DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN HEALEY
ANNOUNCES FOR RE-ELECTION

Incumbent Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey has announced that he will seek the Republican nomination to again be that party’s candidate for district attorney in the November 2010 general election. Primaries for both major parties will be conducted next March.

Healey is now serving his fourth consecutive elected term as district attorney, following an appointment in 1992 to perform the duties of the office.

"My first goal has always been to instill the faith of the public in their district attorney’s office," Healey said in announcing his re-election bid. "To accomplish this, I’ve maintained an open door through which everyone may come and discuss their concerns with me."

Prior to assuming the DA’s post, Healey spent 11 years as an assistant district attorney in Fort Bend County, primarily as a trial attorney. He tried in excess of 50 felony cases without suffering any reversals on appeal. Healey served as chief prosecutor of the county’s 268th and 240th District Courts, and served as chief of the intake/grand jury division.

In order to meet the service demands of one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties, Healey’s staff has grown to over 85 people, including 44 assistant prosecutors.

"My office has provided a service level consistent with the demands of the public, while striving to save taxpayer dollars," the DA noted. “I have saved the county some $1,750,000 since 1993 by vigorously pursuing federal and state grant money. As a result, seven positions have been funded in whole or in part, including a narcotics chief prosecutor, a juvenile crime chief prosecutor, and a domestic violence chief prosecutor."

Healey has instituted the development of specialized caseloads, with experienced and specially trained prosecutors focusing on single areas of practice. Specialized caseload categories include child abuse, narcotics, domestic violence, juvenile law, appellate law, defendants with mental health issues, and economic crime. Prosecutors under this system, he contended, deliver more expert representation in the courtroom.

Positive results have accompanied this specialization, and Healey noted a few examples. "Sentencing offenders who are juveniles engaged in serious crimes has increased over prior administrations," he said. "This has been accomplished by the more frequent use of the certification process (where juveniles are prosecuted in the adult system) and the determinate sentencing process (where juveniles are sentenced in the juvenile system, and then bound over to potentially serve the remainder of their sentence in the adult system if warranted).

"In the last seven years many more child abuse cases are being filed, and more contested cases are being won, thanks to an increasingly experienced and aggressive group of prosecutors specializing in child abuse," noted Healey. The most successful cases include the Capital Murder of a Child convictions of Jamie Lynn Mosby Williams in March of 2007 and Pete Marin III in May of 2008, for which each received a life sentence.

This term’s list of prosecutions, Healey pointed out, followed similar successes enjoyed during his first fourteen years as the head of the office. Successes, in addition to the many found in the Child Abuse Division, include the prosecution of Bart Whitaker for the Capital Murder of his mother and brother, for which Whitaker received the death penalty; Matt McCombs for the “morbid curiosity” murder of Ashton Glover for which he received a 50 year sentence; Angela Lara who received a 50 year sentence for her role in the robbery-killing of Mrs. Fields of Weston Lakes; Kelly Dozier, Michael Jackson, Eric Bounds, and Damien Freddie, all for murder for which they received the maximum sentence of 60 years to life; Tamina Hamid and Joseph Flores, Jr. who received life sentences for Attempted Capital Murder of a Peace Officer after trying to shoot policemen who chased them down following an aggravated robbery; the fifty year sentence given to serial rapist Mykaya Riley for two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault; and Joey Sula who received two ten year sentences for bilking $500,000 from a Sugar Land woman.

Successful prosecutions in the Domestic Violence Division, Healey noted, include the murder case of Victor Zavala who stabbed his wife to death; David Salazar who was convicted of four cases of Aggravated Assault and received four 35 year sentences; and Timothy Williams who received two life sentences for Aggravated Assault.

"I’m proud of the regard in which our professional staff is held," stated Healey. I have prosecutors who have been instructors in trial advocacy at the national academy, and at the Texas District and County Attorney’s Association. Each year, my staff provides the training at the Gus George Law Enforcement Academy in the penal code, code of criminal procedure, juvenile law, narcotic law, Constitutional law, search and seizure, and how to professionally testify in a courtroom. Additionally, I have had my office visit many police agencies to train their officers in updates in search and seizure and confessions. Every time the legislature passes new laws, the Sheriff and I host a county wide training to update policemen in the changes in criminal law."

The Victim’s Assistance Division of his office has taken on an expanded role, Healey pointed out. "The people in this division," he said "have tirelessly worked toward sympathetically delivering the many services which crime victims must receive by law. Additionally, this division provides many services not mandated by law, but which crime victims have every right to expect. They make the time, no matter how long it takes, to assist and comfort our victims.”

Healey has also reached outside his office in efforts to support criminal justice causes. For example, he took a lead role in working with Child Advocates of Fort Bend County to create a local children’s advocacy center. Quickly gaining the backing of the local law enforcement community, Children’s Protective Services, and civic leaders, the center became a reality in 1997.

"The Advocacy Center offers a child-friendly atmosphere where abused children can be videotaped," Healey said. "Partner agencies can meet there and analyze their cases, and counseling and other support services emanate from there." Healey is proud of the fact that for his efforts in helping to create the Fort Bend Children's Advocacy Center, he won the award of Child Advocate of the Year in 1997.

Healey is a 1981 graduate of South Texas College of Law. Healey and his wife, Theodora, have been married for 31 years and are 27-year residents of Fort Bend County. Theodora has taught gifted and talented children in the Spring Branch school district for 31 of her 36 years of teaching. Healey is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Richmond, and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Additionally, Healey is a member of both the Needville and Fort Bend Chambers of Commerce, the Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance, the Exchange Club of Fort Bend, the Fort Bend Children's Advocacy Center Advisory Council and the Fort Bend Women’s Center Council of Resources. He is a life member of the Fort Bend County Fair Association. Healey is also a member of Fort Bend Republican Clubs.

“I worked with three other district attorneys during the time when I was a successful trial attorney. These years were invaluable in preparing me to take on the administrative duties of the DA’s office. These 17 years as a hands-on administrator have been very productive. This is the largest law office located solely in Fort Bend County. I would be honored to serve the people of our county for another term,” Healey said.