The Picture of Henry Wade? What Picture of Henry Wade?

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Dec. 26 2007 at 10:12 AM

Categories: Crime

A Friend of Unfair Park points our attention this morning to this Texas Lawyer profile of Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins -- the "Impact Player of the Year," which I thought was going to Tony Romo, but, anyway. The terrific piece, penned by our old pal Mark Donald, contains one nugget worth your time and ours -- and it concerns a missing photograph of former Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade. Dunno how much the picture's worth, but Watkins' reaction when asked about it is priceless:

Remaining prosecutors underwent a philosophic reprogramming of sorts, complete with symbolic gesture. Hanging in the conference room had been a gallery of photographs: Dallas County DAs dating back to the 1900s. In January, says Mountin, the photograph of Henry Wade came down. The long-tenured district attorney, whose name is often preceded in media accounts by the word "legendary," was also known for his staff's seeking 5,000-year sentences, employing a manual that encouraged his prosecutors to strike minorities from jury panels and a zeal for incarcerating bad guys that resulted in some high-profile miscarriages of justice.

But Watkins counters that the removal of Wade's photo was not purposeful. "It was in the way during a press conference. Someone took it down, it sat on the floor and the next thing we knew it was gone," he says. "No one has been able to find it. I have asked about it -- it may be in storage."

In related news, Watkins is in the running for Texan of the Year. Again, not Tony Romo? --Robert Wilonsky

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