Former DA ran powerful death-penalty machine

portsider44 · Post by **portsider44** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:52 pm

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/pol ... 96556.html

Juries, moved by skillful, hard-nosed prosecution, sent thousands of criminals to Texas prisons, more than 200 of them to death row. And the vast majority of the 100 killers who have visited the death chamber courtesy of Harris County juries, including Lonnie Johnson who was put to death Tuesday, were prosecuted by Holmes or his staff

Not sure how anyone could see this as a bad thing. While the reporter seems to want to cast a dark cloud of death over Johnny Holmes record.
I wish more DA would talk his drive & determination to do their jobs.

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:05 pm

That's quite an accomplishment for Holmes and his staff. I'd give 'em a metal.

govnor · Post by **govnor** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:59 pm

What a record! God bless Texas!

Post by **Skiprr** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:50 pm

I read that article over lunch, and saved it.

I wonder if Allan Turner, the reporter, even gave the story its title, or if that was done at the Metro Desk, out of his control. 'Cause otherwise, the tone seems respectful...even honorific in places. As, IMHO, it should be. Johnny never wanted to be a lawyer; he wanted to be a prosecutor. And he never wanted to be a politician, but I think we could have made an interesting mayor or even governor.

Still rising daily at 4 a.m., he habitually monitors his police band radio even though his retirement ranch home in Austin County normally is far from the scene of crimes. His e-mail address bears the moniker "crimefighter."

Maybe he's not completely done just yet...