Schmomises

 Posted on November 04, 2009 in Uncategorized

As I understand it, the Harris County Commissioners Court has started approving all DA Office hires by name. So if Pat Lykos wants to hire Joan Schmo to be a Misdemeanor 4, she has to get Joan's hiring on the Commissioners Court agenda and get the court to vote on it at a monthly meeting.

Which is unfortunate for the 10-15 "precommits"-larval lawyers who have committed to working for the DA's office at $12 per hour while awaiting their bar results, in exchange for the promise of an actual salary beginning when they pass the bar (results due at the end of this week).

Because apparently someone forgot to ask the Commissioners Court for permission to put these folks on salary. (This is the account I got from a senior prosecutor; I can't document it.)

So now they have to wait till December to start making more than they would make waiting tables at Chili's. (And another three months for benefits.)

Which sucks for them. Neither the administration's disorganization (hey, remember when Pat Lykos was the candidate with "administrative experience"?) nor the nonexistent legal job market justifies the DA's Office breaking its promise to these kids.

I eagerly await Pat Lykos's statement on who is "negligent and incompetent" this time.

I enjoy Murray's posts-he has provided a valuable service to the community since he was an anonymous prosecutor himself-but the more I read the comments on his blog written by anonymous prosecutors (or anonymous people holding themselves out as prosecutors) the more certain I am that they deserve Pat Lykos. Also that I just wasted another three minutes of my life.

If, like them, I was trembling with impotent rage but I piddled all over myself every time I thought about having my name associated with unpopular opinions, I would admit publicly that I deserved whatever boss I wound up with.

I'm glad my community's safety doesn't depend on that effete bunch of craven whingeing circlejerkers.

Damn.