable doubt (there’s Biblical precedent). Asking those jurors the “one-witness rule” question (there is no “one-witness rule) is unfair because it’s asking them to believe something that they consider impossible.
Most people aren’t trained to question authority by rejecting the premises of a prosecutor’s question. If you ask a person a question that contains an invalid premise, then insist on a yes-or-no answer, you’ll get a “no.” It’s a sneaky question, it’s unfair to the jurors, and it’s inelegant.
Such gamesmanship is beneath those who are obligated to see that justice is done.
Posted in Harris County DA, Lawyering By The Numbers, jury selection