Sharon Keller Could Be Suspended from Office if Travis County Attorney David Escamilla Files Criminal Charges

Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, may soon be suspended from office according to the Procedural Rules for Removal or Retirement of Judges, if Travis County Attorney David Escamilla files misdemeanor charges in connection with Keller's failure to report millions of dollars in income and property to the Texas Ethics Commission.

Keller could be suspended by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct upon the filing of misdemeanor charges if the charges relate to her "official duties". The annual personal financial disclosure and reporting requirements are part of most elected officials’ duties, which means a violation may very well be considered “official misconduct,” though some may argue it is not.

If she is suspended, the hearing and formal proceedings against Keller by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct in the separate matter of her actions on the day of the execution of Michael Richard would continue on schedule but she would be suspended from performing her duties as a judge.

Scott Henson of Grits for Breakfast reported that he talked to David Escamilla, Travis County Attorney. Escamilla's office is responsible for filing charges in misdemeanor cases in Travis County. Henson wrote:

I called Escamilla to ask about the status of the criminal complaint, which has now been sitting at his office for more than a year. Escamilla had not yet read the TEC opinion himself, declaring that he'd asked two of his prosecutors to review it and report back to him tomorrow with a recommendation how to proceed.

Escamilla and I spoke both on and off the record. On the record, he said he hadn't moved forward before now because he'd been been waiting for the Ethics Commission to complete its investigation. He said he would give "great weight" to the Ethics Commissions findings of fact and conclusions of law, which would have a "great influence" on whether his office elected to proceed with prosecution. Escamilla was particularly impressed that the TEC identified 13 different alleged Class B misdemeanor violations and said the remarkable volume of violations might also be a factor in whether to go forward.

Click here to sign a petition urging the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to recommend Sharon Keller be removed from office.

Sign Online Petition and Send an Email to DA Rosemary Lehmberg to Help Stop the Execution of David Powell on June 15

Click here to send an email to Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg urging her to ask the judge to withdraw the execution date for David Powell now set for June 15, 2010.

Already more than 400 people have signed the online petition and sent an email to Rosemary Lehmberg. You can sign your name and send the letter as it is written, you can edit the letter to add or change some of the words, or you can delete all the current text and write a letter in your own words.

David Powell is on death row in Texas for the murder of a police officer, Ralph Ablanedo, committed 32 years ago in the state capital, Austin. Twenty-seven years old at the time of the crime, David Powell is now 59. More than 70 countries have legislated to abolish the death penalty since David Powell was first sent to death row.

The Travis County District Attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, has requested that the trial court set an execution date for David Lee Powell, and the court has now set David’s execution for June 15, 2010. DA Lehmberg has the authority to ask the court to withdraw the warrant, but she will not do so without the public letting her know LOUD AND CLEAR that she has done the wrong thing. Tell her your disappointment that she is missing an opportunity to take the most progressive county in Texas, Travis County, into the future by withdrawing David’s execution date. She knows that there are appropriate alternatives to the death penalty. Let her know you do too. And tell her – if you are a voter in Austin and Travis County, that you will never vote for her again if she goes through with this terrible deed.

David was sentenced to death because prosecutors convinced the jury that he would pose a future danger to society, but he has had only minor non-violent infractions in the 32 years he has been on death row, such as having an extra pair of socks and shorts in his cell; playing his radio too loudly; or not making his bed before 6am.

To learn more about the case of David Powell, visit letdavidlive.org or watch a 30 minute documentary, divided into four parts on YouTube: Part one, Part two, Part three, Part four.



Watch David Powell expressing remorse in Part Four of Film.



Video from Keyetv.com about setting of execution date, including statement by Scott Cobb of Texas Moratorium Network.

Texas Moratorium Network & ACLU-TX Central TX Chapter

Texas Moratorium Network & ACLU-TX Central TX Chapter

invite all interested members of the community to a

PUBLIC FORUM with

CANDIDATES for TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Monday, February 4th, 6pm
at

Gene's Po Boys
1209 E. 11th St. (at the Rosewood "Y")
(parking behind building)

There are four candidates* -all in the Democrat primary- running to replace Ronnie Earle, generally a well-received prosecutor, even a hero to some, especially for the Public Integrity Unit's indictment of Tom Delay.

But there are some areas in which Earle and his office were lacking, including continuing to seek the death penalty instead of exclusively using life without parole as an alternative and believing police officers are categorically above the law by commonly withholding evidence from grand juries that would likely lead to their prosecution such as with APD's Julie Schroeder (shooting death, Daniel Rocha) and Michael Olsen, who, despite videotaped evidence of wrongdoing in 2003 (excessive force, Jeffrey Thornton), was cleared and put back on the force just to again be cleared again after the shooting death of Kevin Brown last summer. (Both Schroeder and Olsen were fired nonetheless).

Come find out what the candidates believe the DA's priorities should be in matters regarding criminal justice and public safety. This 90-minute forum will attempt to get the candidates on record on a range of important issues, including the death penalty, police misconduct, political corruption, juvenile justice, drug laws and other issues. During one segment of the forum, attendees will be given the opportunity to pose their own questions to the candidates. People may also send suggestions for questions to the contacts below.

*CANDIDATE WEBSITES:
http://www.garycobb4da.com/
http://rosemarylehmberg.com/
http://www.montfordforda.com/
http://www.electrickreed.com/