This is a reprint from the September 3, 2014 Mongoose newsletter. Alicia Franklin billed the county for one hour of work on May 6, 2014 in Cause No. 2014-02035J for "prepare letter to client, prepare to mail and post office run." In Cause No. 2008-02442J, Franklin billed a quarter of an hour twice for "post office run" on April 10 and May 19, 2014. Attorneys simply do not bill their clients for running to the post office and Harris County tax payers should not be charged for such work either. On May 1, 2014, Franklin billed the county in Cause No. 2013-41503 a quarter of an hour to e-file a document. She did the same thing on May 7, 2014 in Cause No. 2013-39931 when she charged a quarter of an hour for "e-filed affidavit." Again, this is something clerical staff do in most law offices and I have never heard of lawyers billing clients for that sort of work. Franklin also billed the county frequently for merely printing documents, something attorneys or their clerical staff ... Read More >
Alicia Franklin Scandal – Count Three: Accepting A Campaign Contribution from a Party to a Case She Was The Amicus Attorney On
This is a reprint of the September 3, 2014 Mongoose newsletter. My first published book might not be set in London in the Spring of 1881 after all. It could well be about Judge Franklin and her predecessor, Judge Pratt. I have more than enough information to fill a book. Click here to read about this truly too-sleazy-to-believe scenario: an amicus attorney appointed to represent a child in a nasty custody case decides to run for judge and accepts a large campaign contribution from a party to the case. Sadly, Alicia Franklin, is the protagonist in this wretched story as well. Ms. Franklin was appointed an amicus attorney for a young boy in a hotly contested custody case by Judge Lisa Millard in case no. 2012-04106 on April 20, 2012. This case involved parents and grandparents. On October 15, 2013, Ms. Franklin and the grandparents' attorney filed a joint motion for enforcement against the mother for not obeying a court order on visitation. It is extremely unusual for an ... Read More >
Alicia Franklin Scandal – Count Two: Billing for CPS Work After She Became Judge
This is a reprint from the September 3, 2014 Mongoose newsletter. Here is a shocker: judges cannot practice law! There is a specific provision in the Texas Canons of Judicial Ethics, Canon 4(G) that says a judge cannot practice law. It would also apparently shock and surprise some that it is illegal to bill the county for work you did not do. So, taking those two basic principles in mind, consider this: Judge Franklin, after she was sworn into office as a judge, submitted a pay voucher to the county for lawyer work on a CPS case done after she became a judge. Moreover, Franklin tried to mislead the Houston Chronicle editorial board last week in replying to this allegation by telling them that she started work on the bench on June 18, 2014. Franklin knew she had to tell the editors that she started work on June 18 because she had submitted a handwritten invoice for CPS work signed by her on June 17 for legal work she had done on June 13, 16 and 17, including one hour ... Read More >
Alicia Franklin Scandal – Count One: Submitting CPS Pay Vouchers That Simply Cannot Be True
This is a reprint from the September 3, 2014 Mongoose newsletter. This is a long article and my proof consists of many pages of pay vouchers that Alicia Franklin submitted the month before she became a judge. Click here to read my complete, 19 page article: "Alicia Franklin Submitted CPS Pay Vouchers That Simply Cannot Be True." This article includes my legal explanation of why knowingly submitting a false CPS pay voucher to the county for payment is a crime. Here is the executive summary of my article: Attorneys, like Alicia Franklin, appointed by judges to represent abused children or their parents in CPS cases, must sign the pay vouchers they submit to the county. In the family courts, the vouchers say that they are submitted "under penalty of perjury." I looked at four consecutive work days in May 2014 and pulled her charges for those days from dozens of pay vouchers submitted by Franklin. I then added up the hours she billed for each day. Here is what I found Franklin ... Read More >
Intro to the Alicia Franklin Scandal
This sad, heartfelt introduction to the Judge Alicia Franklin scandal is reprinted from the September 3, 2014 Mongoose newsletter. We understand our parents more and more as we age ourselves. "Enthusiasm" was something my father had for everything in his life: his work as a school principal, organizing his garage, caring for the yard, serving his church, taking apart and reassembling a washing machine just for the challenge, and raising four boys. My Dad loved his work, and for good reason was one year named "National Principal of the Year." When the school district would move him to yet another troubled school that needed help, the parents and teachers at his old school would protest and demand that he stay. The only time I can recall my father ever being really upset about his work that he ... Read More >
Judge Alicia Franklin: Please Provide an Explanation!
