Judge Joel Baker

Law Enforcement Group Endorses Baker for County Judge

The East Texas Regional Fraternal Order of Police – Lodge #51 unanimously endorsed Smith County Judge Joel Baker for county judge during its regular meeting Saturday night.

“Joel Baker has demonstrated that he is a friend of law enforcement and valuable partner in keeping Smith County citizens safe,” said Adam Tarrant, president of the East Texas Regional FOP – Lodge #51. “Having a strong advocate on the bench will help move Smith County law enforcement into the next decade.”

Baker said he was humbled to receive this resounding endorsement.

“It is an honor to receive such a vote of confidence from these dedicated officers,” Baker said. “They have a tough job, and I hope to continue doing whatever I can to help them keep our county safe.”

Since taking office in 2007, Baker has worked tirelessly to help law enforcement officers. He regularly makes himself available to sign warrants for law enforcement officers after hours and during weekends – even signing warrants on his son’s birthday during a “no-refusal” weekend this summer.  

Baker has also made creating a new Smith County Sheriffs Administration Building a priority. This new facility at Spring Avenue and Locust will arm officers with the equipment, space and technology they need to fight 21^st century crime. It is scheduled for completion in 2010.  

Baker recently filed to seek re-election for Smith County Judge in 2010.

The East Texas Regional Fraternal Order of Police – Lodge #51 was created in 1996 by 12 officers of the Tyler Police Department. This non-profit organization is now 170 members strong.

Where did we go wrong?

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! ! 
  
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday  Morning  Commentary.

My confession: 

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.  I don’t feel threatened.  I don’t feel discriminated against. That’s what they are, Christmas trees. 

It doesn’t bother me a bit when people say, ‘Merry Christmas’ to me.  I don’t think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto.  In fact, I kind of like it.  It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn’t bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .  If people want a creche, it’s just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. 

I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians.  I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.  I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country.  I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat. 

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him?  I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too.  But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. 

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different:  This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking. 

Billy Graham’s daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her ‘How could God let something like this happen?’ (regarding Hurricane Katrina).  Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.  She said, ‘I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.  And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out  How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?’ 

In light of recent events… terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.  I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.  Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school.  The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.  And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide).  We said an expert should know what he’s talking about.  And we said okay.

Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a great deal to do with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.’ 

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell.  Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.  Funny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.  Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. 

Are you laughing yet? 

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you’re not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. 

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. 

Pass it on if you think it has merit. 
  
If not, then just discard it… no one will know you did.  But, if you discard this thought process, don’t sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.  



My Best Regards,  Honestly and respectfully, 

Ben Stein

dreams and dummies

Have you ever had a really good idea shot down by a dream-killer and hope-smasher?  That’s what happened to me today.

I’ve been working on something for the past couple of months that would be BIG… at least it would be big in terms of the way I am now forced to think in the snail-paced world I now live in called “county government.”  I have been excited.  Another project.  I love projects.  I like to see cruddy things made into nice things.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

So what’s the problem you ask?

The problem is that I shared the information I’ve been working on, and that person shared the information with a slew of people… including the “dummy” referred to in the title of this blog.  Now don’t get all “P.C.” on me.  Dummy is a very benign term to use considering the level of my blood pressure right now.

So the dummy, rather than realizing the benefit that this little project would mean to the community and rather than asking me any questions about my idea, starts bashing me.  The dummy lobbed accusations, and said that I shouldn’t be developing these plans in secret, blah, blah, blah… and the dummy shared the dummy’s thoughts in a mass email “reply to all.”

Guess what?  The dummy is just… well… dumb.  I didn’t break any laws.  The project won’t ever happen if I made it public right now, and I can have ideas that I may never share with anyone… there’s no law against that.

So what did I learn:  dummies are negative people who will never be pleased with anything you do, so why include them in the discussion.  Simply put:  ignore dummies.

