“The infectiousness of crime is like that of the plague” – Napoleon
“The infectiousness of crime reporting is like that of the plague” – Me
Crime or rather the perception of crime is of importance to all homebuyers and tenants. Earlier this week, I wrote about crime and security in high-rises. To ensure the rest of you don’t feel left out, here’s the bigger picture … and if surveys are right, the majority of you are about to be surprised.
John Wiley Price’s trial is held in Chief U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Lynn’s courtroom inside the Earle Cabell Federal Building.
By Ashley Stanley
Special Contributor
As the courtroom began to fill up Tuesday morning with pastors, community activists, friends, foes, and citizen onlookers like myself, the media was scrambling with technology issues in the overflow room on the 13th floor. It appeared the connection to the monitors wasn’t working, and media folks like Jim Schutze, Shaun Rabb, Kevin Krause, and James Ragland were fortunate enough to grab seats on the back row before the live show began.
Court started just before 11 a.m. with Judge Lynn reading 22 pages of general and specific instructions to the jury, telling them their duty was to deliver a verdict solely based upon the evidence presented. Evidence is the sworn testimony of witnesses and exhibits provided. She said, “A verdict should yield a decision beyond a reasonable doubt, but not all possible doubt.”
John Wiley Price’s trial is held in Chief U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Lynn’s courtroom inside the Earle Cabell Federal Building.
By Ashley Stanley
Special Contributor
FBI Special Agent Allen Wilson was on the witness stand as I arrived in court Tuesday morning, and it immediately became clear that the federal government is on trial in this case as much as Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.
Does an oath of office stand for anything nowadays? Ashley Stanley wonders in her latest column on the John Wiley Price public corruption trial.
By Ashley Stanley
Special Contributor
Your Honor, May I Approach The Witness?
I promised a commenter on the last blog post I would attend the trial and report back, so I did. And on that note, I gave my word. Does that mean anything anymore? Can someone say one thing and do another? I digress.
[Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of this series. Find the first and second installments here and here, respectively.]
By Ashley Stanley
Special Contributor
No. 3-14CR-293-M [FILED UNDER SEAL]
During a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to pick up the 107-page indictment filed by the feds on July 23, 2014, and provide my thoughts. I didn’t know this case was against anyone other than John Wiley Price. Call me ignorant, but it also includes two consultants and a Dallas County employee. Talk about taking your “friends” down with you.
The indictment points out that Price took an oath in which he swore and affirmed things, “So help me God.” What does that mean? Can that be argued? What if he held his right hand up and had his left hand fingers crossed behind his back? Can he be held to the promise to preserve, protect, and defend anything?
John Wiley Price’s trial is held in Chief U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Lynn’s courtroom inside the Earle Cabell Federal Building.
By Ashley Stanley
Special Contributor
For the first installment in this series, click here.
The morning didn’t go as planned. I was hoping to be at the courthouse at 7:45 a.m., remember? It was more like 9:03 a.m. I ended up taking care of other business matters, but nonetheless, made it to the Earle Cabell Federal Building in time to be second in line. Meaning if someone comes out, I go in.
It is not standing-room only. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Lynn does not want anyone standing except for the security officer monitoring the door. You either have a seat, or you wait outside on a wooden bench. I benched it for 20 minutes until I snagged my opportunity. I made it in. However, while I was waiting outside the courtroom, I overhead two attorneys negotiating (nothing to do with the trial). It went a bit like this:
According to DCAD (and the SUV out front), John Wiley Price owns this home at 406 E. 5th Street in North Oak Cliff.
By Ashley Stanley
Special Contributor
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price has been active in our community for more than four decades. It has been said that his extracurricular activities include “The Dallas County Community Leadership Luncheon,” nightly host of KKDA’s “Talk Back, Liberation Radio,” and a drive time radio crusade known as Liberation Nation KNON 89.3,” but they forgot to include corruption charges by the federal government of the United States of America.
Courtesy Fox4 News Dallas
The tragic gunning down of a woman in an Uptown parking garage last evening, a garage residents say was accessible only with a fob key, has now garnered a bit of national attention via the New York Daily News.
The murder has the luxury apartment community (and a lot of single women in Uptown) on edge. Witnesses said the killer was wearing a mask and drove away in a black Jeep Cherokee —
“We saw the lady laying down next to her car on the floor, and then the cops showed up,” said a man who did not want to be identified. “My son, he was telling me that a black Jeep Cherokee drove by… a guy with a mask put a bullet in her and just drove off.”
It will be interesting to see how well the building’s security cameras help police find the killer, and how quickly. One more homicide to add to the City’s tally.
