Dang, police dog or not, you need to feed the dog!! Coke cans are hard on the digestive system and play havoc on metal detectors!

Seriously, what was his role? drugs, cadavers, all-purpose? Sounds like a great guardian.

JAS

Bronco Billy is trained as a narcotics dog. Pretty much whatever Bronco Billy finds on the ground gets eaten. The first day I met him, after my husband was assigned this dog, he was showing me Bronco at the station, Bronco found a coke can & chewed it up. All the while my husband is yelling at him in German to stop (he responds to German commands) which Bronco promptly ignored. Not the most auspicious introduction to say the least. However, Bronco has now moved on to children's toys, the siding on our house etc. for his chewing enjoyment! But we love him anyway.

Bronco Billy sounds very cool. It's the smart dogs that require constant stimulation, which results in siding chewing, if that's any consolation. Like Terry Breen, I believe in having at least one good dog that is protection sized. I've been blessed with several large dogs that were as loyal as they could be. Very protective of mom and the kids.

And once again, true humor from Mr. Brumley and it is that which is based upon real life. ROFLOL! I remember my childhood barber was an Amway Convert, and would bug my dad to tears (or tiers, since it is a pyramid scheme) trying to sell him stuff and make him a seller. For years it continued and his earnest but ultimately unsuccessful sales pitch lasted until we moved to the other side of town and no longer visited him.

From my perspective it sounds pretty scary to put your life and that of your family in jeopardy everyday. I am thinking about prosecution after I get out of school so I try and figure in all of the consequences pertaining to this career choice. Also, if you do get threatened wouldn't you immediately have an officer arrest the person(s) for making a terroristic threat?

Dealing with threats from those who don't like what you do is simply part of the profession as a whole, not just prosecution. Reflecting on my time in private practice and as a prosecutor, I think I was threatened more often as a private practitioner than as a prosecutor. Whether a retaliation or terroristic threat viably comes out of someone running their mouth will depend on their present capacity to carry out the threat. But I don't think anyone in this profession ignores the potential risk inherent in a threat such as that being discussed here.

With that said, I don't have a CHL (though I have a healthy collection of long guns). I do have a 100-plus pound Great Pyrenees in the backyard. She loves the kids and wife, but is suspicious of just about everyone else. She, too, is a chewer. I would note, as an amateur weather geek, that a 100-pound dog has the destructive capabilities of an EF-2 tornado. As an added benefit, since I live on the outskirts of town, her pounding footsteps seem to help keep out snakes, bobcats and other critters one might not want in the backyard.

But the sign works best.

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Originally posted by DJ:
From my perspective it sounds pretty scary to put your life and that of your family in jeopardy everyday.

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While I wouldn't say it never happens, my experience has been that most defendants are more likely to go after their own lawyers than the state's attorney. This applies to civil attorneys, too. Any litigator is going to find himself faced with either ticking off the other side, or ticking off his own client at some point. While I still think keeping prosecutor addresses less accessible is a fine idea, I wouldn't reject prosecution as a career choice out of fear of retaliation from the criminals. Lots of people choose careers in public service that are far more dangerous--police, soldiers, fire fighters. I am personally glad to be able to work for justice in a profession that doesn't require nearly that level of physical risk.

Scott, I agree Great Pyrenees are excellent guardians. We had four until last month and still have two. They provide excellent protection for family, goats, llamas, alpacas, and other barnyard animals. They are the most loyal and courageous animals and wonderfully docile until called to do their duty. They provide a great deterrent for the uneducated. We plan on increasing the pack size again as soon as we can. Nothing like a large dog to head off those with evil intent (there are easier targets than messing with a big dog!).

JAS

I keep two german shepherd/border collie mixes (available for free adoption) and my friends Smith, Wesson and Remington handy.

One of the officers in my county has a 209 lb. retired police dog, complete with steel teeth. I thouhgt he was joking about the size of the dog, but learned otherwise. If one were brave and foolish enough to strap a saddle on him, it would be a wild ride.

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Originally posted by DJ:
Also, if you do get threatened wouldn't you immediately have an officer arrest the person(s) for making a terroristic threat?

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Or under the appropriate circumstances, the offense of retaliation. But again, it's those who don't threaten, those that don't immediately rise to your radar screen, until they act that this act could stop.

RTC-- it's already possible for people to seal their names in the tax rolls. Under Section 25.025, Tax Code, if you are a peace officer, county jailer, commissioned security officer, employee of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or a victim of family violence, you may request that information in the appraisal records identifying your home address be restricted from public access.

Since I'm a prosecutor for the AGs office I am respresenting TDCJ-- so I availed myself of this exception to keep death row inmates' in-the-world friends and relatives from being able to send me love notes, packages and personal visits. Kudoes to you, RTC, for being such a tough cookie and not fearing for your life (after Iraq, mere defendants couldn't be scary). I'm not as tough as you, nor do I want to expose my husband, kids, or guests to risks I can avoid -- just in the name of freakin' government openness.



G

Postconviction Litigation
Office of the Attorney General