Victor Vital, attorney for Sheila Farrington, began the morning’s proceedings in the federal Dallas City Hall corruption trial by asking affordable housing developer Bill Fisher several questions about whether he hoped the jury in this case would render a “just and merciful” verdict. Finally the judge told him to move…
Today’s testimony from Bill Fisher, the government’s wire-wearing witness in the City Hall corruption trial in federal court, brings us an even more explicit bribery-extortion scenario than we have seen before in this two-months-old trial.Fisher is alleging a series of events that followed a meeting with hair-care magnate Comer Cottrell…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Lots of you asking for a breakdown of the latest Arbitron PPM radio ratings for July. Not worth a separate item these days because – yawn – The Ticket’s dynasty just…
No, no, no. You got me all wrong. Am I skeptical? Cynical? Inquisitive? Smart-assy? Guilty. But bitter? Hardly. I consider myself more tell-it-like-it-is realistic rather than jump-off-the-high-five negative. I don’t think the Rangers will make the playoffs. I think Josh Hamilton should’ve come clean before he was caught. And I absolutely despise…
There’s a point I want to make about the Dallas City Hall corruption/bribery trial going on now in federal court. It’s simple. The trial probably seems impossibly complicated—14 defendants, lots of lingo, events scattered over several years. But look. It’s not, not if you put yourself in the position. Let’s…
Dear Readers: We begin, as we do each week, with cojones, although the huevos in question deal with my column a couple of semanas ago on why gabachos prefer the former term for testicles as opposed to the latter. I gave a rough etymology of the two (cojones comes from…
I realize we are a society of cheaters: Steroids and corked bats in baseball. Spying in the NFL. Fudging our taxes. Speeding. Rosie Ruiz in the Boston Marathon. Foot wedges in golf. NASCAR crew chiefs altering specifications. Ponzi schemes. Our spouses. I get it. Cut a corner here or tell…
Victor Vital, Sheila Farrington Hill’s attorney, is cross examining Allen McGill, Darren Reagan’s partner in the Black State Employees Association of Texas (BSEAT), which prosecutors have characterized as a fake union and extortion scam. McGill, a defendant in the City Hall corruption case, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Sunday is the NFL’s annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. More importantly, it’s the induction of my first Dallas Cowboys hero – Bob Hayes. I’ll be watching. For one…
Today’s proceedings at the City Hall federal corruption trial opened with a determined attempt by the Dallas city attorney, once again, to bar witnesses from talking about anything that may have happened in a closed “executive” session of the Dallas city council. Basically, Judge Barbara Lynn told the city’s lawyer…
Laura Miller has begun testifying in the federal City Hall corruption trial, giving the jury her history in politics. She’s poised, of course. Prosecutor Sarah Saldana began by addressing her as “Ms. Miller,” then caught herself and asked, “Is that how you address a former mayor?”Miller smiled and said, “Yes…
Believe it or not—and I’m actually trying to talk myself into it—there may be a way to look at this terribly depressing City Hall corruption trial now under way in federal court and come away feeling optimistic. And I’m not talking about watching the trial while drunk. There’s sort of…
Dear Mexican: Why does El Tri act like pendejos every time the U.S. men’s national soccer team kicks their ass? They won’t even shake hands or exchange jerseys after the game, and they always act like the U.S. got lucky with the win, even though the Americans have destroyed Mexico…
O.K., I want to give you an example of the very good lawyering being done by the defense in the City Hall corruption trial going on right now at the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse. The witness on the stand this morning is the same guy who was on…
This is an interesting morning, City Hall federal corruption trial-wise. The government is presenting witnesses who are real City Hall lobbyists to show the jury how they work. Some of these — like Willie Cothrum, for example, who is up next — are the people who really make the wheels…
10. The whole city is one big Deep Ellum. 9. Two words: Cable. Access. The people willing to pay for their 15 minutes are incredibly entertaining, if not so much talented. On Saturday morning I was momentarily mesmerized by two pasty dudes sitting really close together on a love seat…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Been buried in Camp Cowboys all week, but looks like 103.3 FM ESPN needs a new drive-time sidekick alongside Randy Galloway. Brian Estridge is leaving to co-host mornings on WBAP 820…
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans at construction sites always draw a dick and vagina on the interiors of port-a-potties? They sure are not as poetic as they are artistic. Then you got the white boy reply, “Here I sit flexing a…” You should know the rest. —Original Schreck in Houston…
Don’t tell me I may be losing my Tom Leppert. What would I do? I’m just not ready for the mayor of Dallas to leave me. I have so much more in mind for him. The speculation is that Leppert might consider running for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s seat early…
In federal court today Ray Jackson, lawyer for former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, has been working on affordable housing developer Brian Potashnik in an attempt to get him to tell the jury that he was forced against his will to plead guilty to bribing Hill. I don’t think…
Whether you’re at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt’s End: *Once upon a time Walter Cronkite was the “most trusted man in America.” His death got me wondering who wears that crown today? The answer hurts: Oprah. *Sure smells like the…
I’m not even trying to change the outcome. It’s a freight train. Strapping myself to the tracks is not my idea of fun. But I want you to see what an enormous mistake we’re about to make in choosing a second DART rail line through downtown. Downtown Dallas 50 years…
