News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Supreme Court Rejects Texas Abortion Rights Challenge

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - The US Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to its landmark 1973 ruling legalizing abortion. That challenge came from the Dallas woman once known as "Jane Roe." Justices declined to hear the appeal from Norma McCorvey, who's since become an anti-abortion activist.

McCorvey says she's done everything she knows how to do to overturn Roe versus Wade. She says, "The weight of the world is no longer on my shoulders." McCorvey plans to continue speaking out against abortion, but currently has no other legal avenues to pursue.

[TexasStooge]

Governor Makes Pitch For Physical Fitness

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - Governor Rick Perry is making a pitch for Texans to exercise more and take better care of themselves. Perry announced the second annual Texas Round-Up health and fitness program. A 10-K run/walk and fitness festival are set for April 30th in Austin. Perry also is challenging all Texas communities to go on-line to take part. The governor's statewide initiative is meant to help Texans incorporate daily physical activity and healthy choices into their lives.

[TexasStooge]

Weekend Nightclub Fire Investigated

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - Fire investigators this weekend continue to look into a major blaze that broke out Friday night in one of Austin's oldest nightclubs. The fire broke out in a ventillation fan 7pm above the "Mid Town Live" club on Cameron road and McKee. An electrical short was the apparent cause. Within minutes the building was fully engulfed but some seventy patrons were able to get out safely. Examiners estimate that damage to the club and adjoining businesses will run over $1 million.

[TexasStooge]

State Gets Final Tally On Provisional Votes

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - More than 36,000 provisional ballots were cast in Texas in the November election. But the final statewide tally released Thursday shows only 20% of those were deemed valid and were counted. Although the provisional votes had already been counted on the local level and included in statewide final election results, the Texas Secretary of State's Office didn't have an exact figure on how many such votes were cast and counted for more than three months.

Local officials had to report provisional votes in a lengthy federal survey. A provisional vote can be cast if a voter shows up on Election Day but it isn't clear whether he or she is eligible to vote. The voter may cast a ballot with a signed affidavit stating the reasons he or she is qualified. The ballot is kept separate from others and is only counted later if it's determined the person was registered to vote. Provisional voting was created in the Help America Vote Act, a federal law passed in 2002 after ! the Florida recount of the 2000 presidential election. Last year was the first time the method was used in Texas elections.

[TexasStooge]

1 Killed, 1 Injured As Police Chase Ends In Crash

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KSAT ABC 12) - One man was killed and another man was injured Tuesday night after the vehicle they were in crashed after a police chase.

According to a San Antonio police news release, Officer Joey Vidal tried to stop a 1993 Jeep Cherokee at Loop 410 and Culebra Road at 10:15 p.m. because the officer suspected the driver was drunk.

But despite having the police cruiser's overhead lights on and activating the siren, the driver, Jacob Matthew Schlentz, 20, of Laredo, refused to stop, police said.

Schlentz then exited Loop 410 and turned onto Ingram Road and then onto Timberhill with Vidal in pursuit.

The driver then lost control of his vehicle, ran over a wooden fence and hit a tree in the backyard of a house at 7202 Moss Creek, police said.

The driver was killed on impact. The passenger, Caleb Schlentz, 17, of San Antonio, was injured and was transported to University Hospital. The passenger and the driver are brothers.

A flask and a bottle of liquor were found in the vehicle, police said.

Before the chase, the brothers may have side-swiped a vehicle intentionally, police said.

[TexasStooge]

Bulverde Council OKs Home Depot

BULVERDE, Texas (KSAT ABC 12) - The Bulverde City Council voted Tuesday night in favor of allowing Home Depot to build a home improvement store at the intersection of Highways 281 and 46.

The 4-1 vote followed a four-hour meeting, where a number of citizens voiced their say about the store.

"There are still concerns as to traffic, as to safety, as to variances to our ordinances," said Councilwoman Sarah Stevick, who voted against the proposal. "There comes a point when you ask for so many variances, you really have to rethink the entire project."

But resident Chip Leigh said the store will bring in tax revenue and jobs to Bulverde.

"Home Depot has met every expectation that the city has demanded," he said. "I think it's a good thing."

Bulverde Mayor Bill Cole said out of all the calls and e-mails he received concerning Home Depot, most residents were in favor of the proposal.

