ShowMeTheJustice – September 12, 2019

FEATURING:  Defense Attorney Chris Denuna, Prosecutor Dave Brucker, Defense Attorney Equator Turner, Prosecutor Grace Murphy, Public Defender Jane Vara, Defense Attorney Jeanie Ortiz, Defense Attorney Lewis Thomas, Prosecutor Lindsey Hovland, Defense Attorney Lisa Shapiro Strauss, Defense Attorney Martina Longoria, Defense Attorney Michael Renfro, Defense Attorney Nathan Hennigan, Defense Attorney Owen Campbell, Defense Attorney Paul St. John, Defense Attorney Rand Mintzer, Defense Attorney Sean Darvishi, Defense Attorney Stephen Lekas, and Defense Attorney Steven Greenlee

 

 

 

 

CAPITAL MURDER – 1434395 – 351st – Prosecutors Samantha Knecht, Lauren Bard and Kaylynn Williford; Defense Attorneys Doug Durham, Ed Chernoff and Neal Davis III – (17th floor CJC) judge George Powell presiding – man kills a mom, dad and 3 kids looking for ex-wife – HOUSTON CHRONICLE

SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD – 1448340 – 182nd – Prosecutors Erika Ramirez and Michael Harrison; Defense Attorney Jed Silverman (1st floor Juvenile) judge Danny Lacayo presiding

CAPITAL MURDER – 1557764 – 208th – Prosecutors Lynn Nguyen and Ryan Trask; Defense Attorneys Catherine Evans and Charles Brown (16th floor CJC) judge Leslie Yates presiding HOUSTON CHRONICLE

AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD – 1555326 – 176th – Prosecutor Michael Simons; Defense Attorney Clyde Williams (18th floor CJC) judge Nikita Harmon presiding

SEXUAL ASSAULT – 1537792 – 337th – Prosecutor Mary Grace Bullard; Defense Attorneys Mary Conn and Andy Taylor (11th floor Civil) judge Herb Ritchie presiding

SEXUAL ASSAULT – 1472314 – 228th – Prosecutors Matt Gilliam and Cristina Platter; Defense Attorneys David Kiatta and Brian Benken (11th floor Civil) judge Frank Aguilar presiding

 

 

Congratulations to Prosecutor Lindsey Hovland for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1564986 out of the 351st Criminal District Court for the offense of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child – Sentence:  33 Years in Prison (presiding judge Jim Wallace)

Good job Lindsey!

 

Congratulations to Prosecutor Grace Murphy for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1590681 out of the 230th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Robbery – Sentence:  30 Years in Prison (presiding judge Chris Morton) co-counsel Dave Brucker

Good job Grace!

 

Congratulations to Prosecutor Dave Brucker for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1590681 out of the 230th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Robbery – Sentence:  30 Years in Prison (presiding judge Chris Morton) co-counsel Grace Murphy

Good job Dave!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Sean Darvishi for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client in Cause Number 2246328 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 5 for the offense of DWI >.15 (presiding judge David Fleischer) second chair Chris Denuna

Good job Sean!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Chris Denuna for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client in Cause Number 2246328 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 5 for the offense of DWI >.15 (presiding judge David Fleischer) first chair Sean Darvishi

Good job Chris!

The following cases are felony – including RIC (links and PC issues) – and all trial setting dismissals derived from the Harris County District Clerk’s website – dockets tab. I examine each dismissal form before posting, post only those defendants who are free of charges (exceptions apply) and for which I have an attorney photo. These and non-photo cases are entered into the Defense Attorney spreadsheet published on Saturdays. Felony and misdemeanor dismissals are published in the spreadsheets below

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Lewis Thomas for earning trial setting dismissals for your client in Cause Numbers 2113528 – 2103899 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 1 for the offense of Assault Family Member

Nice work Lewis!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Steven Greenlee for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1619036 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon on a Licensed Premises

Nice work Steven!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Rand Mintzer for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1610196 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of Assault Family Member

