FEATURING: Public Defender Amalia Beckner, Defense Attorney Beth Exley, Defense Attorney Brett Podolsky, Defense Attorney Brian Benken, Defense Attorney Bryan Savoy, Prosecutor Chandler Raine, Defense Attorney Crystal Henderson, Prosecutor Dae Kim, Defense Attorney Donale Evans, Defense Attorney Edward Okwueze, Defense Attorney Hattie Shannon, Defense Attorney James Pons, Defense Attorney Jorge Cantu, Defense Attorney Kenneth McCoy, Defense Attorney Mark Thering, Defense Attorney Mark Thiessen, Defense Attorney Mike Driver, Public Defender Natalie Ware, Defense Attorney Perry Bass, Defense Attorney Ray Vazquez, Defense Attorney Reginaldo Villalon, Defense Attorney Sally Ring, Prosecutor Tara Parker
CAPITAL MURDER – 1494344 – 338th – Prosecutors Keaton Forcht and Will Cowardin; Defense Attorneys Cary Higginbotham and Alvin Nunnery (20th Floor CJC) judge Ramona Franklin presiding ABC13NOW
SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD – 1443617 – 209th – Prosecutors Jay Gordon and Ashley Harkness; Defense Attorney Nathan Hennigan and John Kovach (12th floor Civil) judge Brian Warren presiding
MURDER – 1511435 – 208th – Prosecutors Amanda Benavides and Michael Abner; Defense Attorney Michael Edwards (10th floor Civil) judge Greg Glass presiding HOUSTON CHRONICLE
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT – 1646767 – 337th – Prosecutor Helen Le; Defense Attorney Sylvia Pubchara (16th floor CJC) judge Marc Brown presiding
Congratulations to Prosecutor Tara Parker for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1566111 out of the 208th Criminal District Court for the offense of Failure to Stop and Render Aid Involving Death – Sentence: 14 Years in Prison (presiding judge Leslie Yates) co-counsel Chandler Raine
Good job Tara!
Congratulations to Prosecutor Chandler Raine for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1566111 out of the 208th Criminal District Court for the offense of Failure to Stop and Render Aid Involving Death – Sentence: 14 Years in Prison (presiding judge Leslie Yates) co-counsel Tara Parker
Good job Chandler!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Mike Driver for earning an In Trial Dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1401254 out of the 339th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child (presiding judge Belinda Hill) co-counsel Crystal Henderson
Good job Mike!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Crystal Henderson for earning an In Trial Dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1401254 out of the 339th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child (presiding judge Belinda Hill) co-counsel Mike Driver
Good job Crystal!
Congratulations to Prosecutor Dae Kim for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 2162339 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 11 for the offense of DWI 2nd – Sentence: 75 Days in Jail (presiding judge Sedrick Walker)
Good job Dae!
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.
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Brian Benken for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1639851 out of the 208th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Brian!
Congratulations to Public Defender Natalie Ware for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1617984 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of Felon in Possession of a Weapon
Nice work Natalie!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Sally Ring for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1609108 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of Continuous Violence Against the Family
Nice work Sally!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Kenneth McCoy for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1571409 out of the 339th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Robbery
Nice work Kenneth!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Mark Thiessen for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2264404 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 7 for the offense of DWI
Nice work Mark!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Mark Thiessen for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1633929 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Assault
Nice work Mark!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Ray Vazquez for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2242809 out of County Criminal Court at Law Number 12 for the offense of Theft $750 – $2500
Nice work Ray!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Brett Podolsky for earning a felony PTI dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1527584 out of the 179th Criminal District Court for the offense of Water Pollution
Nice work Brett!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Beth Exley for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1614696 out of the 180th Criminal District Court for the offense of Assault Family Member
Nice work Beth!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Beth Exley for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1624615 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Fraudulent Use of IDs
Nice work Beth!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Edward Okwueze for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1642718 out of the 182nd Criminal District Court for the offense of Evading Arrest with Prior Evading Arrest Conviction
Nice work Edward!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Mark Thering for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1640912 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Burglary of Habitation
Nice work Mark!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Jorge Cantu for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1642116 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Retaliation
Nice work Jorge!
Congratulations to Public Defender Amalia Beckner for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1635132 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Amalia!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney James Pons for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1633398 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of Marijuana 4oz – 5lbs
Nice work James!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Perry Bass for earning a felony PTI dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1614982 out of the 248th Criminal District Court for the offense of Water Pollution
Nice work Perry!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Reginaldo Villalon for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1612129 out of the 248th Criminal District Court for the offense of Credit Card Abuse
Nice work Reginaldo!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Hattie Shannon for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1595711 out of the 262nd Criminal District Court for the offense of Failure to Stop and Render Aid
Nice work Hattie!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Bryan Savoy for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1589895 out of the 263rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Assault
Nice work Bryan!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Donale Evans for earning felony dismissals for your client in Cause Numbers 1571080 – 1567240 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance
Nice work Donale!
A client has hired you to represent him on a criminal DWI charge, his first offense. He is willing to pay a $5,000 non-refundable retainer to cover your work, and a bonus of $5,000 if you get him probation and $10,000 if you get him off completely. You think you can probably get him probation, and there is somewhat less of a chance that you can get him acquitted. Can you sign an agreement to that effect?
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
Katelyn Harrelson has been a court reporter since 2013. She substituted as a court reporter in all the courts until 2015 when she landed a permanent job in County Criminal Court at Law Number 6. After judge Standley retired she was retained by newly elected judge Kelley Andrews.
COURT REPORTER TIP –
“My day would go a lot smoother if…..”
Lawyers would remember that the “RECORD” – unlike jurors – cannot “SEE” – it can only “HEAR”. Act like you are on the radio talking to an audience. The audience cannot see so you must explain in words what is happening. So when you hand over a piece of paper to a witness – say what it is for the record! When a witness points to a part of their face that got it or to something on a blackboard – say where they got hit or what they pointed to for the record! When a witness is demonstrating something for the jury your radio audience can’t see it so say – in words – what the witness is doing, action-by-action for the record.
Whoever reads your record later was NOT in the courtroom. Painting a clearer picture of what was happening makes it much easier for your reader (most likely appellate court) to understand what was going on in the courtroom. It also helps me when editing the transcript. Thank you in advance!
PRIOR FEATURED COURT REPORTERS AND THEIR TIPS – CLICK HERE
Note: All spreadsheets, standings, charts, graphs, compilations are NOT 100% accurate and should not be relied upon as authoritative information.
*Special Felonies – Excludes certain felony dismissals – see “The Making of this Blog – What Goes into It” for the exceptions
Number of trials performed by each judge from January 1, 2019 – October 17, 2019 (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 through October 17, 2019
ALL VERDICTS from February 1, 2017 – October 17, 2019 (for personal use ONLY)
January 1, 2018 – October 16, 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)