[TexasStooge]

450-Pound Man Arrested; Taken In Stretcher To Jail

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KSAT ABC 12) - A man who police said weighed 450 pounds was arrested and transported to jail in an ambulance Monday night.

Armed with a search warrant, police entered the man's West Side apartment in the 300 block of Cortez and confiscated heroin, a .357 revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun and a bullet-proof vest believed to have been stolen from a law enforcement agency.

Police officers at the scene had trouble getting the man down from his second-story apartment so they called for an ambulance to carry him on a stretcher and transport him to the magistrate's office.

The man faces numerous charges, including possession of narcotics, firearms and possession of ballistic gear by a felon.

Police said they had been watching the man for a while and suspected he had been dealing and trafficking drugs.

[TexasStooge]

Tests Alert Local 2 Anchor, 3 Patients To Cardiac Problems

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - If you're sick or in pain, wouldn't you go to the doctor? So, if you suspected you had a disease that could kill you, would you do the same?

You could be at serious risk for a heart attack and not even know it. The problem -- many people have symptoms but don't recognize the early warning signs.

Local 2 visited a Houston-area mall's food court at lunch hour and approached dozens of people at random, all of whom thought their heart's health was good.

Armed with risk factors provided by Methodist Hospital doctors and instinct, Local 2 talked with dozens of people, asking them lifesaving questions.

Donald Hill has a long list of risk factors. He's 52 years old, noticeable extra weight around his stomach, a smoker and has high cholesterol and blood pressure. He also has a family history of heart disease.

Justine Boyd, 55, faces several risk factors. Not only does she smoke, but she also has borderline cholesterol and a family history of stroke.

Diabetes is not the only thing that puts 45-year-old Donald Huggins at risk. He also has high cholesterol and blood pressure and mentioned that he also has a lot of a stress in his life.

Hill, Boyd and Huggins headed to The Wellness Center at The Methodist Hospital to have a simple test performed to see if their hearts are in good health.

Local 2 anchor Bill Balleza, who is also the perfect candidate for the test, joined the trio and underwent a battery of lifesaving tests that took only 30 minutes.

[TexasStooge]

Dad admitted shooting son to police

By Aman Batheja, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - A father who fatally shot his son Tuesday evening reported the crime to police and confessed immediately, a police report states.

Robert Scott, 56, admitted shooting his 28-year-old son, also named Robert Scott, at their home at 7108 Green Meadow Drive in the Handley neighborhood. The call was received at 6:48 p.m., police said.

The father shot his son two or three times in the chest, the police report states.

"The victim and the complainant had been arguing all day," said Lt. Gene Jones, a Fort Worth Police spokesman.

A witness who was in the house heard the father and son arguing that evening, the report states. The witness heard the father say, "I can't take this anymore," followed soon afterward by two or three gunshots, the report states.

When police arrived, the father immediately confessed and told an officer the rifle he used was in a bedroom in the house, the report states.

The father has been charged with murder and was being held at Mansfield Jail on Wednesday with bail set at $100,000.

[TexasStooge]

Austin Marine Reservist Killed In Iraq

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine whowas supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The DoD says Lance Cpl. Trevor D. Aston, 32, of Austin, Texas, died Tuesday as aresult of non-hostile vehicle incident in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Austin, Texas. The incident is under investigation.

[TexasStooge]

Chief Justice: Judges Leaving Because Of Low Pay

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson says the state is losing judges because their salaries haven't kept pace with the times. Jefferson made his remarks to a joint session of the Texas House and Senate during the annual State of the Judiciary speech. Governor Rick Perrry's proposed state budget calls for pay raises for judges. Jefferson says judges double or triple their salaries by returning to the private sector.

Texas ranks 39th among states for salaries for judges on the state's highest courts. Jefferson makes $115,000 per year as chief justice. Other justices on the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals make $113,000. High court judges in California make $176,000 per year. Jefferson also said he'd like to provide real time video web casting of oral arguments before the Texas Supreme Court.

[TexasStooge]

Texas Senate Considers Privatizing Some CPS Functions

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE CBS 42) - The head of a think tank says it might be more expensive, but Texas should consider privatizing some functions of Child Protective Services. Former judge Scott McCown also suggested that route to lawmakers if it would be good for the children of Texas.

