Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I told you I had a hot and specific prediction on the outcome of the murder trial going in Wise County and the first part came true yesterday when the jury convicted the defendant after rejecting his self-defense claim. The punishment phase begins today. Remember this guy was certified to stand trial as an adult since he was 15 at the time of the incident. 
  
• The range of punishment on the case is 5 to life. If the jury is asked if he committed the offense under "sudden passion" and they agree, the range becomes 2 to 20 years. (The Texas legislature for some reason eliminated the option of probation for the offense of murder in 2007 under any circumstances.) 
• In monitoring Wise County speeding tickets filed in Wise County justice courts so far this year, I've got these fun facts:
• I've noted 24 instances where someone was ticketed for going 100 miles per hour or more. 
• The record holder is a guy who was clocked at 122. (You can look him up under cause number JP1-C-244163.) 
• Shockingly, one guy got a ticket -- not a warning -- for going 42 in a 40 mph zone. (CR-19-00877-2)
• Of the 1,528 speeding tickets written, only 26 were for speeds less than 10 mph over the speed limit.
• Well Whistleblower-gate blew up last night. Here's what we've got: We've known for days that a "whistleblower" saw and/or heard Trump say something which disturbed him so much that he filed a report. Applicable government agencies have been fighting whether Congress and the public should see the report. It is now appears to be undisputed that the report is about: (1) Trump had multiple conversations with leader(s) of the Ukraine (2) where he said he would withhold military aid of $250 million of your taxpayer money -- your money -- not his, (3) Unless they worked to provide dirt on Joe Biden in order to help Trump's 2020 campaign.  Folks, that ain't good. And it is simple and understandable. 
  
• And while all this was blowing up, Trump thought it was a good idea to send the worst lawyer in the world, Rudy Giuliani, onto CNN's Chris Cuomo's show to diffuse the breaking scandal. It did not go well as Rudy was a rambling madman from the start. And then it got worse . . . 
  
• Rudy's has been traveling to the Ukraine over the last several months. 
• "Of course" he said when asked if he requested the Ukraine to investigate Biden on behalf of the President. (What an idiot.) And that jaw-dropping admission occurred seconds after denying it.
• I've never seen so many people immediately react by comparing him to Colonial Jessup on the witness stand in A Few Good Men admitting to ordering the Code Red.
• CNN, realizing it had gold, kept the cameras rolling, ignored commercial breaks, and let Rudy go on for about 25 straight minutes
• Rudy even resorted to the "so what if Trump did it?" defense.
• A very funny(?) collection of reaction from Twitter of Giuliani's appearance is here.
• Edit: If you don't want to watch the interview, here's a quality comedy re-creation. 
• A $500 fine to someone homeless will certainly solve this problem. 
  
• The Texas Rangers were not called into investigate the shooting and killing of a fleeing man by a Denton County deputy. Instead, the Denton police were called in. Why? Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree said, “The Denton Police Department is just as capable of conducting that review as the Rangers.”
• My Cousin Vinny, which I really like, wouldn't have been quite the same if the defendants had been black. Wrongfully accused black men in the South with a white country prosecutor and a crotchety old white judge isn't exactly a funny premise. (Even if they are "yutes.")