Connect the Dots with Craig Watkins
April 2, 2010
Belo Attempts to Break News One Week Late; Lawyer Cites "Cloud of Suspicion" Surrounding West-Watkins Relationship
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| If the story about DA Craig Watkins refusing a second attempt by the OAG to help investigate the constables was news, that's news to us. |
For those who didn't read our cover story last week, the Office of the Attorney General made a second attempt on February 23 to lend a helping hand to District Attorney Craig Watkins in a criminal investigation of the Dallas County constables. In August 2009, Watkins said, um, no thanks. This time, the OAG got a taste of what it's like trying to get a response from Watkins as a reporter. The DA simply hasn't responded.
Obviously, WFAA's Brett Shipp and the Ed Timms-Kevin Krause reporting duo at The Dallas Morning News were among those who missed our piece.
Included in the comments below the online version of today's DMN story, "txholdm" asked: "Hey DMN why don't you report the link of Watkins' personal attorney and the Constables? He represents both of them. They are all eggs in the same basket."
We're guessing the commenter was attempting to point out the cozy relationship between Royce West and Watkins, although West only represents Precinct 1 Constable Derick Evans, while Precinct 5 Constable Jaime Cortes is represented by Domingo Garcia and Larry Friedman. Of course, this is something we made clear in our story, as in: "Commissioner Price has donated to both their campaigns, and powerful Democratic State Senator Royce West, a mentor to District Attorney Watkins and the largest contributor to his campaign, serves as Evans' attorney."
What we weren't able to fit in the story, however, were the thoughts of Dallas lawyer Bill Wirskye on the matter. Wirskye, a former chief felony prosecutor for the DA's Office from 2000 to 2005, says the West-Watkins relationship raises questions about Watkins's willingness to prosecute Evans and ability to prosecute him objectively.
"If his biggest donor is the defense lawyer in the case, then I think he may need to think twice about whether he's the right person and his office is the proper office to investigate and prosecute it because there's always going to be that cloud of suspicion that it's politically motivated one way or another," he says.
Wirskye says Watkins has taken too long to conduct an investigation, and it's time for him to act. "You still have people who are public servants, and they either deserve to be cleared or the public deserves for them to be prosecuted if there's a crime."
Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson says Watkins is "apparently unprepared" to act regarding the allegations surrounding the constables because the rest of the Dallas County Democratic establishment is uncomfortable with having public officials called to account. And, like Wirskye, Jillson says Watkins's investigation has been slow moving.
"When you go from being Texan of the Year to being called out, 'For God's sake, do something,' it suggests that you're being much more than careful," he says. "In fact, you're dragging your feet."
