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Fake tits, cold beer and biker shootouts, get them at the Waco Twin Peaks

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GringoSalado

GringoSalado 1652

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Posted

thread never made it over here I guess.

https://www.wacotrib.com/news/more-twin-peaks-cases-dismissed-by-special-prosecutors/article_d59fcc83-31d1-5d04-bd67-6019398a9d15.html?fbclid=IwAR2SMpMj2tUjCRemTRipDerXpbVg5m-xQLLsHJ6SM_u4TP24vraSXEPxjIE

More Twin Peaks cases dismissed by special prosecutors

By TOMMY WITHERSPOON twitherspoon@wacotrib.com

 

Feb 25, 2019

Quote

One of four Houston attorneys assigned to handle four Twin Peaks biker cases as special prosecutors dismissed the remaining three cases Monday and called the way the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office handled the 2015 deadly shootout a “harebrained scheme” that was “patently offensive” to him.

Special prosecutors Brian Roberts, Brian Benken, Feroz Merchant and Mandy Miller filed motions Monday to dismiss the first-degree felony engaging in organized criminal activity charges against bikers William Chance Aikin, Billy McCree and Ray Nelson. The motions to dismiss said, “Upon reviewing all the facts, circumstances and evidence, it is the state’s position that no probable cause exists to believe the defendant committed the offense.”

The team of special prosecutors dismissed the case against Hewitt resident Matthew Clendennen in April 2018.

“I think, unfortunately, — and this is probably a poor choice of words — but it was simply a shoot-first-ask-questions-later mentality,” Roberts said. “I can’t imagine what (former McLennan County DA) Abel Reyna was thinking other than this was a big case and it was somehow going to be beneficial for him or his office.”

Roberts, a former prosecutor who served in the special crimes bureau of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, said he had no problem with the first part of the process, which was to round up more than 200 bikers, identify and photograph them. He said the process was necessary to try to see who was involved and who were merely witnesses.

“I do have a very serious problem as a lawyer with the wholesale charging of people without an investigation,” he said. “They had plenty of time to conduct an investigation. They had plenty of time to do what they needed to do to find out who the parties needed to be in this harebrained scheme. It is just patently offensive to me. Justice is the sword and the shield. You had a number of folks who never should have been charged and whose lives have been turned upside down unnecessarily, and that is something you can’t change. You can’t take back what has happened over the last four years.”

In the months after his defeat in the March 2018 Republican primary, Reyna dismissed the vast majority of the 154 pending indictments his office sought in the Twin Peaks shootout, which left nine dead and 20 injured. Reyna’s office re-indicted 25 Twin Peaks defendants on different charges in May, with most being charged with riot and three being charged with murder and riot. District Attorney Barry Johnson, who took office in January, has said he and his staff are reviewing those cases to determine how to proceed.


Houston attorney Paul Looney, who represents Ray Nelson, said he agrees with Roberts.


“What Brian said is long overdue. The defense bar has been saying the same thing for nearly four years. This gives a lot of credibility to what we have been saying, and I am very appreciative of them to go through all of the evidence thoroughly and to have the courage of their convictions when it came time to announce it. These people deserve vindication. It is long overdue. They have been treated horribly.”

Roberts, who made it clear that he was speaking only about the four cases he and the others were appointed to handle, said that prosecutors bear a greater responsibility to ensure that justice is done.

“Whatever justice means. Whether that means pursuing a prosecution, whether that means reducing a case, whether than means getting rid of a case, whether than means never charging a case,” Roberts said. “A prosecutor’s job is not to put people in prison. It is to do justice. I don’t think anybody can say that was done here back in 2015.”

Waco attorney Robert Callahan, who represents Aikin, said his client is “very relieved and extremely grateful.”

“This case revealed numerous breakdowns in the justice system, which increased at compound interest. It’s heartbreaking that one man’s ambition had such far-reaching effects for so many. We are thankful for the wisdom Mr. Roberts showed in reviewing the facts objectively, without political ambition,” Callahan said.

 

 

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Homercles

Homercles 10206

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Posted
Another biker that got caught up with that and is being represented by Looney was arrested on a weapons and drug charge a few days back, can't remember the damn name now. I'm not sure if he still has pending charges in this case or not. I'm pretty useless.


