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You Never Know Who You'll See in the Mall
The Houston Chronicle ^ | December 23, 2005 | Kevin Moran

Posted on 12/23/2005 6:54:22 AM PST by i_dont_chat

Trial judge has an awkward encounter with Durst in Galleria

Two days before Robert Durst violated parole with a trip to Galveston County last Friday, the New York millionaire had a close, strange encounter with the judge who presided over his sensational murder trial two years ago.

State officials say Houston's Galleria wasn't on parolee Durst's list of approved stops Dec. 14, when he ran across state District Judge Susan Criss of Galveston.

Criss said she was Christmas shopping when she saw a familiar figure coming toward her, a man talking on a cell phone.

"I saw him and thought 'Oh, my God,' " Criss said.

As the two met in the mall, Durst was trying to place her, Criss said.

"I know you, I know you," Criss quoted Durst as saying. "And then he realized who I was, and he dropped his phone and it fell apart."

In November 2003, a jury in Criss' court acquitted Durst of murder, even though he admitted cutting up the body of neighbor Morris Black, 71, and tossing the parts into Galveston Bay in garbage bags.

Criss later ordered that Durst be held on a $2 billion bond on bail-jumping and evidence-tam-pering charges. Durst pleaded guilty to those crimes, received a five-year sentence but was credited for time served.

He remains under "superintensive supervision" by a parole officer.

Criss said she didn't know what to say to Durst, so she said the obvious.

"How ya doing, Bob?" she said. "He said he was doing fine."

The two then discussed the current activities of attorneys Dick DeGuerin, Mike Ramsey and Chip Lewis, who represented Durst in his murder trial. DeGuerin now represents U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, and Ramsey and Lewis are preparing the defense of former Enron Chairman Ken Lay.

"I can't believe you stopped to talk to me," Criss quoted Durst as saying.

"What was I going to do?" Criss said. "Run away and scream?"

As the awkward conversation ended, Criss said she started walking away and found herself saying: "Take care of yourself and have a happy holiday."

Criss said she was not aware of the terms of Durst's parole.

Word of the encounter filtered through journalists to parole officials who already had arrested Durst on Tuesday on a parole violation for his trip to Galveston. Durst visited the office of a lawyer, a physician's home and the house in which a struggle between Durst and Black over a pistol resulted in Black's death in 2001.

Mike Viesca, spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said Thursday that Durst was supposed to go only to places to which he had permission from his parole officer to visit. The Galleria was not on Durst's Dec. 14 list, he said.

Durst remained in the Harris County Jail on Thursday pending a parole revocation hearing expected to be held in January.

Criss said she expects to be subpoenaed to testify at the hearing in Houston.

kevin.moran@chron.com


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: judge
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Judge Criss asked him, "How ya doing, Bob?"
1 posted on 12/23/2005 6:54:24 AM PST by i_dont_chat
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To: i_dont_chat

If you're a cross-dressing homosexual and ever on trial for murdering you're gay lover and cutting his head off then throwing it into the bay, by all means you better call Dick Deguerin! ..he's the man!


2 posted on 12/23/2005 6:59:46 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: All

Looks like Durst is just a-beggin' to be thrown back in jail.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, he goes to a place which is not on his list of approved places to visit.

Two days later, he leaves the city and goes to Galveston, and visits, among other places, the apartment building where he has admitted he cut off the head of his neighbor. Incidentally, a person who testified against Durst still lives in the apartment building and was TERRIFIED to see Durst on the property.

Society should put this guy away.

And SHAME on the jury who acquitted him.


3 posted on 12/23/2005 7:00:29 AM PST by i_dont_chat (Bush lied, people dyed. Their fingers. [Stolen from Mark Steyn].)
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To: i_dont_chat
In November 2003, a jury in Criss' court acquitted Durst of murder, even though he admitted cutting up the body of neighbor Morris Black, 71, and tossing the parts into Galveston Bay in garbage bags.

He was sentenced to "occasionally making small-talk with stupid judges at the mall".

4 posted on 12/23/2005 7:00:56 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: i_dont_chat

THAT just cracked me up!!!


5 posted on 12/23/2005 7:01:08 AM PST by bonfire (dwindler)
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To: i_dont_chat

Shame on the prosecuter who couldn't get a conviction.

And there are more facts to the case that the media puts out.

'Course that doesn't make a good story.


6 posted on 12/23/2005 7:03:38 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Many at FR would respond to Christ "Darn right, I'll cast the first stone!")
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To: i_dont_chat
You Never Know Who You'll See in the Mall

If you ever see me, run.

Boo.

