Jim Leitner

Friday, October 19, 2012. Jim Leitner’s last day as First Assistant District Attorney at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Jim is board certified in criminal law with three decades of experience as a prosecutor, defense lawyer, and appellate attorney. After serving as a Harris County Assistant District Attorney, Jim served as the First Assistant District Attorney in Bell and Lampasas counties. Additionally, Jim retired as a Commander with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves after 26 years of service. He was activated during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

This is the resume of the man who has led the Harris County District Attorney’s Office over the last four years. What this resume does not say is the fact that Jim Leitner is an honorable, genuine, and good human being and lawyer.

During the demise of Chuck Rosenthal in 2007 – 2008, multiple prosecutors and “leaders” at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office begged Jim to run for District Attorney. “Please run – you are our only chance,” said many of them. After prayer and consideration, Leitner made the decision to seek the office of Harris County District Attorney. Quickly afterwards, the majority of the prosecutors abandoned Leitner’s campaign and placed their support behind their gal, Kelly Siegler. After Pat Lykos defeated Siegler, the prosecutors began begging Leitner to serve as First Assistant in a Lykos administration because they saw that as their “only way.”

Again, after prayer and consideration, Leitner abandoned a very successful criminal defense practice and took the position of First Assistant. Within days, the same prosecutors who begged him to run for District Attorney and serve as First Assistant turned on him. Of course, the leader of that group was Louis Murat “Murray” Newman IV, an individual who was twice fired from the office. After Lykos was elected, Leitner told Newman and approximately fifteen other staff members that they would not be retained in a Lykos administration. Newman responded by posting this [as posted – no grammatical corrections made]:

On the 12 Days of Christmas, Pat Lykos gave to the Harris County Assistant DAs:

12 jurors chosen witout a preemptive strike used by the state;

11 free “crooked cop passes” from Mr. Police Integrity himself……Clint Greenwood;

10 internal memos re: unprofessionalism of reading toxic, antiregime blogs at work;

9 new ashtrays for the 6th floor smoking lounge;

8 days of Lykos Hell every single week;

7 insulted yarmulka-wearing witnesses;

6 emails from my family wanting an explanation for why I won’t be visiting as planned for New Years;

5 new pantsuits;

4 free tickets for a reception on January 1, 2009 that I’m forced to attend;

3 washed out judges;

2 Leitner balls; and

A little troll from a spider hole….

Following this post, Ken Magidson, the interim District Attorney, fired Newman. So, from that moment forward, Newman began posting grotesque untruths about Lykos, Leitner, and anyone perceived to be affiliated with the Lykos administration. This included multiple posts about Leitner’s genitals and even cruel posts about his wonderful wife and family.

It is now clear that, from the beginning, the same prosecutors who begged Leitner to run and serve as First Assistant worked against him and every “friend” of the Lykos administration. Even individuals working as “leaders” within the office have steadily worked against Leitner simply to prove the point that they run the courthouse. Within minutes of a meeting inside the office, the certain specific details would be published on Newman’s blog. This occurred time and time again – even with sensitive data.

At this point, a reader with no link to the courthouse may think that this is simply a “he said, she said” and choose to not “take sides.” Let me offer this piece of evidence that, I believe, will make you change your mind.

On Sunday, July 26, 2009, at 11:00 a.m., someone from inside of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office accessed Leitner’s computer and served him with a warning.

So, someone who is tasked with providing justice to our community accessed Leitner’s computer and told him that the “war” over the courthouse was not over. If this sounds too ridiculous to be true, I agree with you that it is ridiculous; but, unfortunately, this political war over the courthouse is real. Now, maybe you can understand that the use of the 185th Grand Jury as a political weapon was true as well.

It is important to me that the public has access to the truth about Leitner and the other honest leaders within the Lykos administration. Newman and many bad actors within the office have worked to bring dishonor based upon lies to many good people and, unfortunately, Jim is just one example.