But McCown, who's with the Center for Public Policy Priorities, says the state should first have a test run on privatization. The Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee met to consider a CPS reform bill. The proposal by Senator Jane Nelson of Lewisville would privatize certain CPS functions and does not include a test program. Investigations would not be privatized. The bill also calls for hiring additional caseworkers and support staff and implementing new technology to reduce the load on CPS workers.

[TexasStooge]

Firefighters From Across Country Honor Fallen Hero

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - Friends, family and thousands of firefighters from around the country gathered at a southeast Houston church Wednesday to honor a firefighter killed in the line of duty.

Houston Fire Department Capt. Grady Burke, 39, died Saturday when the roof of the vacant house in the 8500 block of Brandon Street collapsed, trapping him. Firefighters entered the burning home at about 6 a.m. Saturday to make sure no one was inside. Six other firefighters were injured, but none of those injuries required hospitalization.

About 4,500 people attended Burke's funeral at the Grace Community Church, which started at 11 a.m. and wrapped up at 12:30 p.m.

"Grady was very strong and he was a courageous firefighter, but most of all, he was our friend," a mourner said.

"He touched us as a leader. He touched us as a husband to Cindy, a good father to his kids," another mourner said.

"Aren't we blessed that God has put on this world some people that seem to be born with a value system -- that they would live their life in sacrifice and service to others," Houston Mayor Bill White said.

Fire departments from across the country drove fire engines and walked the mile-long funeral procession.

"We feel like we are all brothers, like we are all one family across the United States. We feel like if somebody dies in the line of duty, that out of respect for that brother, you come and pay your respects to him no matter who he is," Waco Fire Department official Joe Singer told Local 2. Strangers also stopped their cars honor the fallen firefighter.

"We were on our way to the doctor but we decided to stop and pay our respects," Gloria Rivera told Local 2.

"It's the first one I've seen. It actually made me cry," an unidentified motorist said.

A viewing was held Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at the Forest Park East Funeral Home in Webster.

Burke was a 12-year veteran of the department and was promoted to captain in March 2003. He was awarded a medal of valor for helping rescue a trapped victim from a house fire in November 2003. He worked out of Station 46 on the southeast side.

He is the 59th Houston firefighter to die in the line of duty. The last was Kevin Kulow, who died in April.

Burke was married with two daughters and one son.

Jack Cordua, 44, the man accused of starting the fire that took Burke's life, remained in police custody Wednesday. He has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Arson investigators believe Cordua lit the fire inside the home so that he could see to light crack pipe.

Donations Accepted For Burke's Family

The Last Alarm Club of Houston is accepting donations to support Burke's family.

Donations may be made by visiting the Last Alarm Club Web site at http://www.lastalarmclub.org or mailed to:

The Last Alarm Club
1907 Freeman St.
Houston, TX 77009

Checks should be made payable to the Last Alarm Club.

The 100 Club is also accepting donations on Burke's behalf. For more information, call (713) 952-0100 or visit http://www.the100club.org.

[TexasStooge]

90 Percent Of Sex Offenders Know Their Victims

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - Registered sex offenders are not the only ones parents need to be concerned about. The real danger could be from someone you know, according to a Local 2 investigation Wednesday.

Anyone with a computer can easily find the names of registered sex offenders living near their home. But the men and women on that list make up only 5 percent of all sex offenders, according to the station's report. While it's a helpful tool for parents, it's not the best way to protect a child.

It's a common myth -- sex offenders lurk in the bushes at the playground or hang out at the schoolyard. But they are more likely to live next door or possibly in your own home.

"I hear people saying, 'stranger danger, stranger danger.' It's not about the strangers," therapist Dr. Barbara Levinson said.

Levinson treats child molesters and their victims.

"Sex offenders are members of your family. It is your husband. It is your boyfriend. It is the stepfather. It's the grandfather. It's the uncle," she said.

In fact, 90 percent of children who are molested know their victims, according to statistics.

So what are parents to do to protect their children?

"The best line of defense is to have an educated child," she said.

To do that, Levinson suggests that parents start with themselves.

"Be comfortable with the idea of sex yourself and be able to talk to your child. Take those teachable moments, as young as they are, to make them comfortable talking to you about sexual things," Levinson said.

That way, if something does happen, your child won't be afraid to tell you.

