Dallas County DA’s Office Disagrees With Darrell Jordan’s Rush To Judgment
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Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 16 Judge Darrell Jordan is accused of violating the due process rights of a defendant in his court.
That defendant is Dolcefino Consulting company President Wayne Dolcefino, jailed by Jordan for contempt in June. Jordan even invited TV cameras into his court so they could film Dolcefino brought into court in a chain gang.
New criticisms of Jordan’s action come as the Dallas County District Attorney asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to overturn the conviction. District Attorney John Creuzot was chosen as prosecutor pro tem when Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg recused herself from the case in June.
Judge Jordan had claimed Wayne Dolcefino had interrupted a court proceeding but the judge didn’t know the veteran investigative journalist was wearing a hidden camera that proved that was not true.
DA Creuzot called the video evidence compelling. “There was not flagrant disregard of any court order nor an obstruction of the administration of justice,” said Creuzot. DA Creuzot then agreed Judge Jordan denied Dolcefino due process in his sentencing just hours later.
Jordan gave Dolcefino 180 days probation, but when the investigative media company president appealed, Jordan imposed the use of an alcohol monitor and random drug tests. Within days the Texas Court of Appeals overturned that unusual punishment.
“One more step to getting this injustice overturned,” said Dolcefino. “Judge Jordan used his power to retaliate against me for my investigations of public corruption, and I hope the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals quickly moves to correct this unfair conviction.”
Dolcefino Consulting went to question Jordan after complaints of public corruption went uninvestigated. The Criminal Court at Law No. 16 was in charge of selecting prosecutors for Dolcefino Consulting’s complaints.
Dolcefino has alleged Judge Jordan was retaliating with the contempt conviction because of Dolcefino Consulting’s investigations of Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and his wife Licia Green Ellis, the Queen of low-income housing projects in Houston. Jordan was counsel for Ellis when he was State Senator and Ellis has provided more than half of Jordan’s campaign funds.
Darrell Jordan is up for re-election in November.
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