Well I’m sure the vast bulk of 1%ers involved in that thing were innocent of the particular bullshit case the Waco system tried to put on them...but that doesn’t mean they are all easy going Sunday rider types.
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Post Oak

Post Oak 20551

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Posted
1 hour ago, BurntEyes said:

There is a long list of great things to have lived in or come from Waco.

Michael Johnson

Dr Pepper

..........

See, very long list. It's not producing anymore goods now, so I agree with you.

I will double your list sir.  Show some goddamn respect

220px-Jennifer_Love_Hewitt_LF2.jpg

 

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31987

Posted
Posted (edited)
Quote

“Whatever justice means. Whether that means pursuing a prosecution, whether that means reducing a case, whether than means getting rid of a case, whether than means never charging a case,” Roberts said. “A prosecutor’s job is not to put people in prison. It is to do justice.

One more time.  A little louder, for the people in the back.

Quote

I can’t imagine what (former McLennan County DA) Abel Reyna was thinking other than this was a big case and it was somehow going to be beneficial for him or his office.

Don't be fatuous, Brian.

Edited by TwiceHorn
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Armybrat

Armybrat 41320

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Posted
1 hour ago, HOOKEM4 said:

Sure you can get a good chicken fried steak and see some cool shit about the Texas Rangers but at what cost? I am not sure it is worth the years of therapy and mistrust that comes from being gang raped by a group of scholarship athletes. 

At least for the good cfs and Ranger museum you don’t have to get off I-35. 

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Liquor and Poker

Liquor and Poker 3659

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, El Diablo said:

Texas Sports HOF is probably a better attraction than the Ranger museum for most guys here. Lots of HS greats, pros and the SWC exhibit is pretty sweet.

If they can move the College Football HOF, then they can certainly move the Texas Sports HOF once the ground is fully salted.

Uncle Marios, Potbelly and the two has-been Pappas properties can stay, I guess.

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phdhorn

phdhorn 6224

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 2/27/2019 at 7:06 PM, BurntEyes said:

There is a long list of great things to have lived in or come from Waco.

Michael Johnson

Dr Pepper

..........

See, very long list. It's not producing anymore goods now, so I agree with you.

Great YouTube Videos of Tanks Destroying Flaming Houses

“Y’all going to look at the lights?....(pause) Okay den let’s get our roll on!”  

Edited by phdhorn
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zork

zork 629

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On 2/27/2019 at 8:54 PM, Armybrat said:

Texas ranger museum

Heitmiller steakhouse chicken fried steak.

 

Care to give a more expansive review of the Heitmiller CFS?  Is it the breading, the gravy, portion size, fixins, etc, all of the above?  We need a CFS thread.(haven't noticed one but may have missed it on the food/travel forum)

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Armybrat

Armybrat 41320

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Posted (edited)

It’s well battered, kinda like Baylor coeds.

I rate it about a 7.5, and the single is a good size - enough for two average people. They are always cooked right, never over or underdone. The crust is consistently crispy and the meat properly tenderized. We order the double, split one and take the other home for another meal. Get the gravy on the side.- it is average, as are the fries & veggie sides.

We sometimes call ahead just for takeout on our way home to Round Rock from Dallas.

Edited by Armybrat
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SimonBolivar

SimonBolivar 11031

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2 hours ago, zork said:

Care to give a more expansive review of the Heitmiller CFS?  Is it the breading, the gravy, portion size, fixins, etc, all of the above?  We need a CFS thread.(haven't noticed one but may have missed it on the food/travel forum)

Heitmiller isn't in the top 5 CFS in McLennan County. 

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SimonBolivar

SimonBolivar 11031

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1 minute ago, zork said:

ok, but if you are driving up and down 35 a lot would you stop there and eat?

Depends on what you're in the mood for of course. CFS would be George's which isn' t the best in town but right on the highway. I'd probably keep on driving if you want CFS. Quick Mexican give me a Barbacoa Torta from Zacatecas. IF you want Cajun then Cajun Craft is a good one. Most of the interstate food is relatively meh with your standard In-N-Out, Chick-fil-a, Twisted Root, and what not. 