Also, teach your child to love and respect his or her own body. That includes saying no to touching that makes them uncomfortable, even if it's a peck on the cheek from Grandma.

"It's telling the child what's good touching and what does that mean, telling them about privacy, telling them they can say no to anybody," she said.

Be careful whom you leave your children with, even if they are members of your own family.

If they make you uncomfortable, chances are there is a good reason why.

"Be aware of what's going on around you and trust your instincts," Levinson said.

The bottom line -- a child molester can be anyone and the only way to protect your child is to educate him or her before it happens.

"It's a terrible thing when this happens in families and families don't know what to do. But if you don't take care of it now, it will repeat itself," she said.

Levinson said most sex offenders are victims of sex abuse themselves. It's a vicious cycle that can only be stopped by addressing the issue head-on and by having an open line of communication with your children.

[TexasStooge]

15 Arrested In Prostitution Sting

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - Fifteen people were arrested in a prostitution sting in southwest Houston, officials told Local 2 Wednesday.

The Houston Police Department Westside Patrol Division, the Vice Squad and the FBI conducted the crackdown in the area of Bissonnet and the Sam Houston Tollway around lunchtime Tuesday after monitoring the area for weeks.

The 14 females, including a 16-year-old, face 10 felony charges and 24 misdemeanor charges. Barry Lernard Davis was charged with compelling prostitution. Police said Davis was managing the 16-year-old prostitute and may be connected to others as well. He is being held on a $20,000 bond.

Some of those arrested face drug possession charges as well as prostitution.

One of the females was selling sex for $5, police said, but most were asking between $20 and $30.

"When we can get somebody for compelling juveniles to commit prostitution, that's very successful. Depending on the sentence (Davis) receives, it will send a message to the other ones out there -- at least stay away from the juveniles," said Capt. Steve Jett, with the Houston Police Department.

Police said the prostitutes rarely help investigators build a case against the pimps.

"The sentence they're going to get is going to be so minimal that it's not incentive to talk to us. If they talk to us, they're afraid that their pimp is going to beat them and hurt them worse than what we would do to them," Jett said.

Officers said they conducted the sting after receiving complaints from citizens in the area.

"There are a number of residents as well as businesses in the area who have called us. They help us pinpoint times of day they're out there, the days of the week and the location of where they're working," said Capt. Rick Bownds, with the Houston Police Department.

The police department said it plans similar operations in the future.

[TexasStooge]

Woman dies on porch of stranger

By Aman Batheja and Caren Penland, Star-Telegram Staff Writer; Special to the Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH, Texas - Mary Shelley and her 12-year-old grandson were enjoying a quiet evening watching television Tuesday when she heard loud noises outside.

She walked out onto her porch in the 1500 block of North Edgewood Terrace and saw two cars in the street, one ramming the other.

Shelley, 61, watched in shock as a woman got out of one of the cars and fell in her yard. Shelley worried that the car ramming the other would run over the woman.

"Get up and get in the house," Shelley said she called.

The woman, Mary Morgan, got up, ran onto Shelley's porch and collapsed and died in her doorway. She had been shot in the head.

"I turned my head and saw someone coming toward our door, bloody and freaky," recalled Patrick Bates, Shelley's grandson.

Shelley called the police. The car that was being rammed drove away.

Several people got out of the second vehicle, including a woman who ran to Morgan and started screaming.

Shelley said she did her best to communicate with the police dispatcher over the woman's wailing.

There was so little blood, Shelley said, that she didn't believe the stranger was dying in her doorway.

"I just thought she was going into shock from being shot," Shelley said.

An ambulance took Morgan, 36, of Fort Worth, to John Peter Smith Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:52 p.m., according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Web site.

Police received a call from Morgan's daughter Tuesday evening saying her mother had been kidnapped from her apartment on Brentwood Stair Road, Lt. Billy Cordell said.

It was the kidnapper who shot Morgan, according to the police report.

Roosevelt Dawson Jr., an ex-boyfriend of Morgan's, was arrested early Wednesday morning in connection with the kidnapping, the report said.

Dawson, 52, of Fort Worth, faces a capital murder charge and was in the Mansfield Jail on Wednesday night with bail set at $250,000.

A witness told police that Morgan was shot in a dark green two-door Saturn, which the shooter drove away, the report said.

Police were also told that the killer had been calling and threatening Morgan for several weeks.

