TTPD officer killed...

[ELB]

Widow of murdered Texas Tech officer sues for $1M

Also, how is it that this waste of protoplasm is still alive AND UNTRIED TWO YEARS AFTER HIS ARREST.

Courts at their own pace, and the bigger the case, the slower they move. I would guess capital cases are among the most litigated, and I know that early on the court wanted psychological evals done, which didn't do anything to make this go faster.

[ELB]

Still trundling along:

Court appearance back on 22 Nov 2019: https://www.kcbd.com/2019/11/23/hollis- ... h-penalty/
Court denied a motion to find the death penalty unconstitutional.

Court appearance on 31 Jan 2020: https://www.kcbd.com/2020/01/31/hollis- ... ng-friday/
Nothing in report about what transpired legally in court.

ETA: I missed it earlier, but the gag order on the criminal case was extended to the lawsuit that the officer's widow filed last October:
https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/2019 ... civil-suit

[ELB]

Court appearance on 20 Nov 2020 to try to set a date for trial. At least publicly this appears to have been unsuccessful.
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/ ... n-lubbock/

Hollis's attorney is Chip Lewis from Houston, who is also the defense attorney for Robert Durst who is also facing trial for murder in California. Lewis told the Texas judge that he cannot participate in a murder trial other than Durst's without the permission of the Judge in the Durst trial. Durst's trial started last spring but was postponed indefinitely because of Covid...or more accurately, because of California's response to the Covid problem. The Durst trial is expected to last several months so even if it started in January 2021, Lewis would not be able to represent Hollis until late next year. (Robert Durst is a hot mess all by himself, and has been featured in the TexasCHLforum before.)

Hollis's trial has also at least partly been delayed by the Texas court system going into trial hibernation, along with the mental evaluations and all the other baggage that goes with a capital trial.

It seems to me that the answer is that Lewis needs to choose which client he is going to represent, or maybe have that chosen for him. Or maybe everyone is better off if Daniels is just sitting in jail waiting. I dunno, it's been more than three years already.

[ELB]

Another hearing a month ago on Friday, 22nd April, to discuss scheduling of the capital murder trial of Daniel Hollis.

Recall that his lawyer, Chip Lewis, was also one of the lawyers for Robert Durst out in California, whose trial took precedence. Durst was convicted last year, finally, but before they could get into appeals he had the presence of mind to die of natural causes in January. So apparently Chip is now freed up? But still don’t know when trial for Hollis will occur.

https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/new ... 415503001/

Also the story notes that Hollis did not respond to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the police officer’s widow, and she was awarded $120 million in damages. I suppose she has a moral and paper victory but she won’t ever see a dime of that unless Hollis somehow wins the lotto from jail or writes a book that sells well enough to produce a profit.

[K.Mooneyham]

Another hearing a month ago on Friday, 22nd April, to discuss scheduling of the capital murder trial of Daniel Hollis.

Recall that his lawyer, Chip Lewis, was also one of the lawyers for Robert Durst out in California, whose trial took precedence. Durst was convicted last year, finally, but before they could get into appeals he had the presence of mind to die of natural causes in January. So apparently Chip is now freed up? But still don’t know when trial for Hollis will occur.

https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/new ... 415503001/

Also the story notes that Hollis did not respond to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the police officer’s widow, and she was awarded $120 million in damages. I suppose she has a moral and paper victory but she won’t ever see a dime of that unless Hollis somehow wins the lotto from jail or writes a book that sells well enough to produce a profit.

Sorry, but this is absolutely unconscionable and sickeningly ridiculous. Are y'all seriously telling me that after FIVE YEARS, this still hasn't gone to trial? That the alleged murderer has just been sitting there for all that time? And some folks try and say our legal system isn't flat out broken.

[ELB]

I keep screwing up the order of this guys name. His full name is Hollis Alvin James Reid Daniels III. Some articles say he goes by “Reid.”

In any case, I found some online records about his case in the 137th court in Lubbock. Unfortunately the records only show the title and date of a type of action, like “subpoena” or “motion”. Nothing about the substance of the actions.

There is a slow steady trickle of these items, but no clue as to when this might ever go to trial.

[threoh8]

After more than five years, a guilty plea.

[ELB]

After more than five years, a guilty plea.

Darn you. I have been regularly checking on this story, and you sneakin and scoop me.

[ELB]

Yikes.
Reviewed the tweets that the reporter covering Daniels trial is putting out.

Officers’ body cameras show that two different officers, including the one who was killed, patted down Daniels before taking him to TTU police department. However, it was also shown that Daniels was allowed to sit on a couch in a nearby common area, while his dorm room was searched. Questions by the prosecution seem to indicate that that may have given him a chance to acquire the handgun that he used to shoot officer East. Two officers searched his dorm room and found a CO2 pistol, drug paraphernalia, and various drugs, but they did not find a firearm. A bullet hole was found later.

Officer East drove Daniels from his dorm to the TTU police department. There was a camera in the patrol car recording at least the interior. A gun fell out of Daniel’s pants onto the floor (I think) making a thump, and Daniels managed to pick it up and put it in the front of his pants and cover it with a shirt, even though his hands were handcuffed behind his back.

Officer East heard the thump, and asked Daniels what was going on, Daniels just told him it was a handcuffs, and there was no problem. East told him to sit back, but did not realize what the noise really was. He then took him out of the car to the booking room, and took off the handcuffs, which another officer had testified was customary with individuals who were cooperating.

Apparently, there was a camera in the booking room, and shows Daniels shooting officer East. This video was shown in the court room, but the audience could not see it, only the jury, judge, lawyers, and defendant.

However, the audio could be heard in the court room, and everybody heard Daniels ask Officer East if he had a family, and then asks how many children. East answered. Then everyone hears the gunshot. The prosecution stopped the video and had the detective who’s on the stand repeat the question and answer for the jury.

I’m guessing that video just bought Daniels a dose of pentobarbital.

[ELB]

Final arguments today. The defenses presentation was basically Hollis was a depressed, screwed up kid who treated himself with way too much Xanax and weed, and a few other drugs, and His parents and others didn’t realize or get him the treatment he needed. And the five years since he’s been a model prisoner, and therefore is not a future threat.


ETA: According to Daniel’s testimony (yes he took the stand) he had the gun on him the whole time after the police picked him up at his dorm room; both officers missed it during pat-down. He had it tucked in the front of his pants under his shirt, and when the officers began to pat down his legs, it pulled on his pants and caused the gun to fall into his crotch.

[ELB]

Jury sentenced him to life in prison just a few minutes ago.

For capital murder this means no parole.

[ELB]

To sentence him to death the jury had to unanimously find both that he would be a future threat and that there are no mitigating circumstances.

Well, I thought the video of him shooting officer east in the back of the head after asking about his kids would push them over to the death penalty. However the DA really didn’t have any other evidence that he would be violent in the future. He’s been locked up for five years and apparently has a spotless record as a prisoner. I believe it was part of his own testimony to the jury that he thought a death sentence or life in prison that either one would be a just sentence for him. His attorneys did a pretty good job of demonstrating that at the time he killed Officer East he was a psychological mess amped up on Xanax and other drugs, that many saw the warning signs, but didn’t act on them with any vigor, but that since then he has pretty much been a straight arrow, at least, as much as you can be in jail.

[ELB]

Now at Byrd unit of TDCJ for intake processing and further assignment.

[philip964]

Now at Byrd unit of TDCJ for intake processing and further assignment.

Good.