March-April 2016

Online Brady training

Rob Kepple

TDCAA Executive Director in Austin

Just a reminder to all new prosecutors: The law requires that you take a course on Brady and the duty to disclose exculpatory and impeaching evidence that is approved by the Court of Criminal Appeals within 180 days of beginning your job. It just so happens that you can find that course online and for free at http://tdcaa.litmos .com/ online-courses. We at TDCAA keep track of who has taken the course and report it to the proper authorities.

Thanks, Joe Shannon
I want to thank Joe Shannon, our former CDA in Tarrant County, for his recent generous donation to the Foundation. Joe did something much appreciated as he closed out his political accounts after his retirement: As authorized by law, he donated the unused funds to an educational foundation—in this case, TDCAF. Joe has always been a great supporter of prosecutor training and of the mission of TDCAA, and we thank you, Joe, for finding yet another way to show your support.

Annual Report available
The Foundation’s Annual Report for 2015 is on its way to donors’ mailboxes as this issue goes to press. (If you’d like a paper copy, email the editor at [email protected] to request a copy. You can download an electronic copy below.) It explains how the Foundation has been supporting TDCAA’s training efforts over the past year, thanks our donors and corporate sponsors, and goes into detail about what to expect in the year ahead.

Honoring achievement
Lots of great things happen to our friends at the courthouse and the office. They get great verdicts, help crime victims, and track down witnesses who are crucial to our cases. Remember that a great way to recognize someone is to give a contribution in their honor to the Foundation. It is a way to let someone know that he or she has stood out, and it gives back to the profession. For a list of recent gifts to the Foundation, see below.

Recent gifts to the Foundation*
Richard Alpert
Bernard Ammerman
Charles Aycock
Dustin Boyd
Danny Davidson
Dan Dent
James Eidson
Robert Fertitta
David Finney in memory of Phillip Martin
Jack Frels
John Staley Heatly
Douglas Howell
Bruce Isaacks
James Keeshan
Rob Kepple in honor of Joe Shannon
Ross Kurtz
Brett Ligon
Doug Lowe
Barry Macha
George McCrea
Gregory Miller in memory of Tim Curry
Rene Pena
Lisa Peterson
Walter Pinegar
Julie Renken
Joe Shannon, Jr., in memory of Tim Curry
John Terrill
The Honorable F. Duncan Thomas
Carol Vance
Martha Warner
David Weeks
David Williams

 

* gifts received between December 4, 2015, and February 5, 201