Dawson turned himself in by flagging down a police officer in the area, Cordell said.

Dawson has previous convictions in Texas, including burglary, attempted murder and homicide, public records show.

Mike Viesca, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, confirmed that Dawson was convicted of attempted murder with a deadly weapon in Lamar County and sent to prison Sept. 9, 1985.

He was released in January 1992 under mandatory supervision, which would have ended June 22 this year. Viesca said records show no parole violations.

By 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police and dozens of Morgan's relatives and friends had visited Shelley's home and left. All that remained Wednesday were bits of glass on the street and a small blood stain on the porch.

Shelley learned from relatives and police that the car ramming the other vehicle was trying to save Morgan, she said.

"What it looked like was one thing, and what it turned out to have been was another," Shelley said.

[TexasStooge]

Tickets sell out for star evangelist's Dallas event

By Brett Hoffman, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

DALLAS, Texas - Tickets to see the Rev. Joel Osteen this weekend in Dallas are going for as much as 10 times their face value.

Osteen, the senior pastor of the 30,000-member interdenominational Lakewood congregation in Houston, will preach at a sold-out worship service Friday at Dallas' American Airlines Center, which will seat more than 17,000 for the event.

The $10, face-value tickets were sold by Ticketmaster. But multiple ticket resale firms across the nation have priced some tickets on their Web sites for more than $100.

"Joel Osteen is now to the Christian religion what Michael Jordan was to the NBA," said Gary McBride, general manager of Perfectseats.com, a Houston-based firm that is listing the tickets for the Dallas event for prices ranging from $70 to $120. "When Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls, game tickets sold out months in advance. In Christianity, Joel Osteen is that much of a superstar."

Osteen is the rising star among today's TV evangelists with his messages of positive thinking, success and prosperity. Every week, he tells millions worldwide that they can receive divine blessings by applying simple Bible principles, such as speaking positive words and giving to others.

Lakewood Church is billed as the largest in the United States, and this summer, Osteen will move the congregation into the 18,000-seat Compaq Center, the former home of the Houston Rockets pro basketball team. Osteen is the author of the 2004 book Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps To Living at Your Full Potential, that has sold more than 1.5 million copies.

That appeal is generating interest in the arena events as Osteen and his contemporary choir tour major cities across the nation.

This year, he is scheduled in 15 cities.

Osteen said it's another way of expanding his ministry.

"Two or three years ago, I felt that we should go into cities because we have a good TV following and we wanted to touch people there in their own city," Osteen said. "But I didn't know what to expect or what size of arena to get. So, we just decided to step out in faith and just get a big one. It's been phenomenal."

Craig Baima, the general manager of Texas Tickets, an Arlington firm that's reselling seats to Osteen's Dallas event, said the show is not unlike a rock concert.

"Joel Osteen sells just like the other shows that come through," Baima said. "You have people who want to get as close as they can so they can see his face."

IN THE KNOW

An Evening with Joel Osteen

• When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

• Where: American Airlines Center in Dallas

• Tickets: Sold out. However, tickets might be available by checking with Ticketmaster or the American Airlines Center box office on the day of the event. The American Airlines Center Box office number is (214) 665-4797. Ticketmaster's number is (214) 373-8000.

[TexasStooge]

Craddick to testify in fund-raising suit

House speaker denies wrongdoing

By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – House Speaker Tom Craddick has been subpoenaed to testify in next week's civil trial over Republicans' fund-raising activities during the 2002 state House elections, the first-time allegations over the campaign contributions have hit a courtroom.

The suit was brought by five Democrats who allege that the Texans for a Republican Majority political action committee illegally solicited and expended $600,000 in corporate contributions that targeted them in their races.

Attorney Cris Feldman said he subpoenaed the speaker because he believes Mr. Craddick, R-Midland, was a key player in TRMPAC's fund raising. At the time, Mr. Craddick was vying to become the first Republican House speaker in 130 years.

The subpoena requested any correspondence between TRMPAC officials and Mr. Craddick or others involved in fund raising, said Roy Minton, Mr. Craddick's attorney.

"We checked everywhere to see if we had the documents they want, and we don't," Mr. Minton said.

Mr. Craddick has said he did nothing wrong. His attorney said the speaker would testify if called to the stand.

