Category Archives: Crime and Punishment

Police raid Jared Woodfill’s office

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, my. Authorities on Monday raided the law office of former Harris County Republican Party chairman Jared Woodfill. Investigators with the Harris County District Attorney’s office wheeled carts of documents from Woodfill’s office at 3 Riverway at least an hour … Continue reading →

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Stockman gets ten years

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Fitting. Former Congressman Steve Stockman, a Tea Party stalwart who represented East Texas during two non-consecutive terms, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Wednesday for his role in a wide-ranging scheme that included a spy operation aimed … Continue reading →

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You know, there is a cheaper way to do this

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Why are we still outsourcing inmates? County commissioners next week will consider a proposal to outsource inmates to the Fort Bend County Jail, which would allow Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez to slow — but not stop — the flow … Continue reading →

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How many police forces do we need?

Posted on September 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an age-old question. Harris County could save millions of dollars a year by consolidating overlapping law enforcement agencies, from sharing technological resources to reallocating duties from constables to the sheriff’s department, according to a report by the Kinder Institute … Continue reading →

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Arkema indictments

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This will cause a stir. A Harris County grand jury on Friday indicted the French chemical company Arkema and two executives for the “reckless” release of toxic chemicals during Hurricane Harvey last August, a move that alarmed industry leaders and … Continue reading →

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The Schlitterbahn story

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly does its thing on Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry and the criminal charges that stemmed from the death of an 11-year-old boy on the biggest ride at the park in Kansas City. Investigators and detectives from the Kansas City … Continue reading →

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Darian Ward indicted on charge of violating public information laws

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s former press secretary, Darian Ward, was indicted by a grand jury this week for failing to turn over public records in response to a reporter’s request late last year. The indictment, handed up Tuesday but released … Continue reading →

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Larry Nasser indicted in Walker County

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something, but it’s not enough. A Walker County grand jury Friday indicted two former USA Gymnastics officials, disgraced physician Larry Nassar and athletic trainer Debra Van Horn, in conjunction with Nassar’s sexual abuse of gymnasts at the Karolyi Ranch … Continue reading →

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Don’t expect a Ken Paxton trial to happen this year

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Delays, delays, nothing but delays. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was indicted for fraud nearly three years ago but is unlikely to go on trial before Election Day. Paxton’s trials are on hold while the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decides whether the prosecutors on the case are … Continue reading →

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Uresti gets 12 years

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Harsh, but hardly unfair. Standing before a federal judge in a San Antonio courtroom on Tuesday afternoon, former state Sen. Carlos Uresti was contrite. “I truly feel remorseful, ashamed, disappointed, disgraced, angry at myself and sad,” Uresti told the court, … Continue reading →

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In which we try again to eliminate a rape kit backlog

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

How exactly did we get here? The city’s independent crime lab on Tuesday announced an ambitious plan to clear a backlog of hundreds of rape kits and other DNA evidence, the latest effort to rein in a recurring problem that … Continue reading →

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Carlos Uresti resigns

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

About fscking time. Finally heeding calls from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, state Sen. Carlos Uresti announced his resignation Monday, four months after he was found guilty of 11 felonies. The news comes just over a week … Continue reading →

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No set-aside for Stockman

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Stevie. A Texas federal judge has declined to set aside a jury’s conviction of former U.S. Rep. Stephen Stockman, R-Texas, who was found guilty in April of funneling what were solicited as charitable contributions into accounts that funded political … Continue reading →

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Who watches the anonymous tipsters?

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Am I the only one who sees the potential for problems with this? Want a safe way to anonymously report suspicious activity at your neighborhood school to prevent a potential school shooting? There’s an app for that. In light of … Continue reading →

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The problem with more cops in schools

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t had anything to say so far about Greg Abbott’s proposed responses to the Santa Fe school shooting. There isn’t much to say about it – these are a bunch of small changes around the margins, all while scrupulously … Continue reading →

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Stockman remains in custody

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

So sorry. A federal judge ruled for the second time that former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman is a flight risk and ordered him to remain in federal custody while he awaits sentencing in an elaborate $1.25 million fraud scheme. Chief … Continue reading →

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Stockman asks for his verdict to be set aside

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Never know till you ask, right? Attorneys representing former U.S. Rep. Stephen Stockman, R-Texas, who was found guilty in April of funneling what were solicited as charitable contributions into accounts that instead funded political campaigns and personal expenses, have asked … Continue reading →

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CCA refuses to hear Ron Reynolds’ appeal

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting awfully close to midnight. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to review state Rep. Ron Reynolds’ criminal conviction and one-year jail sentence, according to online court records. The Missouri City Democrat had asked the court to … Continue reading →

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Will the AG get involved in the Karolyi case?

