Those guys at the Chron are slick when it comes to hiding their bias and Alan Bernstein, their ace political reporter is one of the best at it. Always subtle, never blatant, just a little here, a little there and pretty soon he has his message out and no one calls him on it. Recall his word play when Tom Tancredo came to Houston and had to have his thirst quenched by an illegal alien.
In an article published the day after the election, Mr. Bernstein and the Chron continue their endorsement of Pat Lykos, again, very subtle, nothing over the top, just a bit of narrative here and there laying a foundation that Lykos is the best candidate. Consider the opening paragraph:
After finishing third in the Republican primary for Harris County district attorney, defense lawyer and former prosecutor Jim Leitner said Wednesday he will vote for former judge Pat Lykos in the runoff against prosecutor Kelly Siegler.
Is that news? Maybe, maybe not. But look at how he follows up a couple of paragraphs later.
Leitner, who placed third in the primary for DA eight years ago as well, said in this year’s campaign that the agency needed reform by an outsider in the wake of disgraced District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal’s resignation. He said backing Siegler, a prosecutor for the last 21 years, would conflict with his reform goals.
“It’s going to be the same old, same old” with Siegler as the GOP nominee, Leitner said. “I don’t think that will be good enough to beat (C.O.) Bradford.”
That isn’t news, that’s a Lykos talking point. But, hey, you know, Mr. Bernstein is “just” a reporter here, right? He then throws this out:
“She is a one-act play,” Lykos said Wednesday of Siegler’s famously sensational techniques in criminal trials. “For all of her career, she has engaged in theatrics and gotten away with fudging facts, in court and now as a cynical politician.”
Now, I’ve read an awful lot about Kelly Siegler recently and I would agree that she has shown a flair for theatrics. But not once have I read that she plays loose with or fudges the facts. As a reporter, especially a long time political reporter with a wealth of Houston political knowledge, wouldn’t you want to follow up with a question asking for proof of that? I would. Instead, Mr. Bernstein links it to an admittedly stupid statement that Mrs. Siegler made in trial.
Lykos’ charge that Siegler has obscured facts in court follows the disclosure several weeks ago of the prosecutor’s remarks about a black potential juror in a 2007 death penalty trial. Challenged on whether she blocked the man because of his race, Siegler instead cited her suspicion about his membership in non-denominational Lakewood Church.
Say what? What the heck does her statement have to do with fudging facts? Nothing at all. What it does, very effectively, very subtlety is to give credence to Lykos’ baseless claim.
He saves the best for last. Recall that he uses the talking point earlier in the article that change must come from outside the office. Now, look at his closing statement.
She cited a 2000 essay by Justice For Children founder Randy Burton that said “the district attorney’s office has a blind spot when it comes to the prosecution of offenses against children.”
Nice, eh? Like I said, he’s very, very good. His message? Lykos for DA.
Open message to Mr. Bernstein and the Chron: Play fair in this race. It is one of most critical positions that voters pick because it actually affects peoples lives. Leave the bias out and just give us the facts. We’ll figure out who to vote for.
Filed Under Front Page ·
Comments
15 Responses to “Chronicle Bias In District Attorney Runoff?”Search
Our Sponsors
Poll
Loading ...LST Book Club
-
Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy
by Natan Sharansky -
Fear No Evil
by Natan Sharansky -
The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror
by Anatoly Shcharansky -
The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul
by Yoram Hazony -
Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There
by David Brooks -
Snobbery: The American Version
by Joseph Epstein -
A Conflict of Visions: Idealogical Origins of Political Struggles
by Thomas Sowell
“It’s going to be the same old, same old” with Siegler as the GOP nominee, Leitner said. “I don’t think that will be good enough to beat (C.O.) Bradford.”
Anybody running against C.O. Bradford should be good enough to beat Bradford. Unless Bradford’s resume contains something we don’t know, all we know about Bradford is that he was a sargent chosen by Lee. P. Brown to become Police Chief. During his tenure, we had all those crime lab problems and the K-Mart/street racing incident that come to mind. He has a law degree but as far as I know never practiced law. He screwed up the police department, so do we want him anywhere near the DA’s office much less in charge of it?????
What Bernstein (and/or editors) chooses to omit is just as important as what he chooses to include in his editorializing/reporting.
To wit,
http://www.bloghouston.net/item/6647
I’m all for candidate negatives and positives being reported. But I’m less excited when some negatives are completely ignored, and indeed, Mr. Bernstein allegedly behaves in a threatening and unprofessional way when challenged on it:
http://harriscountycriminaljustice.blogspot.com/2008/03/alan-bernsteins-odd-behavior.html
A criminal in another town would probably want to make tracks for Houston upon hearing that Bradford was the new prosecutor.
