Posted on 12/29/2006 11:46:40 AM PST by Diddle E. Squat
First Democrat to hold spot since '86 has said he plans no major overhaul
DALLAS — The newly elected Dallas County district attorney fired eight of his top prosecutors, and at least nine others are resigning before he assumes the post on Monday.
Craig Watkins, the county's first black district attorney and the first Democrat to hold the office since 1986, sent termination notices to the eight prosecutors Wednesday.
Watkins' election in November was part of a Democratic resurgence in Dallas County that saw the party take 42 judicial races and six other countywide offices. Watkins, a longtime defense attorney, has said he does not plan a major overhaul of the office and that employees who share his philosophy will be welcomed.
"I do not have a comment, and (Watkins) is still enjoying his holiday," said Watkins' campaign manager, Gloria James.
Those receiving pink slips included Gary Arey, the head of the juvenile division; Howard Blackmon, the head of family violence and child abuse prosecutors; and Tom D'Amore, who oversees nine felony courts as a division chief.
D'Amore said he was surprised by his termination because Watkins had told him his job was safe.
"I feel I did a good job for the DA's office, and I'll do a good job wherever I end up," D'Amore said.
Watkins also fired the office's chief prosecutor of child abuse cases, the public integrity chief and two deputy chiefs for misdemeanors. Watkins delivered the termination notices to retiring District Attorney Bill Hill, who notified the affected employees personally.
One of the prosecutors who's leaving the office voluntarily is Toby Shook, the felony trial bureau chief who lost to Watkins in the Nov. 7 election.
Telling that the Dallas Morning News buries this on WFAA's website under 'Regional Roundup':
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-regionalrdp_29met.ART.West.Edition1.3e7ef07.html
Can't have any "loose cannons" looking in all the right places.........
If true, nice new DA they've got there...
How many fired were white?
How many hired will be black?
His "job" was safe. He, however, wasn't........
Exactly what the Bush administration should have done within their first three months in office; throw out the enemy within.
The country has paid ever since for the failure to do so.
Dallas needs its collective head examined.
"The country has paid ever since for the failure to do so."
Thank goodness, I thought I was the only one.
2004 statistics
Overall Dallas Crime Index 104,384 crimes per 100,000 people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that tells me that there are a lot of repeat offenders getting out on bail and being helped by public defenders/defense attys. like the new DA.
My guess, and it's only a guess, is that "diversity" might be a second consideration here.....
Why would he fire "top" prosecutors?
What did this guy go to school with Nifong?
This is the kind of thing that 'Rats do whenever they win and the kind of thing that Republicans can't seem to figure out. If Bush had done this at State, CIA and Justice he'd have cleaned out a ton of Clinton cronies and saved himself alot of trouble down the line. The CIA and State Dept has been running a virtual opposition government to Bush's policies since 9-12-01.
As long as the replacements are better than the ones terminated and he is a 'law & order' DA ... no problem.
Nice.
Let the ideological Kristallnacht games begin!
LOL. We must learn to parce words.
"How many fired were white? How many hired will be black?"
Hey, now! No finding out about the truth.
It's justice, you know. Firing whitey.
Ruh roh...
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