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Prosecutor Stands Up To Judge

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April 27, 2009, 19:43
AlexLayman
Prosecutor Stands Up To Judge
If I read the story correctly the new charge wasn't a new offense but rather an ammendment or supplemental charge stemming from the ongoing police investigation.
April 28, 2009, 11:39
WHM
True, but I think the victim's complaint is that the court had the opportunity to keep the defendant in jail by setting a new bond, but instead he took the position that it would be unfair to put him back in jail after he posted bond on a charge arising from the same transaction. Both arguments have merit, since we don't necessarily want to give the prosecution the incentive to file bogus new charges just to override a bond decision, but we also don't want judges to PR bond valid new charges for more serious crimes just because the defendant lucked out and got a low bond on a less serious charge before all the facts were in. How you come down on this case I think depends on how you view the facts, which the story does not really flesh out too much.
December 02, 2009, 07:41
JB
State District Judge Charlie Baird, whose term in Travis County has included a first-of-its-kind posthumous exoneration, a protracted feud with local prosecutors and a propensity to give defendants in his court probation, said Tuesday that he will not run for re-election next year.

Details.
March 01, 2010, 09:24
Shannon Edmonds
quote:
Originally posted by JB:

State District Judge Charlie Baird, who on Friday said he would wait a year to decide whether former Austin criminal defense lawyer Bruce Garrison should go to prison on charges that he possessed drugs and forged judges' signatures on court documents, once received a campaign contribution from Garrison, according to campaign finance reports.
Statesman article


Update:

Former lawyer avoids jail time on drug, forgery allegations

Updated: 2:36 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010

No jail for ex-defense lawyer

A former Travis County criminal defense lawyer was sentenced Friday to two years deferred adjudication, a form of probation, for forging judges' signatures on court documents and possessing drugs.

Prosecutors had sought a year in jail for Bruce Garrison, who they argued at a sentencing hearing last year had disseminated information about clients cooperating with police, a practice lawyers said could have led to violent retribution.

One former drug kingpin testified at a sentencing hearing last year that he had smoked methamphetamine with Garrison and had made a deal with the then lawyer in 2006: In exchange for drugs, Garrison would give Noe Perez information on the arrests of Perez's associates and whether they were cooperating with police.

The full story
March 01, 2010, 09:55
JB
Just clearing out that docket for the next judge.