Charlie Baird , a criminal defense lawyer for Austin, Texas and a retired state district court and a Texas criminal justice tribunal judge, best known for his efforts to promote restorative justice during his time on the bench. He holds the distinction of being the only judge in the state of Texas that has freed an individual who has died, which he did in the case of Tim Cole.
Video Charlie Baird
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Charlie Baird was born and raised in Gilmer, Texas and is a 1973 graduate of Gilmer High School.
Maps Charlie Baird
Education
Baird attended Kilgore College, then transferred to The University of Texas, graduating in 1976 with a degree in business administration. After working for Congressman Ray Roberts, Baird returned to Houston and South Texas Law School; he graduated in December 1980 and started practicing law next spring.
Baird earned his Master of Laws degree in the Judicial Process of The University of Virginia School of Law in 1995. In 1993, he was named a distinguished alumni from the South Texas College of Law.
Texas Criminal Appeals Court
Upon disillusionment with what he saw as the failure of some of the judges he had trained before to follow the law, read the case, and show the level of concern for their work, Baird decided in 1989 to run for the Texas Criminal Court of Appeal in 1990.
Baird runs an aggressive statewide campaign, and was elected to court the same year that Ann Richards defeated Clayton W. Williams, Jr., for governor.
During his two tenure at the Court, Baird developed a reputation as an independent-minded jurist.
As the courts began to turn to the right - first with the election of a judge who now led Sharon Keller in 1994, Baird developed what the Austin Chronicle referred to as a "strong judicial voice" that became increasingly a voice of dissent. during his final years in court.
Baird consistently writes more opinions every year than any other judge in court, and encourages the majority to discuss certain legal points through making strong and detailed opinions - often doing so even in cases where the majority prefer to deal with cases without written opinion.
Roy Criner Case
In one of Baird's most famous opinions, he argues that Roy Criner, who proved sexually abused in 1990, should be given a new trial. The majority in the 5-3 decision did not support a new trial for Criner despite the fact that new DNA testing was available at the time - showing Criner not a match for sperm found on the victim. Keller's majority opinion tries to downplay the evidence by claiming that the victim may have been picky and that Criner may have used a condom. Keller was forced to express his opinion only because Baird disagreed with the case, which the majority preferred to address without written opinion.
Interlude Between Judicial Service
After losing the 1996 General Election to the Republican landslide, Baird served as a guest judge at the 13th and 14th Texan Court of Appeals and as a judge on the criminal bench in Travis County. In addition, he was a visiting professor at Texas Tech University School of Law, Loyola University, New Orleans School of Law, and his alma mater, the South Texas College of Law where he received a Professor Excellence Award from the Student Bar Association for 2004-2005 and 1999. -2000. Judge Baird teaches criminal law and procedure, advocacy of criminal trials, death penalty, and remedial and post-punitive repairs. And, while at Texas Tech, he guided the students at the West Texas Innocence Project.
299 District Criminal Court
In 2005, Baird was approached by a group of Travis County lawyers who encouraged him to nominate the seat left by Judge Jon Wisser. Baird entered and won the 2006 Primary and Election 2006 Democratic Party in Travis County and was sworn in on January 1, 2006.
As a judge, Baird gained high marks from the press and the public for his efforts in rehabilitating nonviolent offenders - a practice that sparked outrage from the Travis District Prosecutor's Office and former DA Ronnie Earle.
Baird became the first crime district judge in Travis County to use a GPS tracking device for defendants for bonds awaiting trial for violation offenses, and took the lead in using alcohol monitoring equipment for criminal criminals. He works diligently to establish relationships with business and job training programs to help defendants find better jobs.
Team Cole case
In February 2009, Baird chaired a hearing on the case of Tim Cole, a Texas Tech University student convicted of raping a student in 1985. The trial in Baird court was held after a Lubbock District judge rejected a similar earlier petition in August 2008..
Cole was convicted by a jury of rape, primarily based on the testimony of the victim, Michele Mallin. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. While imprisoned, Cole is offered parole if he will plead guilty, but he refuses. Another man, Jerry Wayne Johnson, confessed to rape in 1995. Subsequently, Mallin later admitted that he was mistaken as the identity of his assailant. He stated that the investigator failed to collect evidence and hide information from him, causing him to believe that Cole was the culprit. Mallin told police that the rapists smoked during the rape. However, Cole never smoked because of severe asthma. The DNA evidence then shows her innocence.
Cole died in prison on December 2, 1999, during an asthma attack. His family and the victim tried to clear his name.
In April 2009, Baird issued a release order, noting, "at 100 percent moral, fact and legal certainty" that Timothy Cole did not commit rape. Baird reversed his confidence and ordered Cole's note to be removed. This is the first posthumous DNA exonation in the history of the state of Texas.Cole's Exonoration caused many changes in Texas Law.
Retirement & amp; Personal Practice
On 1 January 2011, Baird retired from the bench after deciding not to seek a second term in the District Court of Criminal Court and established the Legal Firm of Fowler Law Firm, PC, a twenty-member firm dedicated to providing excellent representation in every area of ââlegal practice in Austin, Texas.
Selection 2012
In June 2011, Baird told Austin American-Statesman that he was considering against the Travis County Attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg at Primary Primer 2012.
He officially launched his campaign for Travis County District Attorney on September 6, 2011 with a launch event at the Australian Adolescent Entertainment Entertainment Theater in Austin. On Tuesday, October 25, Baird and petahana Rosemary Lehmberg made their first joint debate show at the Central Texas Democratic Forum. Following the forum, the Austin Chronicle notes that the race is one of the "hottest" main races in Travis County.
Electoral history
Primary Democratic Election Results
( Only the main results shown are displayed )
General Results
See also
References
External links
Source of the article : Wikipedia