As expected, the criminal mischief charge against Austin developer Hunter Wheeler — accused of illegally cutting down a tree last year — has been dismissed by Travis County prosecutors.
Neighbors on Daniel Drive in South Austin called police in 2007 after a landscaping crew cut down a large cedar tree in the city-owned right of way. The workers told the neighbors that Wheeler had told them to cut the tree, which was across from a home Wheeler had built. Neighbors speculated that he wanted to clear the way for a city skyline view from that home.
Wheeler’s case had been set on state District Judge Julie Kocurek’s jury trial docket today. But prosecutors formally dismissed the felony charge — which is punishable by up to two years in jail — Tuesday, writing in a court paper that Wheeler “has complied with the request of the complainant to their full satisfaction.”
Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Scales, who could not be immediately reached today, said for a story on the case in Saturday’s Statesman that Wheeler paid for a crew to remove the stump of the cedar tree and planted a live oak tree in its place.
In exchange, Scales said, prosecutors planned to dismiss the case. She said the dismissal was contingent on a city forester confirming that the newly planted tree is healthy and meets the terms of the deal.
City Forester Walter Passmore said Wednesday that he had not inspected the live oak tree and is still waiting for Wheeler to offer a plan on how he is going to care for the tree. He said that Wheeler is responsible for watering and other care to keep the tree alive.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Gonzales: "I'm Excited About the Tech Opportunity"
Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says his new position as a visiting professor at Texas Tech University came about after he gave a speech recently at a banquet at Texas Tech University School of Law.
Gonzales says he started talking with Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance, a former Texas congressman who also is an attorney, and Hance offered him a job. Gonzales starts Aug. 1.
"I'm going to be in the Political Science Department," Gonzales says of his new position as a visiting professor at Texas Tech University. "It's a one-year gig and I'm going to come in and teach one course in the fall. It will probably be on national security issues. And I will be helping out the chancellor with other duties," including recruiting Hispanic students, he says.
According to a statement Texas Tech released yesterday, Gonzales will assist Texas Tech and Angelo State University in recruiting and retaining "first generation and underrepresented students" and will be involved in planning a leadership training and development program aimed at minority students.
Hance writes in the release, "I am excited that Alberto Gonzales is bringing his experience to Texas Tech. His own upbringing in Houston as part of a migrant family with eight children makes him qualified to tell underrepresented Texas students that college is possible."
The statement also notes will teach a junior-level seminar course, "Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch."
In 1995, then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush hired Gonzales, a former Vinson & Elkins transactional lawyer and a 1982 Harvard Law School graduate, to be general counsel at the Governor's Office. In 1997, Gov. Bush made Gonzales secretary of state, and a year later Bush appointed him to the Texas Supreme Court. In 2001, Gonzales left Austin to become President George W. Bush's White House counsel in Washington, D.C. Gonzales became attorney general in 2005.
Gonzales says he's not sure what the future holds as far as the possibility of working again for a Texas firm. "You know, I don't know if I'm still in the hunt for a firm job. I've been open to the possibility to going back to a big-firm job," Gonzales says. "But I'm ambivalent about going back as a partner. I've done that. And I worry that I would lose my flexibility to do other things. But if the right opportunity came along I'd consider it. But I'm excited about the Tech opportunity."
Gonzales, who resigned as AG as of Sept. 17, 2007, says he is not worried about a special prosecutor's investigation into the dismissals of U.S. attorneys in 2006. But that investigation has hampered his job search, he says. "I think it was unrealistic for me to believe that I could pursue the things I want to pursue," Gonzales says. "It had an effect, no question about it. And others I've talked to want to make those things under review come out in a positive way. To answer your question, it is something that I had to do. But I'm grateful there's been no finding of criminal wrongdoing by me."
Source
Gonzales says he started talking with Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance, a former Texas congressman who also is an attorney, and Hance offered him a job. Gonzales starts Aug. 1.
"I'm going to be in the Political Science Department," Gonzales says of his new position as a visiting professor at Texas Tech University. "It's a one-year gig and I'm going to come in and teach one course in the fall. It will probably be on national security issues. And I will be helping out the chancellor with other duties," including recruiting Hispanic students, he says.
According to a statement Texas Tech released yesterday, Gonzales will assist Texas Tech and Angelo State University in recruiting and retaining "first generation and underrepresented students" and will be involved in planning a leadership training and development program aimed at minority students.
Hance writes in the release, "I am excited that Alberto Gonzales is bringing his experience to Texas Tech. His own upbringing in Houston as part of a migrant family with eight children makes him qualified to tell underrepresented Texas students that college is possible."
The statement also notes will teach a junior-level seminar course, "Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch."
In 1995, then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush hired Gonzales, a former Vinson & Elkins transactional lawyer and a 1982 Harvard Law School graduate, to be general counsel at the Governor's Office. In 1997, Gov. Bush made Gonzales secretary of state, and a year later Bush appointed him to the Texas Supreme Court. In 2001, Gonzales left Austin to become President George W. Bush's White House counsel in Washington, D.C. Gonzales became attorney general in 2005.
Gonzales says he's not sure what the future holds as far as the possibility of working again for a Texas firm. "You know, I don't know if I'm still in the hunt for a firm job. I've been open to the possibility to going back to a big-firm job," Gonzales says. "But I'm ambivalent about going back as a partner. I've done that. And I worry that I would lose my flexibility to do other things. But if the right opportunity came along I'd consider it. But I'm excited about the Tech opportunity."
Gonzales, who resigned as AG as of Sept. 17, 2007, says he is not worried about a special prosecutor's investigation into the dismissals of U.S. attorneys in 2006. But that investigation has hampered his job search, he says. "I think it was unrealistic for me to believe that I could pursue the things I want to pursue," Gonzales says. "It had an effect, no question about it. And others I've talked to want to make those things under review come out in a positive way. To answer your question, it is something that I had to do. But I'm grateful there's been no finding of criminal wrongdoing by me."
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