Former Texas Governor Ann Richards was buried this morning in the State Cemetary in Austin. Texas prosecutors, frankly, should have some good memories of her work.

In 1993, when the Legislature was meeting to rewrite the Texas Penal Code and toughen the parole laws, Richards was governor. She faced a broken criminal justice system, overcrowded prisons and lawsuits from the counties and feds.

Net result: a new Penal Code that has been called a model for other states; doubled minimum time for violent criminals in prison; 100,000 new prison beds; expanded treatment options for drug and alcohol abusers; a flexible system of probation that got a new name -- community supervision.

Richards appeared at the Annual TDCAA conference in South Padre after that session. She gave a funny and appropriate speech to prosecutors. She stayed for the reception, standing and chatting with prosecutors throughout the evening.

A couple of weeks before that speech, I got a phone call from her office, asking if I would come down to Austin and talk to her about the new Penal Code and its changes. She wanted a prosecutors point of view on what the new legislation would mean.

It was a pleasure to talk to her for about an hour. She listened carefully and asked lots of great questions. She seemed seriously concerned with the political problems of the automatic probation for state jail felons (something that would be used against her in the subsequent race for re-election against George W. Bush).

During the talk, I told her a story I frequently heard while working in Harris County about a certain judge who did some creative sentencing. She enjoyed the story, and I was surprised to hear her re-tell it during her speech to prosecutors. Of course, she told it much better and had a darn funny punch line.

Say what you will about politics and the party lines that get drawn in Texas, Ann Richards was a fascinating politician. Any other memories out there?

I helped a friend house sit a home in West Lake Hills for a week in the summer in the late 80's while the owners were on vacation, and Ann was a neighbor. She stopped me in the driveway one day wanting to know why I was at her neighbor's property. After my explanation, we had a mighty nice visit.

Glad to see your post, John. I met Ann Richards several times, and I certainly remember the TDCAA speech that you mentioned -- seems she never gave a speech that wasn't memorable.

I took my 13-year-old daughter out of school yesterday (with her principal's blessing) and we traveled to Austin for the Memorial Service. It was a remarkable lesson in history and civics, and also a reminder that everyone should pay attention to and be involved in our government -- something to do with that "we the people" part of the Preamble to the Constitution.

Which, by the way, does anyone know that this past Sunday was the 2nd celebrated Constitution Day? (I'm not sure if Hallmark has designed any cards -- yet). September 17th is the day the Constitution was signed in 1787. A friend who works for the feds forwarded the email that was sent to them . . . suggesting that federal employees reflect upon and celebrate the remarkable document that best embodies our ideals and aspirations as a nation. Okay, as Dave Barry says . . . I am not making this up.

[This message was edited by TDohoney on 09-19-06 at .]