I hate to say it, but those Lakewood types are more than a little kooky, so I don’t really blame Siegler at all in that little “controversy.”
Osteen is little more than one of those feel-good self help seminar speakers cloaked very lightly in religious imagery, yet adored by a cult-like following of thousands of idiots who think the vapid shallow platitudes he spouts are life-changing pronouncements from heaven and the highest hills.
He is analogous to a certain Democratic presidential candidate in that regard.
Personally anyone who goes to a church and falls off the stage backwards (Lakewood earlier) would not be on my top 10 list to serve on a jury.
Kelly Siegler hopefully will take the DA position.
As to Kelly Siegler’s theatrics. She’s very smart. I’m in sales, and as any sales person knows, show and tell, sells. It’s wise to let the jury see and it’s wise to re-enact. We are visual. Description of an act verbally, is not nearly as effective as seeing a re-enactment. Every attorney has had the opportunity to use this tactic, but most choose not to. It’s a shame. Remember O.J. trying on the glove? Which is more effective, looking at a drawing, having a drawing described to you….. or having the live depiction of the drawing. I’m almost 100% convinced Siegler is my D.A.
#2 Publius
I saw that story on Berstein over at AHCL’s blog. Is that strange or what ? Do you think alot of these journalists just can’t take the heat of an interactive readership ? It was easy back in the day when they could blow off a few letters or calls as kooks and cranks, but not anymore. They all get to talk back now and the Alans of the world can’t deny the readers out there who are smarter than they are.
4 Phil,
Golly gee, don’t hold back. Tell us what you really think about those folks at Lakewood.
While you are at it…care to spare your observations about Jews, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Unitarians, Christian-Identity, or anyone else.
Simple
9, Phil
While you are at it please comment on Mormons, Moslems, Buddists, Hindus,
Simple
Lutheran ?
From someone who has experience with the DA office (no i do not work there) i ask that you please research both candidates and then cast your vote.
SIEGLER SIEGLER SIEGLER
GO VOTE IN THE RUN OFF
As posted in the previous thread (it applies here too).
Summing up some of the highlights:
Lykos:
A) Was a glorified meter maid at HPD until her forthcoming law degree made her a prime candidate as a quota baby in investigations (where she did little in her short time there that could be referred to as positive).
B) Was appointed judge and began an illustrious career of treating people poorly in a position where they could not fight back at her antics.
C) Was soft on child molesters/beaters in her court, giving them probation. Her response now is that this was strictly because the DA’s office wouldn’t prosecute such cases effectively, raising an even scarier idea that Lykos is the candidate most likely to violate someone’s civil rights since she obviously made up her mind as to guilt and gave punishment where the evidence was not sufficient (talk about Star Chambers!!!)
D) Ordered and jailed witnesses on a case, The State of Texas vs. Mark Alonzo Garner, that were not subpoenaed or otherwise made aware that they were subject to inquiry by the court.
E) Threatened an Orthodox Jew with contempt proceedings for wearing his yarmulke as an expert witness when never having had an issue with them when Medical Examiner Office personnel wore them.
F) Was recently berated by her supervisor for a lack of management skills.
G) Has typically supervised 3 and up to 5 or six employees, albeit poorly, in her entire career.
H) Has never tried a case as a prosecutor, unless you consider her bully tactics from the bench to be appropriate.
I) Is the selected endorsee of the Houston Chronicle, complete with kid glove treatment from the shills there, who hope she will use the death penalty less frequently than Seigler. Is also endorsed by several well known RINO’s mentioned here in the LST on a regular basis as the reason for the problems with the local GOP.
J) Has made choice comments from the bench toward crime victims, most of which would land the rest of the population in civil court but for her judicial immunity.
K) Claimed prosecutors were frequently racist in her court yet has still been unable to come up with a single case of this happening or a valid response to why she did not step in as the law requires to take action.
L) Was rejected by 75% of GOP voters in the recent election, counting the undervote
M) Will almost certainly go on a political purging spree to eliminate anyone that supported her opponents, with a number of others leaving to prosecute elsewhere because they believe in what they do but also believe that Lykos is evil incarnate.
N) Her judicial ratings are among the lowest in the State of Texas and never gets called back as a visiting judge in a time when most jurisdictions are so desperate that they will take virtually anyone.
O) Was the very last candidate to suggest Rosenthal step down, previously stating she had no problems with him staying in office as the scandal played out.
P) Is not likely able to beat Bradford in November against the straight ticket Democrat vote.
