PR: Call for Immediate Investigation of HCDAO and Pct 4

*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

CONTACT: Tyler Flood, HCCLA President 713-224-5529 office, email Tyler Flood 

Houston, Texas – September 6, 2016 – Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) sends this letter to request immediate action be taken regarding the destruction of over 21,000 pieces of evidence by Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office and to investigate the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for failing to disclose this information and for their continued failure in doing so.

This request has been sent to: Ken Magidson, U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Texas; Special Agent Perrye Turner, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Governor Greg Abbott; DPS/Texas Rangers – Public Integrity Unit;  and Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

HCCLA is the largest local criminal defense bar association in the country made up of over 700 criminal defense lawyers.  We are extremely concerned about the lack of any serious, outside investigation of Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s destruction of evidence.  Additionally, there is no outside agency investigating the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to determine what ethical violations were committed and what laws were broken for withholding this information that the District Attorney claims to have had knowledge of since January of 2016.  HCCLA has no confidence in the ability of the Harris County DA’s Office to investigate themselves, if they are even doing so.

HCCLA makes a request that:

1. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office be IMMEDIATELY de-certified of its law enforcement abilities in order to investigate potential criminal acts Precinct 4 has committed.
2. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office IMMEDIATELY be investigated for its misconduct in failing to disclose information relating to criminal cases stemming from Harris County Precinct 4.
3. All Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office cases be IMMEDIATELY placed on hold, if they are not dismissed, so that no action may be taken on them until further notice about this investigation.
4. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office IMMEDAITELY release a list with Cause numbers and Defense Attorney’s names of all Precinct 4 cases that have been disposed of since January 1^st, 2016, whether by dismissal, plea or trial.

View/download full release here:

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