Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

You know who I was referring to? Ethan Couch. The same Ethan Couch who was not yet infamously known as the "Affluenza Kid." It all started 10 years ago. 

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• We have a jury verdict in the Intoxication Manslaughter case in Wise County: 10 years probation.  Quick synopsis: It involved a wrong way driver by an 64 year old man with health problems and with no apparent criminal history. But the case was complicated because there was no alcohol involved, yet the State successfully alleged he was intoxicated due to medication. 
• The case has local interest because the person killed,  Nikki Etter, 36, of Boyd, was the daughter of Jerry Miller who is the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Decatur.  
• The defense lawyer is listed as Phillip Hayes out of Dallas. 
• Note: The judge is the one who sets the terms of the probation, and he imposed four months incarceration in the Wise County Jail as a condition of that probation. It is required by statute. (That's now in art. 42A.401(a)(5) for the legal nerds out there.) 
• The crazy murder case in Dallas continued yesterday with the Defendant taking the stand.  She is very smooth and very articulate, but I don't think she is telling the truth. But I also have a reasonable doubt about her guilt. 
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
• That's a big headline and the story says the candy was tested for THC. But the results were negative so we don't know what's going on with these middle school kids. 
  
  
  
• Former Dallas DA Craig Watkins is dead at an early age. (No cause of death mentioned.)  His office did some good things as DA but, as a lawyer, he didn't know what he was doing. He snuck into office by being lucky enough to run at the exact moment that Dallas suddenly flipped from Republican to Democrat. But rest in peace. 
  

  
  
  
  
  
• After the world has long since figured out that NFTs are a scam, Trump unveiled some new ones yesterday. And the video of him promoting them seems like a parody.  (But if you spend $5,000, you can get a special extra card.)
  
  
  
• I saw this cryptic post yesterday about state rep Jeff Leach being involved in some law enforcement confrontation in Collin County, but I can't find anything else about it. I'm very interested. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Even Ann Coulter has turned on Texas Republicans for their Draconian abortion position. 
  
  
  
• Interesting view of the former basketball arena at UT which is currently being torn down. 
  
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff involving bad lawyers (as always, click to enlarge.)
• A court is mad after a lawyer filed nude photos in the public court file:
  
  
  
• A court is mad because a lawyer filed a pleading with AI made up case cites.
  
  
  
• Trump's lawyer's in an appeal in the DC Circuit cite Dr. Suess:
  
  
  
• The Business Second™: A new half billon dollar hotel will be built by Jerry World and Globe Life Park. 
  
  
  
• The Texas High School football playoffs start today at 11:00 a.m. It's on Bally Sports if you are lucky enough to have it. The first two games are six-man.