Category: TEXAS

Settlement

Civil Rights Action Against Jail Officials [Red River County, TX]

Mr. Cabler was jailed by Red River County [TX] officials who knew he had a history of mental health issues and, importantly, a history of suicide attempts in their jail.  During this pretrial detention, Mr. Cabler told jail staff in writing he would hang himself.  And then, he did it.  He hung himself with his own bedsheet in his jail cell – a jail cell in which he was housed alone with a camera installed where he was monitored 24/7.

Haslam recovered the video from Mr. Cabler’s jail cell depicting his methodical 20 minute preparation to do so.  Yet, the jail monitor failed to intervene.

As if these failures weren’t bad enough, our work also revealed jail staff’s indifference continued even after the loss of Mr. Cabler.  Their annual investigative report by state jail standards revealed even more violations during and after their custody of Mr. Cabler.

Red River County settled for $825,000

Case Dismissed

Misled into Illegal Plea [Dallas]

Criminal Charge: Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Case: State v. Duncan Gordon
Court: [Cause F12-61468][Dallas]
Result: Release from Jail Pending Dismissal on Appeal

Oklahoma State Courts Network
For more details on this case, open the Docket View.

Duncan reached out to Haslam and luminary Texas appellate lawyer Michael Mowla after being sentenced to five years in prison for using…the ground to kill a man who assaulted him in a Dallas gas station lot.  His trial lawyer led him on a years-long road of poor communication ending with incomplete advice about the terms of the five year sentence.  He even waived his right to appeal. He immediately went to jail awaiting transport to prison.

Haslam filed motions and scheduled a hearing to have Duncan released pending the appeal that Mowla would ultimately urge and win.  After hearing Haslam examine the Dallas County Jail Medical Director on certain jail conditions that threatened Duncan’s life and the bail bondsman testify that Duncan’s trial lawyer repeatedly failed to keep Duncan aware of court dates, the trial judge released Duncan from jail while Mowla pursued his successful appeal.  As per usual, that appeal took more than a year to conclude – a year Duncan spent at home rather than in jail.

Case Dismissed

Judge Illegally Extends Probation…. [Lamar County, TX]

Criminal Charge: 
Case: State v. Jay Teague
Court: [Cause 27577][Lamar]
Result:
Probation Extension Voided, Case Dismissed


Two weeks before the expiration of his four-year suspended sentence, Jay was instructed by Lamar County Probation to appear in court the following morning. He had no notice of why, no chance to get a lawyer. Fortunately, there was a court reporter when the judge extended his probation for five years, gave him 200 new hours of community service, ordered an interlock back on his car and put a SCRAM device on his ankle. Two weeks from finishing his probation.

Haslam reviewed the transcript of the hearing and the court file and realized the judge didn’t have jurisdiction to extend his probation: the Presiding Administrative Judge of this judicial district had ordered this judge off Jay’s case three years earlier.

Haslam drafted a motion and – rather than creating the uncomfortable scene of filing it – sent it to the judge and prosecutor, urged reconsideration of the extension order and discharge of the entire case. The judge complied. The extension was voided, the case dismissed.  Jay was celebrating in Cabo within days.