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News You Can Actually Use, Actually

Federal City Hall Corruption Trial Gets a Little National Attention, Courtesy The WSJ

By Robert Wilonsky, Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 8:01AM
Comments (6)
Categories: It's Gettin' All Political Up in This Piece
Sam Merten
Don Hill and wife Sheila. Like you didn't know that.
This morning, The Wall Street Journal recaps the Dallas City Hall federal corruption trial for outsiders and others not glued to Schutze's riveting running narration from the Earle Cabell, where Bill Fisher takes the stand yet again this morning. Since most of it's more than familiar territory to the Friends of Unfair Park, let's just skip to the end, where defense attorney Billy Ravkind and SMU politics prof Cal Jillson offer their two cents' worth. One note of background first: Ravkind was Al Lipscomb's attorney when the former city councilman -- and corruption-trial pundit -- stood trial in Amarillo in 2000. Schutze was there then too. So, then, what say they?
Dallas lawyer Billy Ravkind, who has a private practice specializing in fraud and embezzlement cases, said he expects jurors to be receptive to the defense's claims of racism. Mr. Ravkind has known many of the defendants for years but isn't representing any of them. When jurors "look over and don't see anyone white" in the defense box, he said, "that's a problem."

Calvin Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said he hoped the case wouldn't taint what he sees as council members' vital role of lobbying for minority constituents to get a shot at construction contracts.
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More About:

  • Billy Ravkind
  • Southern Methodist University
  • Sam Merten
  • Politics
  • Local Politics

Comments (6)

Rawlins' half-brother in Blunderland says:

Let's pretend Confucius say: WSJ Spin Classes seldom improve objective stamina.

Per Ravkind, it's hardly noteworthy at this point that the defendents are all black since the trial is about shakedown money rings of fire-or-hire within the African-American power elite.

And as for Jillson, I hope she isn't selling time shares on cheap cruises because the ship she's hoping people will still be willing to hop has long since sailed.

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 8:44AM
plague known as Reed says:

The only vital role these council members play (white or black or brown) is brokering campaign money to their own war chests and to all their friends and family.

This system is broken and laws need to be written barring developers from contributing to politicians when they have cases before them.

And folks need to treat Carol Reed to some good, old-fashioned ostracism. Treat her like the plague she is.

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 8:51AM
Anonymoose says:

Treat her like the plague she is.

Speaking of, is anyone else creeped out by her disembodied head that keeps appearing at the top of Unfair Park?

It's like the evil twin of the Teletubbies' Sun.

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 10:15AM
Spoetzl says:

Speaking of Carol Reed, has she returned from her long out of town and unavailable vacation to the place where cell phones don't work?

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 10:16AM
Mballar says:

plague known as Reed said:

"This system is broken and laws need to be written barring developers from contributing to politicians when they have cases before them."

Haven't you been paying attention? It wouldn't matter. The City Attorneys would just instruct the council members that those laws wouldn't apply to them.

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 11:47AM
Bethany says:

Calvin Jillson is pretty much a dude.

Posted On: Wednesday, Aug. 19 2009 @ 1:05PM

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