Nice work Rand!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Lisa Shapiro Strauss for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1618800 out of the 248th Criminal District Court for the offense of Cruelty to Animals

Nice work Lisa!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Owen Campbell for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1556182 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Assault Family Member

Nice work Owen!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Stephen Lekas for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1623157 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Robbery

Nice work Stephen!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Equator Turner for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1604433 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Felon in Possession of a Weapon

Nice work Equator!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Paul St. John for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1625298 out of the 337th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance

Nice work Paul!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Martina Longoria for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1604418 out of the 337th Criminal District Court for the offense of Endangering a Child

Nice work Martina!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Jeanie Ortiz for earning felony dismissals for your client in Cause Numbers 1615091 – 1615092 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of Credit Card Abuse

Nice work Jeanie!

 

Congratulations to Public Defender Jane Vara for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1570895 out of the 180th Criminal District Court for the offense of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle

Nice work Jane!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Michael Renfro for earning trial setting felony dismissals for your client in Cause Numbers 1612617 – 1587161 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offenses of Felon in Possession of a Weapon and Evading Arrest with a Prior Evading Arrest

Nice work Michael!

 

Congratulations to Defense Attorney Nathan Hennigan for earning felony dismissals for your client in Cause Numbers 1607217 – 1607218 – 1591558 out of the 228th Criminal District Court for the offense of Delivery of a Controlled Substance

Nice work Nathan!

 

 

Number of trials performed by each judge from January 1, 2019 – Present (Includes verdicts, in-trial pleas, in-trial dismissals and hung juries. Trial = jury picked) Source: My personal observations of trials in the courthouse and use of the District Clerk’s website online services

 

 

 

 

 

The number of FAVORABLE VERDICTS by the Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys for 2019

 

 

 

ALL VERDICTS from February 1, 2017 – September 12, 2019 (for personal use ONLY)

 

January 1, 2018 – September 11, 2019

A Compilation of Not Guilty Verdicts, Mid-Trial Dismissals, Trial-Setting Dismissals and *Special Felony Dismissals (exceptions apply) -For personal use ONLY

(Source: Harris County District Clerk’s Online Services – CrimDisposMonthly spreadsheet – eliminated dismissals when convicted of another charge or case refiled. Does not include attorneys whose names do not appear as attorney of record on clerk’s spreadsheet)

LAWYERS WHO EARNED MISDEMEANOR DISMISSALS

Source: District Clerk’s Online Public Data Sets – CrimDisposDaily

Misdemeanor dismissals from January 1, 2019 – September 10, 2019 – Does not include dismissals “convicted of another charge” or “case refiled”

LAWYERS WHO EARNED FELONY DISMISSALS

Source: District Clerk’s Online Public Data Sets – CrimDisposDaily

Felony dismissals from January 1, 2019 – September 10, 2019 Does not include dismissals “convicted of another charge” or “case refiled”

 

 

 

The Court Reporter has one of the most difficult jobs in the courthouse. Imagine having to listen to EVERY single word in a trial and transcribing it! My hats-off to you! I will try to feature a court reporter each week and offer their tips on how we can make their job a little easier

Ramona Sonnier has been a court reporter since 1999. She worked freelance for 4 years in all types of Harris County courts – including criminal, civil, juvenile, and family. In 2003 she got a permanent position with County Criminal Court at Law Number 5 under judge Margaret Harris and is now in the same court with judge David Fleischer presiding – which began January of this year.

COURT REPORTER TIP –

“My day would go a lot smoother if…..”

The witnesses were coached better before taking the stand. Let’s give ALL witnesses before they testify a “Witness Stand Tips” pamphlet that explains basic things such as: 1) speak loudly, slowly and clearly, 2) don’t speak until the lawyer has stopped speaking, 3) only answer the question posed to you – don’t elaborate 4) the court reporter can only take down what one person says at a time, so don’t interrupt, 5) Don’t talk when a lawyer makes an objection until the judge tells you, etc.

PRIOR FEATURED COURT REPORTERS AND THEIR TIPS – CLICK HERE