Advice Needed

I’m not griping, but yesterday I left the office after 7, ran to the grocery store to get something for my dear wife, and made it home at around 7:40.  After I changed clothes, etc., I think I saw my kids for about 5 minutes before they went to bed (except for Griff - he being the youngest, gets special treatment for some reason, and he got to stay up with me for 30 minutes - which was awesome!).  Now, I’m a pretty good dad, if I do say so myself.  I’m not good at “quantity” during the week, but I like to think I’m good at “quality.”  But yesterday stunk.  I tell myself (and others) “it will still be there tomorrow.”  I try to encourage others to go home to their families, etc., but I don’t generally practice what I preach unless my wife threatens me.  I’m not even sure why I’m typing all this stuff right now.  I don’t think I really want any advice because I don’t think I’ll change any time soon.  Perhaps I’m blogging because I’m delirious considering I’ve been awake since around 2am.

I just hope that my kids don’t feel like I’m the absentee father.  We have some really good times together, and I think we have created some really good childhood memories.  I just remember that when I was growing up my family always ate dinner together, and that happens infrequently at my house now.  I wonder how that will effect my kids.  Feel free to pontificate.

On another note, the reason I stayed late yesterday is because I’m working on acquiring something highly beneficial to the future of the county.  Cross your fingers.

Jail

I am sitting at the jail waiting for the imates to be brought up to the magistrate courtroom, and I was trying to think of something profound to blog about. News flash: I couldn’t come up with anything.

Needed Legislation

Senator Eltife has filed SB402 which has a lot of potential but needs to be tweaked.  It could give counties and cities another tool for revenue by allowing a local option election to add 1/4 cent of sales tax revenue, but would require it to go toward property tax reduction and provide a revenue cap of 5%.

For Smith County residents that means it would give us an additional 7 to 8 million per year and reduce the tax rate from about 29 cents to about 22 cents.  Our county tax rate is already low, and according to one official the reduction would merely lower your annual tax bill on a home valued at $150,000 by about $100 per year.  While it may not seem like your total tax bill is low, look at the Smith County part.  Usually, the biggest culprit of a high tax bill is the school district.  Smith County is blessed with one of the lowest tax rates of 254 counties in the State of Texas.  As a matter of fact, we’re in the lowest 10 the last I checked.

We need another form of revenue… one that doesn’t penalize just property owners.  We suffer from years of neglect to our county facilities, but while that type of thinking has changed in county government… we are still digging out of deep hole.  Additional revenue that could go towards improvements instead of property tax reduction would allow us to have a tool that has been a huge benefit to the City of Tyler with it’s half-cent sales tax pay as you go projects.  The city was even able to lower taxes because they had that tool.

Please contact your legislator and ask them to support an amended version of SB402 that would give Smith County this tool.

Just Venting…

Experienced inmates at the jail have a saying: “Keep my name outta your mouth.” An alternative phrase they use is, “I hope my name taste like _____ in your mouth.” While most of the time, I find that most people who spend a lot of time in the jail system lack wisdom (I mean, they are IN JAIL!), these quotes indicate a lot of wisdom.

My parents raised me to believe that if you didn’t have anything nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything at all.

Now, I can take criticism. I have no problem with that. But when another official uses his position to talk about things related to me that have nothing to do with the my job performance, I’ve got to say something.

Someone recently sent this to me on Facebook, and I think it’s appropriate in this situation (and many others): “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.” - Author unknown

updated story

http://www.ketknbc.com/news/debate-brewing-over-jail-bonds

What’s important to note is that I have granted very few requests for PR bonds out of more than 600 inmates I have seen in the last few months… very few fall into the categories mentioned by the bondsmen in the story. (More on that later.)

I think they specifically mentioned drug cases, burglaries, and felonies where the defendant is actually going to do time in the penitentiary. Well, that’s just crazy! I have experience as a former prosecutor and a lawyer for many years in the criminal justice system. I can usually look at a case and know if there is a likelihood that the defendant will go to prison in the event they are found guilty, and I haven’t granted PR bonds in those types of cases. You know, I live here with my wife and three kids, and one of the factors judges are legally bound to consider in setting bonds is the safety of the community. Although I don’t I have a crystal ball, I would never grant a PR bond to a person when I believe there was a concern over public safety.