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The gymnasts who were victimized by Larry Nasser at the Karolyi Ranch would like to see a higher level of action. The Texas Attorney General’s Office should take the steps of the Michigan attorney general in aggressively pursuing charges against … Continue reading →

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Reducing solitary confinement

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is good. Almost five years after images surfaced of a mentally ill inmate wallowing in a cell full of human waste and bugs, the Harris County jail has cut in half its use of solitary confinement. The decrease is … Continue reading →

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Stockman convicted

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Turn out the lights, the party’s over. Former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman — a political maverick once viewed as a champion of right-wing causes — was taken into federal custody Thursday after a jury convicted him of masterminding a wide-ranging … Continue reading →

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Orlando Sanchez is not happy with the dominatrix investigation

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This case is going to challenge headline and blog post title writers for the foreseeable future. Two elected Harris County officials squared off Tuesday over a bizarre case in which a top treasury official was charged in a $35,000 check … Continue reading →

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Stockman trial: Off to the jury

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Please return a verdict. The defense team for former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman told jurors Monday the ex- GOP lawmaker did not plot a massive fraud scheme, but said the government should have targeted two wealthy conservative donors for making … Continue reading →

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Misdemeanor diversion

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds good to me. Houston’s non-violent misdemeanor offenders will soon be cleaning up trash and invasive plant species plants along Buffalo Bayou in an initiative to help offenders clear up their criminal record, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced … Continue reading →

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The most interesting story related to the County Treasurer’s office you may ever read

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, yeah. A top administrator at the Harris County Treasurer’s Office charged with stealing money from a county credit union told investigators he was using the funds to pay off a dominatrix he met online who was trying to blackmail … Continue reading →

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Stockman trial update: Defense rests

Posted on April 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And we’re done. The defense rested its case Thursday in ex-GOP congressman Steve Stockman’s federal campaign fraud trial, after calling only two witnesses who together testified for less than an hour. The former Republican lawmaker from Clear Lake told the … Continue reading →

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Stockman trial update: The prosecution abides

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From Monday: The second of two key government witnesses took the stand late Monday in Houston in the federal fraud trial of former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman, telling jurors his main duty on the ex-lawmaker’s staff was to “just do … Continue reading →

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This is not how you secure elections

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is atrocious. If she had known it was illegal, Crystal Mason said she would have never cast a vote in the 2016 presidential election. The 43-year-old former tax preparer hadn’t even planned on voting until her mother encouraged her … Continue reading →

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Stockman trial update: Tanning salons and dolphin boat rides

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I love this trial so much. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, about the grifter we all deserve. Former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman spent $450,000 in charitable funds from an East Coast philanthropist on personal expenses including dolphin boat … Continue reading →

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The prosecution keeps piling on Steve Stockman

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From Monday: A fundraising director who quit and returned most of his salary after four days as an employee of ex-U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman characterized the work environment as “horrific” for Washington, D.C., interns, according to his testimony in the … Continue reading →

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The Stockman trial gets weird

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, with Steve Stockman you have to expect some weird crap, but I didn’t see this coming. The American Phoenix Foundation — a now-defunct conservative activist groupknown for attempting undercover stings of lawmakers and lobbyists — planted an intern in … Continue reading →

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Stockman trial update

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From Tuesday: “This case is the story of how the defendant over the course of four years exploited the trust and charity of others to pull off a massive scam,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Heberle, of the Justice Department’s public … Continue reading →

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Steve Stockman’s trial has begun

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Hope you have your popcorn ready. A year after he was charged with running a wide-ranging scheme to divert charitable donations to pay for campaign and personal expenses, former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman is scheduled to begin a month-long trial … Continue reading →

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Stockman’s trial set to start

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready. Former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman stood before a federal judge in a mostly empty Houston courtroom Friday and confirmed he wants a jury to decide if he diverted nearly $1.25 million in charitable donations intended for conservative organizations. … Continue reading →

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