The people of Harris County lose with his exit from the office. The people who have systematically spread lies and undermined his leadership, including Mike Anderson and Murray Newman, owe Harris County citizens and Jim Leitner an apology. Certain members of the media, including Ted Oberg, owe Jim Leitner and our citizens an apology for serving as surrogates of these individuals.

I wish Jim the very best.

(Updated) Murray Newman,Special Prosecutors, and Motion for new trial! (Updated)

185th Blogger and Anderson supporter

After all of Murray Newman’s misdeeds, Newman now dares to accuse the DA’s office of misconduct in the appointment of a special prosecutor following the revelation of evidence pointing to a defendant’s innocence. Secret grand jury information out of the 185th regularly appeared on his blog, you would have thought he was on the grand jury.

In all of Murray’s diatribes, he failed to mentioned the cozy relationship between Trisha Pollard, the grand juryforeman of the 185th, to Mike Anderson and his wife Devon Anderson. Murray never mentioned Stephen St. Martin’s large financial contribution to Kelly Siegler’s campaign. Judge Susan Brown’s payment of $3,000 to Devon Anderson. Stephen St. Martin and Jim Mount’s roles in the 185th grand jury will go down as one of the most disgusting occurrences in Harris County history. The 185th Grand Jury was nothing more than a photo op for the Mike Anderson campaign and the results of this grand jury speak for themselves.

The filing states that Kelly, in the least, failed to provide the defense with exculpatory evidence.The more important question is for Murray’s clients: Does your lawyer believe in prosecutors withholding exculpatory evidence? Judges you may want to think this through before appointing this fool.

(Updated)

Kelly and Paul playing make believe

So now we have all the players on the field and it seems the witness has representation, Paul Doyle. You may remember Paul Doyle as the straddlee from the first Susan Wright trial. Riley Joe Sanders has a lawyer too, Chip Lewis. Now, how is it that the witness and the stoned neighbor end up with these fine lawyers? Did Riley Joe have a lawyer at the trial? Did the witness see the People magazine article about Paul and Kelly, figure out that Paul is now a defense lawyer, and give him a call?Did Riley see Chip on Kelly’s campaign finance report and think to give him a call? I do agree with Paul on one thing, something certainly stinks and it isn’t Dick DeGuerin.  Stay tuned…………………………..

Legal Fees

Defending yourself from political corruption can be expensive. It is entirely dependent on the nature and motivation of your adversary.

We now know that some very desperate people were willing to create a completely bogus grand jury “investigation” to unseat Judge Lykos and get their guy-of-the-moment, Mike Anderson, elected. Naturally, an evil plot produces victims and Steve Morris was certainly a victim.

It is outrageous that a public servant does not have legal protection from this sort of illegal activity. For some reason, prosecutors are not protected from legal expenses incurred while performing job duties.

Steve Morris absolutely has the right to recover his legal expenses from the unethical activities surrounding the 185th grand jury. The contempt allegation was completely false. The sole purpose of that grand jury was to provide photo ops for the Anderson campaign. This is similar to the single purpose of Ted Oberg’s reporting: to provide clips for Anderson’s commercials.

As the supervisors over the grand jury division, Steve Morris and Carl Hobbs were on the front line of the battle against grand jury corruption. There was never any truth to the allegation that Carl Hobbs or Steve Morris did anything wrong. Susan Brown knew this too and recused herself to save the embarrassment of Randy Schaeffer revealing the bogus show cause motion and contempt filing. The fact that Brown recused herself and a special prosecutor was appointed gave Murray and the morons another opportunity to fuss about a special prosecutor. God bless Steve Morris and all of the victims of the 185th smear job.

For some unknown reason, Chip “Taliban” Lewis appeared before Commissioners Court last week to protest reimbursement to Morris. Lewis claimed that “Mike Anderson’s money” should never be given to Morris because the contempt was dismissed and that certainly did not mean innocent. Lewis clients on the go forward your guilty unless a jury says your innocent. That is an awfully big opinion from someone who is not registered to vote in Harris County. As a non-voter, maybe Lewis does not understand that a general election will be held in November.

