By Rob Kepple
TDCAF & TDCAA Executive Director in Austin
In the last edition of The Texas Prosecutor journal, I announced the Escamilla-Wortham Challenge. David Escamilla, former County Attorney in Travis County, and Bob Wortham, current Criminal District Attorney in Jefferson County, pledged a total of $15,000 of their own money in the form of a dollar-for-dollar challenge. To qualify for the matching challenge, donations had to come from contributors’ own pockets, not asset forfeiture accounts. Sarah Halverson, the journal editor, had planned to publish a “thermometer” gauging our progress in each of the next three issues.
Well, we won’t need no stinking thermometer! Texas prosecutors love a challenge, apparently, because as we go to press with this issue, we are just $400 short of the $15,000 needed to fully match David and Bob’s donations! A lot of people jumped in (see the list below), but I must say that we were anchored by a generous $5,000 donation from Rusty Hardin that really got the momentum going. This kind of support that comes from our members is gratifying and humbling.
And the donations are vital. The Foundation has anchored our efforts to produce the Advanced Trial Advocacy and Train the Trainer Courses. When we needed it most, the Foundation came through with swift funding for our online training development. Thanks to David, Bob, the Foundation Board, and everyone who has donated. Let’s finish this challenge strong!
Donors to the Escamilla-Wortham Challenge*
Alva Alvarez
Gordon Armstrong
Diane Beckham
Kathy Braddock
Terese Buess
Kriste Burnett
John Dodson
Laurie English
David Finney
Gerald Fohn
Daniel Gonzalez
Bert Graham in memory of Ted Busch
Michael Guarino II
Tom Hanna in memory of Judge Larry Gist and Mike Hinton, and in honor of Tom Krampitz, Carol Vance, and Bob Wortham
Rusty Hardin
Ed Jones
Kim Judin
Rob Kepple
John Kimbrough
Tom Krampitz
Robert Lassman
Cheryll Mabray
Ken Magidson
Betty Marshall
Rick Miller
Renee Mueller
Lisa Peterson
Joseph Skrivanek III
Martha Warner
Roe Wilson
* donations received as of June 22, 2021