The defendant in the trial, which starts Monday, is TRMPAC treasurer Bill Ceverha of Dallas, who also was the founding treasurer for the political committee started by the speaker last year.

The case will be decided by state District Judge Joe Hart, not a jury, and is expected to last a week.

Two other defendants in the lawsuit, John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, were dropped from the civil trial until they can answer felony charges against them. The two men were indicted in September 2004 by a Travis County grand jury in connection with illegal campaign activities. District Attorney Ronnie Earle also is studying the campaigns run by Mr. Craddick for Speaker and the Texas Association of Business.

[TexasStooge]

UT Southwestern gets NASA grant to study radiation effects

Researcher says work with cells will apply to astronauts, others

By ALEXANDRA WITZE / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - NASA has given the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas more than $9.8 million to study how radiation in space might affect astronauts' cancer risk.

With its new commitment to send astronauts back to the moon and perhaps on to Mars, NASA is looking to make long-duration space travel as safe as possible. But the research will also help cancer patients who never make it to the stars, said John Minna, a cancer specialist and lead researcher on the new award.

"Everything we learn from this is going to help us use better radiation therapy for treatment of tumors back here on Earth, too," he said.

The award makes UT Southwestern a NASA Specialized Center of Research, in which scientists from different areas collaborate. Dr. Minna's colleagues in the new center are professors Jerry Shay, a cell biologist, and David Chen and Michael Story, both radiation oncologists.

The researchers will use cells cultured from people's lung tissue, as lung cancer is one of the biggest risks of radiation exposure, said Dr. Chen. The UT Southwestern group is unusual in having a wide variety of lung tissues available that come from humans and not mice.

Using a particle accelerator at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, the researchers will smash high-energy particles found in space, called HZE particles, into cells to see what happens.

"It may be that there's very little damage, or it may be a lot of damage," said Dr. Minna.

The findings should help scientists better understand the links between radiation and lung cancer in many different situations, he said.

[TexasStooge]

Raises urged to help avert judicial flight

Lawmakers heed chief justice's call, filing a bill to boost judges' salaries

By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – In a speech that his predecessor regularly used to denounce the role of money in judicial elections, the Texas Supreme Court's chief justice asked lawmakers on Wednesday to consider the other side of the coin: judges' pay.

"It is no secret that judges double or triple their salaries by returning to the private sector," Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson told House and Senate members in the annual state of the judiciary address. "Our most experienced judges are leaving the bench."

Justice Jefferson, who took office in November and was delivering his first speech to lawmakers, did not offer statistics to support his contention that more judges are leaving the bench for private employment. He mentioned several former Supreme Court justices, including Craig Enoch, who hung up the robe for private practice.

"Many judges are relying on their savings in order to keep their jobs," said Justice Jefferson, who earns $115,000 a year, $2,000 more than associate justices. "They are in effect writing a check to the state every month for the privilege of serving as a judge."

Lawmakers have reacted favorably to the chief justice's pleading. Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, has filed a bill that would raise Justice Jefferson's pay to $150,000. The bill would raise the salary of a state district judge from $101,000 to at least $125,000.

In the House, Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, has agreed to carry Mr. Duncan's bill. Mr. Hartnett, a lawyer, said some first-year lawyers in major law firms earn more than the chief justice.

"That is an enormous sacrifice and disincentive" to serving, said Mr. Hartnett, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Jeff Wentworth, chairman of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee, said lawmakers also should consider raising the salary of Attorney General Greg Abbott.

"The AG, who runs the largest law firm in the state, makes what should be an embarrassingly low salary – $92, 217," Mr. Wentworth said. "That is really shameful."

If lawmakers approve a pay raise, it would probably trigger an increase in their own pensions. They earn a yearly salary of $7,200, but daily allowances when the Legislature is in session can triple that.

Lawmakers' pensions are tied to the salaries of district judges. Mr. Duncan's bill would eliminate that link and tie the pensions to the salary of the governor, who makes $115,345 a year.

To raise funds for the effort, Mr. Duncan's bill proposes an additional $2 fine for criminal offenses other than pedestrian and parking violations. It would also raise the filing fee for a civil lawsuit by $35.

Mr. Duncan's bill also would require that the state collect information on why judges leave office. The Texas Judicial Council, the policy-making body for Texas judges, said Wednesday that it could not produce any data on judicial turnover.