The Harris County District Attorney’s office has a dilemma, compounded by a conflict, in search of a guy name Brady. A month or so ago, there were rumblings around town that a Houston Police Department homicide detective was under investigation. On Friday, Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland, Jr. called this (former) police officer a liar and announced that the officer was fired. Of course, bad news always hits on a Friday.
Back on March 5, Jeremy Rogalski from Channel 11 reported that the homicide detective accused of sloppy work, Ryan Chandler, had received identical performance reviews. All four of Chandler’s performance reviews from 2011 and 2012 were “virtually identical.” They even included the same misspelling: “investigattions.”
On Friday, James Pinkerton reported in the Houston Chronicle that at least 24 homicide cases in the city of Houston were not investigated. Houston City Councilman Ed Gonzalez, a former HPD homicide detective, was recently in possession of pending homicide files. He told Pinkerton that he took the files with him when he left HPD for Houston City Council in 2009. Now we know that seven other officers from the homicide division have been disciplined for playing a role in the failure to investigate murder cases in Houston, Texas.
There is no question that, even at the outset, this was obviously a huge scandal. The actions of local law enforcement and a shared political consultant, Allen Blakemore, have turned the scandal into actions that require investigations by the Texas Rangers and a special prosecutor. It is not surprising to most that Allen Blakemore is the center of evil when it comes to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Unsolved homicide cases leave unidentified murderers on our streets and families without answers. So, who is investigating the actions (or inactions) of the Houston Police Department? Typically, the Harris County District Attorney’s office would investigate HPD’s behavior. Instead, the investigation was forwarded to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office at the request of the Harris County DA. This may have been done because Chandler is engaged to a Chief Prosecutor in charge of conviction review at the Harris County District Attorney’s office.
The new Harris County District Attorney, Devon Anderson, forwarded the investigation to Montgomery County District Attorney, Brett Ligon. Brett Ligon, an Allen Blakemore client, is also a former union attorney for the Houston Police Officers’ Union. So, now we know that Brett shares a political consultant with Devon Anderson. And they share their political consultant with the Houston Police Officers’ Union. And, before Brett was the Montgomery County District Attorney, he represented HPD officers on a full-time basis for almost ten years. Let me be clear, Brett Ligon represented HPD officers who were disciplined by the department or in trouble with the law. And, of course, Mike Anderson was endorsed by the HPOU. I did contact Jeff McShan, the spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s office on Friday and asked for an opportunity to speak with Devon about these issues. I have yet to hear back.
Mike Anderson campaigned on the restoration of integrity to the Harris County District Attorney’s office. After Devon was appointed by Governor Perry, her mouthpiece at the time, Chip Lewis, said that she would “continue the good work” done by Mike. So, wouldn’t you think that Devon would want to avoid even the appearance of impropriety? Why would she forward an investigation of Houston Police Department officers to a former HPOU lawyer? Did Brett Ligon ever represent any of the officers currently under investigation?
Do these disciplined officers continue to work in the homicide division? Do they continue to testify? Has the defense bar been notified about these problems and conflicts? Are these uninvestigated murder cases being reviewed and properly investigated? Are murderers roaming our streets because of law enforcement’s incompetence? Will these murder victims ever be acknowledged? If any of these cases ever go to trial, how will this situation be handled? Were officers paid to not investigate cases? Is that a crime?
The people of Houston deserve a truly independent investigation by the Texas Rangers and a neutral special prosecutor. Allen Blakemore cannot continue to use the courthouse and the District Attorney’s office as his playground. Blakemore controlled the District Attorney’s office through the Chuck Rosenthal administration and we saw the end of that story. It’s always the cover up that gets you.
Next up Chip Lewis’ 80 dismissals followed by Bat Vans revisited, part of the where are they now series.
Great reporting by Mike Morris and James Pinkerton, now we know one of the cases! http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Councilman-suspends-himself-over-homicide-case-5389658.php
Houston City Councilman Ed Gonzalez had the case file for 7 years, since he left homicide in 2007! Councilman Ed Gonzalez was elected 4 years ago.
Devon, you really need to call the Texas Rangers!
I wonder where Murray Newman is at Mr. Hooper? His blog should be burning this one up but not a word. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out!
Now, the Chronicle is calling for an independent investigation. Kudos to ace reporter James Pinkerton who has known for several days that a murderer escaped justice, likely because Gonzalez withheld the files in his possession. The questions are what did District Attorney Devon Anderson know and when did she know it?
It’s always the cover up and sometimes silence that gets you.
http://m.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/Investigate-the-Houston-Police-Department-5393679.php
Still waiting to hear from Jeff McShan about interviewing Devon Anderson. May have to catch up with her at an appearance somewhere. Do not fear Big Jolly’s ace reporter is on it.
Devon, Texas Ranger’s? This might be the feds.
Waiting on some reporters for the follow up, lots happening!
Life never ceases to amaze me. Still, I do not feel Devon Anderson is corrupt.
Joe,
It is relative. The question you need to ask yourself is Devon as bad as Matt Calley? We all have our standards.
Hi Don,
What equation should I reference concerning bad? (g)
Matthew Calley: Using $656,000 of money set aside for LEO’s and their families hold consequences out side of the judicially imposed sentence, what ever it may have been, and from the till of HPOU too boot.
The Liberals in the press rooms tend to irk me, and I am sure they rub you wrong as well when they focus on one or two bad apples, and while doing so, be they, cognizant of this fact or not, tarnish the good and the good guys & gals who ware a badge.
Devon Anderson: ? Sending a case out side of ones jurisdiction for investigation/adjudication might point to an ethical desire to avoid any conflict of interest if one may exist real or inferred.
Stealing $656,000 is not speculation. What I have read, even if it were possibly factual, without “the money” so to say, it is pure speculation. Speculation is a right we all can utilize and often makes for great fiction..
If you feel there is a conspiracy underway …
Under common law, a member of a conspiracy can be held vicariously liable for the crimes of his co-conspirators if the crimes committed by the co-conspirators were foreseeable and if they were committed with the intent of furthering the objective of the conspiracy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Don.
Joe
Joe,
Sending the case to Ligon was no accident. As a former employee of the union sending the investigation to him was pure amateur hour. The media is on to it. I have been there since the news broke about Ryan Chandler. The whole 185th thing was about getting rid of Pat because the HPOU remembered the Calley incident. No way could Pat know about the homocide division scandal. Of course the 185th BS makes sense now. Anderson has done ok so far burying it. I do believe it is blowing up one revelation at a time. There is a lot more to come. Watch the Chronicle, Big Jolly, and of course right here.
I always thought the HPOU board low was when they all plead the 5th and obstructed the Calley investigation. Who knew it was the tip of the iceberg?
Only a d.o.j intervention will get a true look