Of course, only one local news channel covered the request for reimbursement. Can you guess which one? I will give you a hint and you can guess the number 1-13 and 1-12 don’t count.

The “folks” who orchestrated the illegal grand jury investigation, along with Oberg, should pay the legal fees incurred by all of the victims.

Mike Anderson PR consultant

Steve Morris and Carl Hobbs, case dismissed insufficient evidence, where is the justice!



Carl Hobbs showed my wife his dismissal for his contempt proceeding in the 185th.  Checked off on the dismissal was insufficient evidence as the reason, to bad there is not a category for no evidence.  I know Carl, and he is a great guy and no one had their reputations dragged through the mud more than he and Steve Morris.  When this happened it was on the front page of the paper and Ted Oberg was insinuating Carl and Steve were the Watergate burglars based on his coverage.  The facts are that it was a completely bogus show cause order written by a very politically biased Judge.  And, now you have to ask yourself why was this done and it brings us back full circle on the runaway 185th Grand Jury.

Carl and Steve desperately tried to protect the integrity of the grand jury.  These men tried to stop the corruption of what was about to take place.  See to make Anderson’s smear job work Judge Susan Brown, Judge Marc Brown and Mike Anderson had to remove the prosecutors from the room.  There was simply no other way they could perpetuate the corruption with honest men present.  I have always found it more than coincidental that Judge Marc Brown appeared before his own wife’s Grand Jury, and Shazam Stephen St. Martin and Jim Mount were appointed the special prosecutors for the 185th grand jury.  You have to include Billy Belk in the scheme.  He was the investigator hired by St. Martin and Mount. Belk works out of Rusty Hardin’s office.  Yes, that guy who was on the host committee for Mike Anderson’s fundraiser.  Now we know the whole thing was bogus from the get go.  Carl and Steve were entirely correct in their actions and so you are left with the purpose of the 185th Grand Jury or lack thereof.   These men tried to protect my wife, the residents of Harris County, and the DA’s office from the corruption that is Mike Anderson’s campaign.

Judge Susan Brown sought to recuse herself from this hearing after the problems were pointed out to her concerning the show cause order, smart.  I found it ironic that time was of the essence to get a Judge appointed to hear Rachel’s recusal, it was done within a couple of hours.  Carl and Steve had to wait months and the timing fell on the day before super Tuesday.  It is funny and I kept kidding Carl that he would never have his hearing and if he did it would be after the election, Murray write that down, Don was wrong.  Mike Anderson will always blame his loss on the delayed primary, thank you redistricting and a few Judges in San Antonio.   So the question remains will the Judicial Conduct Review Committee hold Judge Susan Brown accoutable for her actions. There was nothing in the show cause order that she wrote that was correct or true, well she may have gotten her court right?  Brad Beers represented the court reporters, Randy Schaffer represented Steve Morris and, Bill Hawkins represented Carl Hobbs.  All the lawyers staunchly defended the innocence of their clients and would not be bullied by Susan Brown.  All demanded a hearing for their clients.  Funny how God does not ugly or corruption.  Congratulations to all four and thank you for trying to protect Rachel.  You all are good honorable people who every day go to the Harris County Criminal Court House and give it your all.  Carl and Steve are part of the crowd at the DA’s office who lose sleep over the thought they may put an innocent person in jail.  Mike Anderson, Stephen St. Martin, Jim Mount, Billy Belk, Murray Newman, Luci Davidson, Brad Hart, and Kristen Guinney do not fall into the category and are sleeping like babies with innocent people going to jail.

I can’t decide which photo I like better of Mike Anderson, with or without the mustache.  Please let me know which one you think is best.  I kind of like the RosenthaI as I call it that I used in the last post, but I have noticed quite of few Anderson supporters have shaved theirs?