Harris County DA calls for public pressure on judges releasing violent offenders
HOUSTON - Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg believes greater Houston is being shoved down a path to anarchy - a journey navigated by activist, criminal court judges who repeatedly return violent, repeat offenders to our neighborhood streets to maim, rob and kill fresh victims.
"I simply have doubled down on my resolve to make this City safer by telling people the truth about what is driving violent crime. When you have murderers running around on multiple bonds, people who have killed other people, go back and kill the witnesses. It's a scary time and I'm here to warn people - we don't have to live like this. We need an urgency," said Ogg.
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An "urgency" to push back against what many view as a calculated demolition of the criminal justice system orchestrated by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who recruited and backed the activist judges who are cutting loose predatory offenders.
Ogg says over the course of just two years both the fundamental rights of victims and basic accountability for those who commit crime have been eroded to the breaking point.
"Those simple, common sense concepts are somehow being thrown out the window by special interests and a philosophy that says 'everyone should be able to do everything they want.' We can't have dangerous, violent predators set free on a community of innocents. It's not fair!" said Ogg.
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As her long-standing request for 100 additional prosecutors remains unfilled, the County's Chief law enforcement official slammed claims by Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Adrian Garcia who contend prosecutors, deputies, constables and the chaotic Harris County Jail have more resources than ever.
"It's not true. Public safety at the County level is not being appropriately funded and it does lend the question - Where is the money going?" said Ogg who has the authority to launch an investigation.
A spokesman for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo provided data which indicates budgets for all Harris County law enforcement entities have risen each of the last five years.
"Public safety has been our number one priority. Since his first day in office, Commissioner Garcia has rolled up his sleeves and delivered a 15.3% increase to the DA’s budget and increased total law enforcement budgets by over $124 million, while delivering three straight years of property tax cuts to Harris County residents," said Scott Spiegel, spokesman for Commissioner Garcia.