uscitizen
Villified User
Texas Justice Charged in Arson Case
By MONICA RHOR
Associated Press Writer
HOUSTON (AP) -- A Texas Supreme Court justice was indicted Thursday on suspicion of tampering with evidence in a fire that destroyed his home, a blaze the judge's wife is accused of setting, their attorney said.
Justice David Medina and his wife, Francisca, have denied involvement in the June fire, which caused nearly $1 million in damage, attorney Terry Yates said.
"We were shocked and dismayed that this occurred," Yates said. "We will vigorously fight both these charges."
Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who convened the grand jury to investigate the fire, told a television station he will move to dismiss the indictments for lack of evidence.
"It is our collective feeling there is not enough evidence to pursue prosecution of the indictments and that the indictments be dismissed," Rosenthal told KHOU-TV.
If convicted of the third-degree felony, Medina faces two to 10 years in prison and a fine as high as $10,000. If the indictment is not dismissed, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct can suspend Medina with or without pay until the case is resolved.
Rosenthal did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
Grand jury foreman Robert Ryan and assistant foreman Jeffrey Dorrell told the Houston Chronicle that if the indictments are dismissed, the grand jury panel might reconvene and re-indict the two.
"This is ludicrous. This is not right. This is a miscarriage of justice," Ryan said. "If this was David Medina, comma, truck driver, comma, Baytown, Texas, he would have been indicted three months ago."
"I've just never seen anything like the vigor with which these two defendants were defended by the Harris County District Attorney's Office," Dorrell said. "It was theater of the absurd. We knew before we handed the indictment down that the district attorney was going to refuse to prosecute, but we did it anyway."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JUDGE_HOUSE_FIRE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
By MONICA RHOR
Associated Press Writer
HOUSTON (AP) -- A Texas Supreme Court justice was indicted Thursday on suspicion of tampering with evidence in a fire that destroyed his home, a blaze the judge's wife is accused of setting, their attorney said.
Justice David Medina and his wife, Francisca, have denied involvement in the June fire, which caused nearly $1 million in damage, attorney Terry Yates said.
"We were shocked and dismayed that this occurred," Yates said. "We will vigorously fight both these charges."
Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who convened the grand jury to investigate the fire, told a television station he will move to dismiss the indictments for lack of evidence.
"It is our collective feeling there is not enough evidence to pursue prosecution of the indictments and that the indictments be dismissed," Rosenthal told KHOU-TV.
If convicted of the third-degree felony, Medina faces two to 10 years in prison and a fine as high as $10,000. If the indictment is not dismissed, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct can suspend Medina with or without pay until the case is resolved.
Rosenthal did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
Grand jury foreman Robert Ryan and assistant foreman Jeffrey Dorrell told the Houston Chronicle that if the indictments are dismissed, the grand jury panel might reconvene and re-indict the two.
"This is ludicrous. This is not right. This is a miscarriage of justice," Ryan said. "If this was David Medina, comma, truck driver, comma, Baytown, Texas, he would have been indicted three months ago."
"I've just never seen anything like the vigor with which these two defendants were defended by the Harris County District Attorney's Office," Dorrell said. "It was theater of the absurd. We knew before we handed the indictment down that the district attorney was going to refuse to prosecute, but we did it anyway."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JUDGE_HOUSE_FIRE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