Reprinted from August 26, 2014 Mongoose newsletter. I take a fair airing of facts about Judge Alicia Franklin and her work as an appointed CPS attorney very seriously. I played a significant role in the chain of events that resulted in Franklin becoming a judge and I genuinely like her. I have helped Franklin in ways no other lawyer could and I contributed financially to her campaign when she was running against Denise Pratt. I also know and really like the Democrat running against Franklin, Sherri Cothrun. Cothrun provided me most of the information described below, but I have done my own home work as well. I write below about facts I have verified, not partisan attacks from the opposing candidate. I now have a box of copies of every fee invoice Ms. Franklin ever submitted to the county and I have someone doing my own independent, non-political analysis of those vouchers. I really hope to announce soon that I have found a sterling example of how ad litem attorneys should do ... Read More >
Really Good News: Meca Walker to be Judge Franklin’s A.J.
Judge Alicia Franklin gave the Family Bar an early Christmas present by announcing she has selected Meca Walker to replace Bob Newey as Associate Judge in the 311th. Franklin is generally getting really good reviews for her work as a judge and her selection of M.L. Walker is a brilliant choice. Judge Walker has served as Associate Judge for Judges Rynd, Dean and Hellums. It is great news that her experience and superb judicial demeanor will continue to serve the families of Harris County. I have given Franklin grief over her outrageous billing as a CPS attorney before she was appointed judge, but I will give her credit for making a really great selection as A.J. to replace Bob Newey. I know Commissioner Cagle is thrilled, but this decision smells more like a "what is good for the court and the families and attorneys we serve" sort of pick instead of the purely political selection some were dreading. Way to go Alicia! ... Read More >
An Attorney Ad Litem Is Not a Law Firm: Only The Fees of the Person Appointed Ad Litem Should Be Paid by the County
Attorneys appointed to represent abused children and their parents in CPS cases as attorneys ad litem are routinely billing Harris County for work done by associate attorneys and non-lawyers who work for the person appointed ad litem. This is wrong and violates the law. Click this link to download this article in PDF: Ad Litem is Not a Law firm. In a regular divorce or child custody case, a law firm can represent the client and an attorney in charge is designated. However, any authorized attorney can work on the case or appear in court for the client. So, for example, Mr. Smith can hire The Enos Law Firm to represent him in his child custody case and perhaps Greg Enos or Christina Tillinger might appear in court for the client or maybe even an outside attorney would be asked to make an appearance for Mr. Smith, as long as the client consented. A wise, ethical and experienced family judge explained to me how attorney ad litems in CPS cases are different than private ... Read More >
Did Alicia Franklin Work as a Lawyer and Charge Harris County for CPS Work After She Became Judge?
Click this link to download in PDF my full article, with documentary evidence, which establishes that Alicia Franklin billed Harris County for CPS legal work she did as a lawyer after the date when she was sworn in as a judge: Franklin billed for lawyer work after she became a judge. ... Read More >
Alicia Franklin accepted a Campaign Contribution from a Party to a Case When Franklin Was The Amicus on his Case
I highly recommend that you click the following link to download this article in PDF, which includes copies of the court documents and campaign contribution report: Franklin accepted a contribution from a party to a case she was amicus on. This PDF article contains images of the court order, motion and contribution report. As a lawyer, Alicia Franklin mostly worked on cases in which she was appointed an attorney ad litem or amicus attorney by a judge. Some of those cases involved the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS) and some were private child custody cases. In CPS cases, the county pays the appointed attorneys. In private child custody cases, the parents or other people seeking custody or visitation of the child are ordered to pay the amicus attorney. An amicus attorney is supposed to be a neutral attorney who represents the child’s best interests. Ms. Franklin was appointed an amicus attorney for a young boy in a hotly contested custody case by ... Read More >