Friday, June 24, 2005

Houston Attorney Daniel Shea...more troubling background

Not only has attorney Daniel Shea been involved to some extent in the Transgender Movement, but some four years before the Church sex abuse crisis grabbed front page headlines, this attorney was already waging his own private war against God and His Commandments. Read the following:

Brister confirmed as justice without single vote to spare
By Janet ElliottMay 12, 2004, 6:28AM
Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN -- Former Houston judge Scott Brister barely received the number of votes he needed Tuesday to be confirmed as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Brister, who once posted the Ten Commandments in his Houston courtroom, got 19 votes, exactly the two-thirds majority necessary to be confirmed. Nine Democratic senators voted against him, including Houston Sens. Rodney Ellis, Mario Gallegos and John Whitmire. Three senators were absent during voting.

Brister was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry last November to a vacancy on the high court. Perry elevated Brister from Houston's 14th Court of Appeals, where he served as chief justice. Brister also served on Houston's other intermediate appellate court, the 1st Court of Appeals, and was a judge for the 234th District Court in Harris County for 11 years.

Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, criticized Brister for failing to answer questions during his recent confirmation hearing about the separation of church and state, judicial selection, attorney-client privilege and private school vouchers. "Never in my entire time in the Senate have I faced the kind of answers that were given by this nominee," said Barrientos.
Barrientos and Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, clashed with Brister last week when the justice appeared before the Senate Nominations Committee. "Do you believe in separation of church and state?" Hinojosa asked Brister. "It depends on the circumstances," replied Brister.

Brister said he never noticed attorneys or juries being influenced by his display of the Ten Commandments.
But in 1998, Houston lawyer Daniel Shea sued to force Brister to remove the Ten Commandments from the wall. A federal judge ruled that Shea did not have a legal interest, or "standing," to challenge Brister's display.

Before becoming a judge, Brister provided free legal representation to abortion opponents. In January 1987, he represented Right to Life Advocacy Inc., which wanted to distribute anti-abortion pamphlets at middle and high schools. At the time of his nomination, Brister said he would not recuse himself from any cases involving abortion rights.

Paul

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