There is more but you can read all about it elsewhere, almost all of this easily verifiable online and appearing accurate in my personal opinion.
Siegler:
A) Has worked in the Harris County DA’s office for 22 years under several elected officials, including the dreaded Rosenthal, coming up through the ranks from the bottom as a woman in a decidedly male dominated world.
B) Has never been a police officer or judge; merely holding the highest non-elected position in the office where she excels at her job according to virtually everyone, including her opponents.
C) Is not a party shill that will play favorites as Lykos will or Rosenthal appeared to do, making her unfit for those who want a trump card in the office that lead the local GOP.
D) Has only gone public with her ideas on the need to make changes to the office to satisfy public demand, previously admitting that “Chuck stopped listening” to the various suggestions she and others made.
E) Has a husband that received, not sent, a single email of questionable taste and did not immediately hold a press conference to denounce the DA upon receipt.
F) Her suggested changes will make the DA’s office friendlier to defense lawyers, how evil of her to protect the rights of the accused, including adding a panel of outsiders to further review cases that seem questionable and to provide copies of police offense reports to the lawyers of the accused; saving taxpayer money and protecting the rights of the accused thanks to this full disclosure.
G) Has, on rare occasion, used a theatrical approach to prosecution of grisly crimes to assist jurors in seeing a better view of how the crime was committed, including the bed/straddle incident. This has led her opponents to claim “she will do anything for a conviction” when her record suggests she dismisses faulty cases.
H) Never took classes to hold her own DNA investigations when HPD’s ill equipped, poorly trained DNA staff provided evidence on par with other crime labs, including regional crime labs like the one proposed by Lykos, to ensure the validity of the results.
I) Had the audacity to suggest members of the Lakewood Church, a new age church where no feelings are hurt by pressing the point that you have to believe in a particular savior, make for poor jurors.
J) Has been on the public payroll for 22 years when she could have been making 6 or 7 figures in private practice (a horrible idea to some that forget both of her opponents have long careers in the public sector too).
K) Received the largest amount of highly qualified votes in a recent poll of the BAR, also earning the wrath of the Houston Chronicle staff who go out of their way to slant articles against her.
L) Is the only one able to beat Bradford in November.
There are more things about her too but you can also find them online or by talking with people. Vote as you see fit, we are Constitutionally blessed with the right to select as we see fit for any reasons we choose, but at least check out the background of the candidates first. Siegler knows the office, knows the staff, and can lead them by example but as far as the bean counting is concerned that has been discussed, there is no evidence truly supporting either candidate in that regard.
As per the comment I made to the Houston Chronicle on line version of the above paraphrased article: We dont know who “She Said” was when the final comment was made with mention of Randy Burton anf his Justice for Children group.
The story made mention that Burton made his cmooents about the DA’s office handling of child abuse cases. Lykos has never been a DA.
Furthermore whoever made the quote using the likes of Burton has some terrible friends. Burton used two Fulbright and Jaworski lawyers to take my daughter from me and give her back to a psychopath. This ‘mother’ was out committing three major felonies while she got the free ‘help’ from Burton.
My duaghter now 21 years of age still cannot even pick up the phone and talk with me due to her severe systematic parental alienation, something Burton Refutes vociferously.
Burton has some grave demons lurking in his soul. In spite of the fact that his mantra is to save children from the failings of the system he himself destroyed a child, my daughter, and myself.
#8 Have I ever been one to parse words about what I mean, simon?
I said it and i’ll say it again: Joel Osteen creeps me out.
That’s not a comment on adherents to any particular religion. It’s a comment on Osteen’s creepy brand of self-help and wealth empowerment hidden under the veil of Christianity.
Thanks for the great article, BigJolly. I was glad to see somebody else other than me screaming into the void about the Chronicle and pretty much the rest of the local media’s lack of equal treatment in this election.
I’ve been harrassing Alan Bernstein about it for two months over the Gil Fried yarmulke story on my website with little success.
Today, I posted a story about more serious allegations of civil rights violations by Lykos here:
http://harriscountycriminaljustice.blogspot.com/2008/03/judge-lykos-and-civil-rights.html
And it was met with the usual lack of interest by Bernstein, Cohen, Falkenberg, and Casey, as usual.
I wrote my thoughts about the Chronicle’s motivations for their actions in this post: http://harriscountycriminaljustice.blogspot.com/2008/03/why-chronicle-is-bunch-of-bs.html
It’s astounding to me that the local media will go after Kelly Siegler for things as minor as the way she dresses and does her hair, yet they have no interest whatsoever in even taking the time to examine whether or not Lykos violated the civil rights of innocent citizens.