presentation for the woodlands watch talk january 27, 2016

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY

Presentation for The Woodlands Watch Talk

January 27, 2016

Montgomery County Attorney’s Office

District Attorney, Brett Ligon County Attorney, J D Lambright



Photos Courtesy of South Texas College of Law 1994 – 1995 Student Directory

Legal Advisor to County Elected Officials

• Commissioner’s Court

• County Judge & 4 Commissioners

• All Other Elected Officials

• Sheriff (approx 700 employees)

• Constables (5)

• District Attorney

• District Court Judges (7)

• County Court at Law Judges (5)

• Tax Assessor / Collector

• Justices of the Peace (5)

• Treasurer

• District Clerk

• County Clerk

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY CHIEF LEGAL ADVISOR TO THE COUNTY

(Approximately 2,300 Employees)


MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY LEGAL ADVISOR TO COUNTY DEPARTMENT HEADS

Department Heads (partial list)

• Airport • Auditor

• Building Maintenance • Convention Center

• Engineering • Environmental Health

• Human Resources • Law Library

• Information Technology • Probation (adult & juvenile)

• Permitting • Risk Management

• Purchasing

We Cannot Give Legal Advice to Private Citizens


• Attorneys - 15

• Legal Assistants – 10

• Victim Assistance Coordinator – 1

• Admin Manager - 1

• Investigators – 2 (Master Peace Officers)

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY (APPROX. 30 STAFF)


County Attorney

Juvenile Prosecution

Real Property

Civil Litigation

Child Protective Services

Government Affairs

Administrative Manager

Investigators

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY DIVISIONS – HOW WE ARE ORGANIZED

• State & federal • Ages 10 – 16

• Class B misdemeanor

thru capital murder

• Approx 1,200 cases/ yr

• 125 – 175 cases / yr

• Real estate transactions, issues, etc.

• Contracts – reviewing / drafting

• Employee grievances / discipline / terminations (including civil service)

• Mental health cases (including forced medication hearings)

• Open records (FOI) requests – approx. 12,000 per year

• Protective orders

• 2013 - 10 / month

• 2014 – 25 / month

• Worthless checks – collected approximately $700,000 since Jan. 2013

CHIEF LEGAL ADVISOR TO THE COUNTY TYPES OF LEGAL MATTERS


CIVIL LITIGATION TexCom - Federal Court Case

• Sued Montgomery County & Commissioners Court

• Claimed county deprived them of use of property

• TexCom hired one of the pre-eminent lawfirms in the world

Asked for $50 billion !!!

• We successfully defended the case in federal court

• TexCom appealed to Federal 5th Circuit Court in New Orleans

• 3 appellate judges again ruled in our favor

County paid TexCom $0.00


CIVIL LITIGATION Excessive Force Case

• Sued County, Sheriff, 2 deputies & bar - federal court

• Claimed off-duty deputies injured her outside Woodlands bar

• Claimed permanent brain damage - wanted millions of $$$

• We spent over 1½ years vigorously defending this case.

• April 30, 2014 - Roberts dropped her case - 1 week before trial !!

County paid her $0.00


CIVIL LITIGATION

Seizure of 207 Horses Case – Animal Cruelty

Civil Action

County Attorney’s Office

• Inadequate food, water, shelter, medical care.

• Seized 207 horses

Criminal Action

District Attorney’s Office

• H & W charged w/ 20 counts of animal cruelty - misdemeanors

• H indicted on felony - tampering w/ physical evidence.

CIVIL LITIGATION

Horse Seizure Case – Animal Cruelty

Civil Case Outcome

County Attorney’s Office

• H & W divested of ownership

• Horses awarded to HSPCA

• Judgment for $485,331.68

Criminal Case Outcome

District Attorney’s Office

• Awaiting trial

• 5 Month Old Baby Ejected from Car with Father Driving

• Father fled scene - baby left lying in road

• Arrested days later in another county – bond set at $200,000

CPS PROSECUTION


JUVENILE PROSECUTION CASES

YEAR 2013 2014 2015

TOTAL CASES 1107 1159 1,078

• MISDEMEANORS 782 877 797

• FELONIES 270 313 297

• HOMICIDES 0 2 0

• SEXUAL ASSUALTS 46 57 60

• BURGLARY 32 22 33

• THEFT 33 28 23

• DRUG OFFENSES 55 70 53

• March 2014 Capital Murder Case

• Perpetrators – 2 males - 13 and 19 years old

• Victim – owner of Z P Mart Shell on Hwy 105 E.

• Aggravated robbery gone bad

• CA prosecuted 13 yr old – 15 year plea agreement

• Factors – testimony crucial to prosecuting 19 yr. old; he

was not the triggerrman; 7th grade

• DA prosecuted 19 yr old

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY JUVENILE PROSECUTION


January 15, 2016 – Jury found him guilty of capital murder

Sentenced to life in prison

46 Felony Child Sex Charges

Over 4,000 child porn images on his computer


JUVENILE PROSECUTION Perpetrator: 16 yr. old male – Victim: 6 yr. old male relative

• Aggravated sexual assault of a child

• Sexual performance by a child

• Possession & promotion of child pornography

• Indecency with a child

• Exploitation of a child

• Unlawful restraint

Certified to Stand Trial as Adult

7/2014 plea agreement - 50 year prison sentence

Llewellyn Van Sligtenhorst

JUVENILE PROSECUTION Victim - Robert Middleton – Summer 1998

• 8 years old

• Sexually assaulted; days later doused w/ gasoline & set on fire

• After waiting 15 years, very complex legal case


CAPITAL MURDER – BURNING DEATH CASE Victim - Robert Middleton (8 yr. old at time)


Victim - Robert Middleton

Victim - Robert Middleton Days Before He Died at Shriners

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY Perpetrator – Donald Collins


March 6, 2014 - certified to stand trial as adult

Trial February 2, 2015 – venue transferred to Galveston County

Jury found guilty of capital murder - sentenced to 40 years

13 Years Old at the Time Now 29

County Attorney’s Office 501 N. Thompson, Suite 300


• J D Lambright • [email protected]

• 936-539-7930

• Administrative Manager – Natalie Laurent

• [email protected]

• 936-539-7930

• Address

• 501 N. Thompson, Suite 300 (Sadler bldg. downtown Conroe)

• Website

• www.mctxcao.org

MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY CONTACT INFORMATION


MONTGOMERY COUNTY ATTORNEY


January 27, 2016


presentation for the woodlands watch talk january 27, 2016

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