By Lou Ann Anderson, re-printed from WatchdogWire.com/texas
Belton, TX - After an initial postponement, the trial of C.J. Grisham, the Texas soldier whose March 16 arrest by Temple police spawned a viral video, is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Oct. 15. The misdemeanor trial before Judge Neel Richardson, a visiting judge from Harris County, will be in front of a jury and is expected to last two and one-half days.
“I look forward to the trial and showing the innocence of my client and the abuse of power of the Temple Police Department,” Grisham attorney Blue Rannefeld said of the upcoming proceeding.
Grisham’s March arrest initiated new scrutiny with regard to the police department and its general conduct in dealing with citizens.
The police dashcam video of Grisham’s arrest has yet to be made public. In mid-May, Richardson ordered the Bell County Attorney’s Office to release two police videos and the 911 recording which initially brought Temple police officers in contact with Grisham, but only for use by Grisham’s defense team, not for dissemination to the press or the public. The video is significant as it documents the initial encounter between Grisham and Officer Steve Ermis, the encounter which prompted the events seen on Grisham’s widely-viewed video.
The city of Temple and Bell County have spent significant tax dollars in pursuit of this misdemeanor case, a case which appears more a clash of two tempers than any commission of a substantive crime. The many labors hours expended have diverted resources from perhaps more productive tasks. Potential civil litigation exposing taxpayers to additional expense remains unaddressed.
The costs associated with this prosecution will undoubtedly be of interest at the trial’s conclusion. A questionable use of public funds may be the greatest offense of this entire situation. Meanwhile, Bell County residents can see their tax dollars in action 9 a.m. Tuesday as the court is called to order.
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