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		Misinformation Corrected on Robert Corrigan

Recently, my office has received numerous calls from interested citizens after
viewing television coverage from some T.V. stations and newspaper articles
concerning the attempted suicide of Robert Corrigan on September 20, 2006
in an apparent attempt to avoid having his case adjudicated and probation
revoked for which a motion to do so had been filed by the District Attorney’s
office.

Those announcements incorrectly stated that when Corrigan entered his
guilty plea to Failure to Stop and give Assistance under the Parks and Wildlife
Code in the 33rd Judicial District Court in Llano, his sentence resulted from an
arrangement or “plea bargain” between prosecutor and defense attorneys.  

It had been made plain from the beginning that this office would not and in
fact did not enter into any plea arrangement  with Corrigan’s attorneys.  After
Corrigan was indicted, my office refused to enter into any arrangement or
“deal” as to recommended punishment if Corrigan pled guilty.  In fact, no
“deal” was offered and no response to requests for a deal from Corrigan’s
attorneys was even considered.

Our system in Texas allows a defendant in a criminal case at the time of trial,
to either plead guilty to a jury or waive a jury and plead guilty before a judge
in open court.  In either case, no plea bargain is required.  In those situations,
defendants “take their chances” with a jury or judge.  On October 22, 2004,  
Robert Corrigan did just that and took his chances with the judge.