If you really wish you could sit down and watch an episode of Dallas right now, sit tight.
Apparently, Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins (Democrat) is on a witch hunt – trying to replace judges he doesn’t like by having members of his own office primary them. According to the Dallas Morning News, at least six prosecutors from his office are running for state district judge, with five challenging Democratic incumbents.
Watkins has been targeting Dallas area judges ever since Judge Lena Levario held him in contempt of court for refusing to answer whether he had influenced his staff to indict a wealthy oil heir as a favor to his friend and benefactor Lisa Blue (widow of John Edwards’ late benefactor Fred Baron). Oh, and the case is also the subject of an FBI investigation. Watkins was cited for contempt on the second go-go round: the first time, Watkins refused to enter the courtroom, claiming to be sick while working downstairs.
Judge Levario later found Watkins did improperly influence his subordinates and dismissed the mortgage fraud charges against the oil heir, Albert Hill III.
But it doesn’t stop there.
After Levario held Watkins in contempt, he tried to get her recused from the case, saying she had spoken about the case with state employees at a Subway restaurant. (The woman who made the claim, which others denied, was later fired by the county). Watkins response? He opened a criminal investigation against three judges, accusing them of conspiring to have him held in contempt and then tried subpoenaing them before a grand jury. A state district judge dismissed the subpoenas against the judges Tuesday.
And of course, Levario is one of the judges being challenged by a member of Watkins’ own staff.
Like I said, everything is bigger in Texas.