7 posted on 12/23/2005 7:05:41 AM PST by Lazamataz ("Over it is not, until over it is." -- Yoda Berra)
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To: i_dont_chat

First, the judge lets him back out on the streets. Second, she hangs around to chit chat. But she is from Houston...


8 posted on 12/23/2005 7:06:30 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (Legality does not dictate morality... Lavin)
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To: mtbopfuyn

Wrong. This judge did EVERYTHING she could to keep this jerk locked up.

After his acquittal, she set a $3 billion bond for his skipping bond. (She said $3 billion, with a "B".)

Durst's attorney's got the bond reduced and his case removed from her court.

Judge Criss is Robert Durst's worst enemy.


9 posted on 12/23/2005 7:09:45 AM PST by i_dont_chat (Bush lied, people dyed. Their fingers. [Stolen from Mark Steyn].)
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To: mtbopfuyn

But she is from Houston...



You mean originally, like born in Houston?


10 posted on 12/23/2005 7:12:09 AM PST by deport (Merry Christmas; Feliz Navidad; Buon Natale; Joyeux Noël to one and all and Happy Holidays to.)
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To: TexasCajun
If you're a cross-dressing homosexual and ever on trial for murdering you're gay lover and cutting his head off then throwing it into the bay, by all means you better call Dick Deguerin! ..he's the man!

Just ask Tom DeLay.

So9

11 posted on 12/23/2005 7:15:09 AM PST by Servant of the 9 (Trust Me)
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To: i_dont_chat
And SHAME on the jury who acquitted him.

It was just a domestic disturbance.
It's not like he killed someone while robbing a Stop-n-Go.

Texas courts ahd juries have a long tradition of staying out of peoples personal business.

Even if they are crazy.

So9

12 posted on 12/23/2005 7:19:43 AM PST by Servant of the 9 (Trust Me)
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To: deport

For the record, Judge Criss is not from Houston, nor does she live in Houston, Harris County.

She is a Galveston County District Judge, 212th District Court.



13 posted on 12/23/2005 7:25:37 AM PST by i_dont_chat (Bush lied, people dyed. Their fingers. [Stolen from Mark Steyn].)
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To: Lazamataz

Oh my goodness, that is the scariest thing I have seen in a long time. Thanks for renewing my fear of clowns a thousandfold, Laz!


14 posted on 12/23/2005 7:25:38 AM PST by arizonarachel ("Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Col 3:23)
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To: MeanWestTexan
Shame on the prosecuter who couldn't get a conviction.

No different from O.J., Blake and Michael Jackson. Money talks.

15 posted on 12/23/2005 7:25:57 AM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Sgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: Graybeard58

It certainly buys a competent defense.

But the OJ case was pathetially mishandled by the prosecution --- they should have tried that in 2-3 days, not 2-3 months.

And the MJ case was weak. The family were clear grifters. Yes, MJ is a pedophile. But you have to show it was with the particular victim at issue --- and that "victim" was a born con artist.

Blake --- harder case. Here, I think the jury said, "The victim was a crook and deserved it."


16 posted on 12/23/2005 7:30:01 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Many at FR would respond to Christ "Darn right, I'll cast the first stone!")
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To: i_dont_chat
… held on a $2 billion bond…

Definitely a very big OOPS! I wonder if his bond (possibly record setting?) will be revoked.
17 posted on 12/23/2005 7:33:31 AM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: TexasCajun
>If you're a cross-dressing homosexual and ever on trial for murdering you're gay lover and cutting his head off then throwing it into the bay, by all means you better call Dick Deguerin! ..he's the man!
----------------------------------------
"Anthropologists have observed that in societies that lack formal political processes, sorcery accusations are often an indication of other social and economic tensions and conflicts. They have analyzed the killing of accused sorcerers as a form of control through which antisocial people are eliminated and social cohesion is reinforced."
[What Is Witchcraft?]
----------------------------------------

There was a time when
we could have just burned this guy
and moved on with life . . .

18 posted on 12/23/2005 7:36:16 AM PST by theFIRMbss
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To: Servant of the 9

'morning...


19 posted on 12/23/2005 7:39:13 AM PST by null and void (Peace on Earth. Death to the Terrorists...)
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To: R. Scott; i_dont_chat

Definitely a very big OOPS! I wonder if his bond (possibly record setting?) will be revoked.



I think he may have skipped out on a previous bailing only to be caught, maybe before trial... Someone with more details will need to confirm.

IDC... do you know?


20 posted on 12/23/2005 7:43:03 AM PST by deport (Merry Christmas; Feliz Navidad; Buon Natale; Joyeux Noël to one and all and Happy Holidays to.)
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