John Healey and Mike Elliott

Can District Attorney John Healey overcome the stigma he placed on himself when he vehemently defended the actions of his assistant Mike Elliott?

Probably not.

After all, Elliott was working under Healey every time a controversial case was pursued and ultimately lost or dismissed.

Surely, even the busiest of administrators might have noticed a pattern there. Or, at least read the headlines that resulted.

But Healey defended Elliott to the end.

That end came last week when he booted Elliott out with a police escort.
I have a tendency to agree with Fulshear Mayor Jamie Roberts opinion of the whole incident.

Roberts says Elliott is being used as a scapegoat and was “thrown in front of the bus” to try and salvage Healey’s political career.

Elliott is suggesting that he will seek Healey’s office; Healey is saying he will seek reelection and if Fort Bend County is lucky, another qualified man or woman will come in and break the tie.

2012 is going to be another great election year!

Don’t mention Quanel X to the judge

A fellow got up in commissioner’s court last week to speak, supposedly on an agenda item.

“Vincent” said he wanted to speak on the transfer of $10,000 in the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s budget.

Ok—so all was cool—for a minute.

Vincent, it seemed, had been stopped by sheriff’s deputies and was being “harassed.” Judge Bob Hebert was starting to look steamed.

Judge Hebert has some really strict rules about sticking to the agenda items.

Ask Rodrigo Carreon, he knows just how tough Hebert can be when you wind down that path to something totally unrelated to the agenda item.

Anyhow, Vincent is talking about harassment, not the sheriff’s budget, and then he mentions Quanel X and the Black Panthers.

That did it! Judge Hebert said Vincent’s time was up and he just better sit down. He also chastised him for trying to talk about something totally unrelated to the agenda item.

So, if you want to talk agend, you have three full minutes.

For those new to Fort Bend County, Quannel X and the Black Panthers do not intimidate our county judge.

I can promise you that.