Elizabeth Murray-Kolb made it clear to the voters in this district that District Attorney Heather McMinn and the Sheriff are her political enemies. Ms. Kolb failed in an attempt to use a very tragic drowning death of a child to damage both D.A. McMinn's and Sheriff Zwicke's reputation.
http://m.gonzalesinquirer.com/mobile/news/article_26bc2e64-6416-11e1-990e-001871e3ce6c.html
The Gonzales Enquirer noted the following testimony during the hearing:
An emotional Rollins, who testified Tuesday, lashed out at Murray-Kolb, charging that the court of inquiry was politically motivated. “When you have people such as Mrs. Kolb and Mrs. [Patricia] Finch using the tragic drowning of a 12-year-old girl for political purposes, it’s the lowest of the low. It angers me so much I can hardly stand it.”
The Gonzales Enquirer also noted Seguin attorney Finch, who was seen sitting with Murray-Kolb in the courtroom during the inquiry, is challenging McMinn for the 25th Judicial District Attorney seat in November 2011... During testimony at the court of inquiry, Murray-Kolb acknowledged long-standing animosity between her and McMinn. Cozily seated next to Murray-Kolb were her good buddies former D.A. Vicki Patillo and D.A. candidate Patricia Finch. Heather McMinn booted Ms Patillo out of office in the last election, and despite the mudslinging Patricia Finch also lost to Heather.
Patricia did lose by the cruelest of slim margins, in part due to allegations that came up late in the election, not raised by Heather, but by this Blogger. This included, among many unpleasant things, that former District Attorney wannabee Patricia Finch has a long time boyfriend who has a criminal rap sheet of organized crime, DUI arrests, and public intoxication.
Which rolls into a little story of unlawful favoritism by Ms Kolb's office and what happened after Attorney Finch's lover boy was arrested in Guadalupe County for this 3rd DWI (but really 4th), and how Ms. Kolb as our County Attorney appeared to be complicit in what occurred.
Ms. Kolb was at the helm of the County Attorney Office for many years. Her office was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor DUI's, which are generally the first two convictions. Anything over two convictions jumps from misdemeanor to felony, and by law handled by the District Attorney Office.
The Seguin Gazette reported on 6/25/1982 Mr. Grein had to be cut out of his vehicle after taking out a light pole and power to a neighborhood on Hwy 90, and was arrested for being under the influence. DWI #1. But in those days records could more easily 'get lost' in Seguin. So it is not shown in the below record.
http://judicial.co.guadalupe.tx.us/default.aspx
But the record does indeed show Mr. Grein has DWI convictions in Guadalupe County in 1991, 1999, and 2007. The last offense states it was the 2nd offense. So 1+1+1 equals 2 in Seguin?
Long before 2007 Texas abolished the former DWI look-back period, which allowed old DWI convictions to not be counted. The law now requires ALL prior convictions be counted, which applies retroactively with no grandfather clause. Texas Penal Code §49.0(b)(2) states that a DWI is a FELONY of the third degree if it is shown the person has previously been convicted two times of any other offense relating to the operating of a motor vehicle while intoxicated․ This individual was facing a STATE JAIL FELONY of not less than two years.
Ms. Kolb's office quietly stepped in and circumvented Texas law by treating his 3rd offense as a 2nd offense. This by pretending the 1991 conviction did not count, which unethically manipulated this down to a misdemeanor with 30 days in jail and probated fines. That's a heck of a lot sweeter than what the law required, which was a felony conviction and no less than two years in jail.
If you look a little deeper into this Guadalupe County public criminal record online it gets interesting.
This record shows that County Court-at-Law judge Linda Jones (who Ms. Kolb now seeks to replace) convicted this person not once but twice in her court in 1991 and 1999. Judge Linda Jones coddled this man for her buddy attorney Patricia Finch by PROBATING his fines and sentence, meaning he walked away with little more than a wrist slap for his three DUI's. A third appearance in Judge Jones court would have been difficult for her to pretend he had only been there twice, so this case was handed to Judge Follis so he could (wink wink) take care of this little problem. Plausible deniability. Over the years these two judges have unethically tag teamed cases they needed taken care of.
Its a darned good thing for this district that Linda Jones is leaving office, and even better that the voters gave her husband Larry Jones a boot in the rear in this year's election.
Court-at-law Judge Follis and county attorney Kolb had absolutely NO jurisdiction or legal authority to handle a third strike felony DWI case. By law this case was out of their hands and must have been transferred up to the District Attorney and a District Court Judge. But the case does not go to district judge until the district attorney takes it there. But since Patricia's buddy Vicki Patillo was District Attorney at that time, no problem. Don't ask don't tell.
This being the small community and small county attorney office that it is, most folks are not stupid enough to believe Ms. Kolb as the County Attorney was not very much aware of what transpired between her office and the court. Or that Judge Follis did not knowingly allow his court to be used to pull a fast one.
If this alcoholic who was coddled by our County Attorney and Courts-at-Law ever raises his game to intoxication manslaughter, we will know who to blame in large part for that.
Think the above is an isolated case of impropriety by these folks? Think again... This blogger knows each and every one of them.
Ms. Kolb later quit her position as Guadalupe County Attorney to make a run for Texas Railroad Commissioner, and fell flat on her face. She now wants the taxpayers to put her back on their payroll as a County Court-at-Law judge. Beats the heck out of working for a living as an attorney in Seguin.
Why in the world should we elect Ms Kolb to be a Judge, after she has shown evidence of violating the law for friends, and made it clear she is a political enemy of our District Attorney and Sheriff ??
While ones own military service record may certainly reflect one's character and possibly fitness for political office, of which Ms Kolb has no military service, her willingness to milk her relatives military service for her own gain is shameful.
Ms Kolb has not shown herself to be honest enough or even better qualified and endorsed than her opponent... despite what her flag waving and apple pie campaign suggests. There are a few turds in that pie.
If anyone feels the record as shown here is incorrect or misleading, and that Ms Kolb's office did indeed follow the law in prosecuting Patricia Finch's boyfriends fourth DUI case, feel free to comment...
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