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PilotsError

PilotsError 2342

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WACO, Texas (KWTX) New McLennan County District Attorney Barry Johnson announced Tuesday his office has chosen to not prosecute the remaining 24 Twin Peak cases.

Shots rang out on May 17, 2015 outside the Twin Peaks Restaurant, at Interstate 35 and Loop 340 as motorcycle riders gathered there for what was supposed to be a meeting on legislative issues.

Within seconds nine bikers were dead, more than 20 were injured and shortly thereafter 177 were under arrest, each charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and each held in lieu of a $1 million bond.

Only one case ever made it trial and ended in a mistrial.

“This is a difficult decision which must be made base on the existing facts and evidence in accordance with the laws of this state and in the interest of justice, and not a decision that can be made based on emotions or personal feelings or preferences,” Johnson said in a press release.

In September 2018 KWTX reported, the total cost of the shootout has run into the solid seven figures and the state, at least so far, has little to show for its effort, all the while realizing the final cost is not yet calculated for the defendants and in some cases may never be.

McLennan County reported $1,317,835.96 in total identifiable costs related to Twin Peaks.

“I will not in the Twin Peaks matter, nor in the any case, instruct the excellent assistant district attorneys in my office to proceeds to trial on any case where I do not believe there is a strong likelihood of the evidence establishing the guilt of a person charged beyond a reasonable doubt,” Johnson said.

More than 130 lawsuits are pending against local officials

The arrest affidavits, all 177 of them, were word-for-word the same and none included mention of probable cause in individual cases.
Challenges from lists of lawyers began piling up, citing violations of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure on probable cause requirements and excessive bond.

As the cases began moving into the courtroom one-by-one, they began to fall apart one-by-one until ultimately of the original 177, only the two dozen remained.

Prosecutors won no accolades, but defense attorneys did

Accolades so far haven’t come for the state when it comes to Twin Peaks legal issues, but the defense statewide is crowing about what the defense bar thinks was an inappropriate response to the incident in the first place.

Two defense lawyers, among the most outspoken of the Twin Peaks defense attorneys on probable cause issues, F. Clinton Broden of Dallas and Casie L. Gotro, of Houston were honored in June by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association as the co-Percy Foreman Lawyers of the Year for their zealous defense of their Twin Peaks clients.

Broden, who defended Hewitt resident Matthew Alan Clendennen, and Gotro, who represented Christopher Jacob Carrizal, then president of the Dallas chapter of the Bandidos motorcycle group, were selected based on their outstanding legal representation in the Twin Peaks case, the organization said.

Curiously Gotro hasn’t been eligible to practice law in the state since Sept, 1, the State Bar of Texas confirms, because her dues, which were due on June 1, have not been paid.

Gotro was scheduled to defend a Bandido whose trial begins later this year in Tarrant County, but has been removed from the case, officials confirmed.

In the end the Twin Peaks account still is tolling for the county and the county’s taxpayers, and for the defendants, both those who still have active cases and those who had their cases dismissed, and then there’s the lawsuits in federal court.

“That, if they go to trial, will be expensive for everyone, the clients, the lawyers and the government,” MacLemore said, “even if there’s no award.”

Even after taking office Johnson indicated he had not determined how he would the cases.

"Without a doubt, the Twin Peaks cases that I've inherited, and there are 24 of them, have taken most of our time and emotional energy by going through those cases,” he said in March.

"Certainly out of the 24, I think we are looking at some dismissals."

It became clear Tuesday, some ended up meaning all cases.

 

https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Waco-DA-to-drop-remaining-24-Twin-Peaks-cases-508007331.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KWTX_News_10&fbclid=IwAR1OTYmfCeSvw1q-c-puIrnwF59dDQjqme3_D9sGmDRvVJFMpqYP7aAwXhU

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hayden_horn

hayden_horn 11401

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Posted (edited)

I still cannot forgive the absolute injustice of these cases. The exact same affadavit? The million dollar bonds? Ruined otherwise normal lives because they were in the wromg place at the wrong time.

I also think they are going to punt on these charges because it would have come out that a lot of the bullets fired came from the cops. 

I would also bet that the cops came to the event hopped up and ready to bust them up a motorcycle gang. 

Edited by hayden_horn
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