The reasons for allowing a PR bond can vary. In some instances mental health issues or other medical issues need to be handled outside the jail facility, so the taxpayers won’t foot the bill. In other cases, the merits of the case warrant (and sometimes dictate) a PR bond. Today, a police officer mistakenly charged an inmate with two offenses, one is considered to be, in legal terms, a lesser included offense. The best remedy was for me to grant a PR bond on the lesser charge, but his bond is set at $50,000 on the higher charge.

It’s important to get the whole story.

Bill Bobbitt, the owner of Strike Three Bail Bonds, apparently believes I am trying to get even with him for failing to support the jail bond election. I don’t operate that way. But I think it is important to note that Mr. Bobbitt’s reason for not supporting the election wasn’t based on the merits of the proposal. He told me he was concerned that the entrance to the jail wouldn’t be right across the street from his office!!! I can’t base my decisions on how they affect just one citizen.

Okay, so here are the facts: Out of 600 plus inmates I have seen recently, I granted PR bonds on 5 alleged misdemeanor drug offenders, 2 alleged nonviolent felonies (where I believe the defendant, if found guilty, will receive probation), and on 1 alleged Class C misdemeanor (same level as a traffic ticket) drug paraphernalia charge. No alleged burglars, no previously convicted felons.

If the bondsman mentioned in the story are having a rough time financially (like a lot of other businesses in the nation), maybe we should contact our United States congressmen to get them a bailout package too!!!

Debate with Bail Bondsman

To see the article online: http://www.ketknbc.com/news/debate-brewing-over-jail-bonds

“We’re seeing lots of cases of young, unstable people with drug charges, burglary charges, felonies, getting PR bonds,” Bobbitt said.

Since November 5th, I have seen more than 600 inmates, and of those I have released only 5 alleged misdemeanor drug offenders, 2 alleged nonviolent felony offenders, and one alleged misdemeanor drug paraphernalia offender (class C misdemeanor – same level as a traffic ticket) on PR bonds. There have been no alleged burglars that have been granted PR bonds by me. (Does he understand that I don’t set all the bonds in Smith County?)

“We have financial interest (in) getting people through court,” Bill Bobbitt, owner of Strike Three Bail Bonds, said.

You’ll have to explain that one to me because when people bond out of jail, they typically pay the bondsman a range of between 8 and 15 percent of the bond amount that is set by the judge. However, if that person fails to show for court and the bondsman pays a judgment for his/her obligation to the county, they typically pay 10 percent of the bond amount. That is not a huge financial incentive for them to ensure that the defendant appears in court.

“Judge Baker acts like a little school boy who got real mad because he lost the election again,” said Bobbitt.

Who’s acting like a mad little school boy? I’m not publicly running Mr. Bobbitt down for doing his job. And I’m not doing this with the intent to hurt Mr. Bobbitt or any other bail bondsman. I am doing what is necessary to ensure that we stay in compliance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards by going to the jail twice a day to warn inmates of their rights, and when necessary, I set the bonds. I began this because we have a crisis at the jail. In my mind, the jail bond proposal was the solution, but because it didn’t pass we are looking for other solutions. My assistance at the jail is just one small part of that solution.

If Mr. Bobbitt hasn’t noticed, the numbers at the jail are down, the economy is down, criminal defense lawyer’s business is down, other businesses are suffering as well… perhaps Mr. Bobbitt needs a scapegoat, but I’m not the cause of his slump in business.

The amount of the bond is to be set: (1) to ensure that the defendant will appear in court: (2) not in amount to be used as an instrument of oppression; (3) in consideration of the nature of the offense and the circumstances under which it was committed; (4) considering the defendant’s ability to make bail; and (5) in consideration of the safety of the public and any victim of the alleged offense.

I read each file and consider each case on its own merits. I look at the criminal history of the inmate when it is available, and I set the amount of bail. This is the procedure used in all 254 counties in the State of Texas. The bonds I set have ranged from as little as $250 (for a traffic ticket) up to $1 million for a murder.

Additional Tuesday Update

It is 1:51 pm and I am still in court and hungry!!!