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Ten years ago the Tea Party was a big player (and still is, I suppose, since the Republican Party seems to have morphed into the Tea Party.) And ten years later, JPs still can't issue search warrants for blood. The reference to "Wise County ties" refers to a local prosecutor testifying in favor of the bill in Austin.
- According to today's Messenger, the Bridgeport High School principal has called it quits because of an "offensive comment" made during a "meeting", but for some reason she won't disclose what it was. If it is that big of deal, tell us. We need to know.
- Breaking: Allen West just resigned as Texas GOP Chairman.
- All lanes of LBJ freeway in Dallas were shut down this morning because of a wreck involving a police car and a Maserati. What was the Edgewood police officer doing there some 60 miles away from that town? He's "working off duty" but using an Edgewood police car?
- George P. Bush campaign giveaways demonstrate he is kneeling hard at the Alter of Trump. Enlarge here.
- So it's not a good idea to give a Black employee an award during a Christmas party for being the “Least likely to be seen in the dark”? Yep, that's what happened.
- Under the new Texas budget, Game Wardens with only 4 years of experience are getting a 12% raise to a salary of $73,000.
- Here are salaries for DPS troopers:
- Legal nerd stuff with Wise County relevance: Yesterday evening, the Fort Worth Court of Appeals affirmed a local drug conviction. The entire appeal was based on whether a Wise County Sheriff's Deputy had the right to "frisk" the defendant who was simply detained -- a right which is dependent upon whether the deputy feared for his safety. During the frisk, the deputy found the dope, so if the frisk was illegal because he didn't fear for his safety, the dope couldn't be used against the defendant. Deputy Chad Lanier, this is your big day since the court ruled on your side. (For legal practitioners in the area, it's a good summary on "stop and frisk" law from our local appellate court -- a legal subject which I know for a fact has been pounded into the heads of local officers by a particular Wise County prosecutor.)
- Very legal nerd stuff and kind of interesting: The appellate court, on its own, noticed that the judgement said that the enhancement paragraph were "Not True." Without a written finding of "True" by the trial judge, the defendant's sentence of 40 years would be illegal. However, the appellate court, again, on its own, just hauled off and changed it to "True" (page 29) even though the Reporter's Record of the proceedings did not reveal what the defendant's plea was to the enhancement allegations (footnote 14 at page 10.)
- Come again? He has videos on YouTube, you say?
- Random sinkhole in Mexico.
- Hot sports opinion: The College World Series of softball began yesterday, and it is easily a Top Five sporting event of the year. The double elimination format needs to be used in pro sports. (And unranked James Madison beating #1 OU was as good as any MLB game you'll see all year.) Current bracket.
- It's the birthday of the Mayor of Decatur -- something I've always remembered because it's on 6/4 and he is 6'4" tall.
- Time which has passed since the Wise County Sheriff's Office has failed to solve the murder of Lauren Whitener in her home at Lake Bridgeport: 700 days.
- Messenger: Above the Fold
