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Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons Charges

By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 12:38:02 PM EST
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Rick Roach is the elected DA of four counties in the Texas pandhandle. This week he was indicted on federal drugs and weapons charges. He is being detained without bond pending a Tuesday detention hearing. A lawsuit has been filed to remove him from office. The Indictment alleges he is a drug addict.

As an addict, he "knowingly and intentionally" possessed several firearms, including a semi-automatic pistol, according to the indictment.

He is also charged with possession with intent to distribute meth and coke. He was arrested while at the courthouse. His secretary provided a sworn affidavit saying he shot meth twice at an apartment and was about to at the office when she walked out of the room.

In her affidavit, Bailey said she saw Roach use meth in mid-December and again last week at an apartment. Seabourn said the District Attorney's Office had rented the apartment in Pampa, about 50 miles northeast of Amarillo, for an attorney who has since left.

Query: What was the secretary doing at a rented apartment with her boss?

Roach denies the charges and says he will vigorously defend himself against them. [hat tip CrimProf blog.]

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    Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons Charges | 15 comments (15 topical)
    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 01:00:36 PM EST
    Nitpick, for four counties not four four counties. Sorry I'm anal. [Ed. not at all, thanks, I fixed it.]

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 01:19:31 PM EST
    He needs to be in a HOSPITAL, not a JAIL.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 01:50:43 PM EST
    "He needs to be in a HOSPITAL, not a JAIL." I agree

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 02:00:06 PM EST
    Since we're nitpicking grammar, shouldn't that be "Rick Roach is the elected DA OF four counties in the Texas pandhandle."

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 02:04:37 PM EST
    50 years if convicted on all charges? That is insane.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 02:50:16 PM EST
    The interesting detail you're probably8 not reading is the machinations the HR department is going through to make sure he can't claim benefits while in jail. Very Ripley. (As in Belive It Or Not not as in Alien :-=) -C

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 05:04:09 PM EST
    I note that his political affiliation is not listed. I assume that he's a rethuglian, but we no indication.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 05:26:50 PM EST
    Mark_W - If you weren't a lazy yellow dog democrat then google would have told you that Roach was a republican. See, wouldn't that have been more fun than the simplisme (oh la la) Rethuglican thing? Don't worry, perhaps your children will be able to afford private schools. -C

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 05:39:36 PM EST
    When you really think about it, it makes perfect sense. Go a little snowblind and snort some horse and, by dang, I'll bet you'll have all sorts of new insights into how to win this war on drugs!

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#10)
    by kdog on Sun Jan 16, 2005 at 08:01:15 PM EST
    How many people did he prosecute for using the same drugs, I wonder. I agree treatment beats jail, but I can't draw any sympathy for him, as I'm sure he's locked up a drug user or two. Maybe after a stint in jail he will see how it feels to be locked up for a medical problem. Karma is a b**ch.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 17, 2005 at 05:28:31 AM EST
    Yes, he needs to be in some sort of treatment program rather than jail. However, he needs to wait in line behind all those other people currently doing time for drug-use related offenses.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 17, 2005 at 05:38:05 AM EST
    It was interesting to read the article in the January 12 Denver post "Adams' new leaders bring plenty of experience" They bring experience all right. Experience in holding the Colorado title for the most politically corrupt county in Colorado, maybe the nation. Maybe some of the newcomers can clean it up, but I doubt it. The only good thing is the departure of Bob Grant, who couldn't continue because of term limits. (thank God). But now we have Mr. Quick who was Grant's understudy. Under Grants watch, if you want to call it that, there were allegations of "ramped drug use" within his staff. Grant himself was involved as a suspect in numerous domestic disputes in Adams County. The county at Grants direction, mandated an arrest when officers were called to domestic disputes. Was Grant arrested?? Grant had an assistant attorney, Edward Towey who was in charge of drug seizures. Guess what, Towey was a known drug user himself. He was found dead in a motel of an overdose. The case was classified as an overdose, but the Caveman thinks it was something else. Grants influence extended to numerous other county district attorneys including Jefferson County, and Boulder County. Grant was even on national news as an advisor when Jon Benet was murdered. Grant, and,we all know, Boulder couldn't track a bear across a birthday cake. The Adams County commissioners were not much better. There was the case of the missing alcohol from a county closed bar/restaurant that turned up in the possession of a female county commissioner, who said it was some type of mistake, and gave it back. We all know Ms. Norton who sits on President Bush's cabinet, well she used to be the Colorado Attorney General. She was made aware of the situation in Adams County, but whats this? guess what , Norton grew up in Adams County. Well we all can guess what was done about these allegations, nata. There is much much more folks, but Ill bet there are blogers out there that know more than I do. Hope to hear from you all, I have much more folks. CAVEMAN.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#13)
    by kdog on Mon Jan 17, 2005 at 06:57:23 AM EST
    Coke and Meth? With a name like Rick Roach, I would have figured him for a ganja man!

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 17, 2005 at 08:23:52 AM EST
    I agree with kdog's assessment and question: how many people did he prosecute and jail in his drug war role. I am a strong believer in decriminalization of drugs. Prohibition works as well now as it did back in the 20's. Part of my decriminalization model would be to fund on-request treatment with part of the dollars saved by giving up the WOD. I have never liked hypocrisy though and until such time as decriminalization becomes public policy, I will admit to some strong feelings that this guy should go down the road where he has probably sent others with similar drug use patterns. It will be an education to him, sort of like the education that Martha Stewart is getting. Suddenly she understands the criminal justice system.

    Re: Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jan 25, 2005 at 01:19:17 PM EST
    I think he should be given the full sentence on all charges. Why? Because that is what he gives to all the people he has prosecuted. I was one of them. 20 years for less than what he possessed. I was an addict, not a criminal, yet he would'nt even consider treatment for me.

    Texas Prosecutor Indicted on Drugs and Weapons Charges | 15 comments (15 topical)