FEATURING: Public Defendrix Allison Mathis, Public Defender Ben Friedman, Defense Attorney Brandon Leonard, Defense Attorney Connie Williams, Defense Attorney Edward Okwueze, Defense Attorney Francisco Fernandez, Prosecutor Gilbert Sawtelle, Defense Attorney Hans Nielsen, Defense Attorney Hattie Shannon, Prosecutor Helen Le, Defense Attorney Janet Kleban, Defense Attorney Joe Wells, Prosecutor Keaton Forcht, Defense Attorney Kimberly McTorry, Defense Attorney Marcos Adrogue, Defense Attorney Mark Lipkin, Defense Attorney Michael Renfro, Defense Attorney Ross Craft, Defense Attorney Todd Dupont, Prosecutor Will Cowardin
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
Congratulations to Prosecutor Keaton Forcht for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1494344 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Capital Murder – Sentence: Life Without Parole (presiding judge Ramona Franklin) co-counsel Will Cowardin
Good job Keaton!
Congratulations to Prosecutor Will Cowardin for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1494344 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Capital Murder – Sentence: Life Without Parole (presiding judge Ramona Franklin) co-counsel Keaton Forcht
Good job Will!
Congratulations to Prosecutor Gilbert Sawtelle for earning a jury finding of “Civil Commitment” for the State of Texas in Cause Number 0573942Z out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of Sexual Assault of a Child – Sentence: 30 Years in Prison in 1990 – defendant found to be Sexual Predator – Civil Commitment – Level F (Presiding judge Hazel Jones) co-counsel Jacklyn Janis
Nice work Gilbert!
Congratulations to Prosecutor Helen Le for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas in Cause Number 1646767 out of the 337th Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Assault – Sentence: 10 Years Probation (presiding judge Marc Brown)
Good job Helen!
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 Kimberly McTorry for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1628908 out of the 176th Criminal District Court for the offense of Continuous Violence Against Family
Nice work Kimberly!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Brandon Leonard for earning a trial setting felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1634183 out of the 228th Criminal District Court for the offense of Fraudulent Use of IDs
Nice work Brandon!
Congratulations to Public Defendrix Alliison Mathis for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1647507 out of the 337th Criminal District Court for the offense of Theft $30K – $150K
Nice work Allison!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Michael Renfro for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1637670 out of the 228th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Michael!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Janet Kleban for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1598263 out of the 339th Criminal District Court for the offense of Theft $1500 – $20K
Nice work Janet!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Todd Dupont for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1643632 out of the 185th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Todd!
Congratulations to Public Defender Ben Friedman for earning a dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1595487 out of the 339th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Ben!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Joe Wells for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1631149 out of the 174th Criminal District Court for the offense of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
Nice work Joe!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Francisco Fernandez for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1629168 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of Marijuana 4oz – 5lbs
Nice work Francisco!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Marcos Adrogue for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1616795 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Marcos!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Edward Okwueze for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1608082 out of the 228th Criminal District Court for the offense of Assault Family Member
Nice work Edward!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Edward Okwueze for earning a felony PTI dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1568049 out of the 262nd Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Edward!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Hans Nielsen for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1636537 out of the 183rd Criminal District Court for the offense of Credit Card Abuse
Nice work Hans!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Ross Craft for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1641140 out of the 230th Criminal District Court for the offense of Criminal Mischief $2500 – $30K
Nice work Ross!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Hattie Shannon for earning a felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1630176 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Robbery
Nice work Hattie!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Connie Williams for earning a trial setting felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1546661 out of the 338th Criminal District Court for the offense of Possession of a Controlled Substance
Nice work Connie!
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Mark Lipkin for earning a trial setting felony dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1607075 out of the 351st Criminal District Court for the offense of Aggravated Assault
Nice work Mark!
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 18, 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 18, 2019
ALL VERDICTS from February 1, 2017 – October 18, 2019 (for personal use ONLY)
January 1, 2018 – October 17, 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)
