Grand jury subpoenas judge who held Dallas DA in contempt
A judge who accused the Dallas district attorney of contempt of court for refusing to testify in a hearing is now facing a grand jury subpoena.
Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins was acquitted of the contempt charge in August. Now the judge who cited him for contempt, Lena Levario, is facing a subpoena by a grand jury investigating whether two other judges improperly tried to influence her decision, the Dallas Morning News (sub. req.) reports.
It is unclear whether the grand jury is investigating Levario or whether it is seeking her testimony as a witness, the story says. Her lawyer has filed a motion to quash the subpoena.
Levario had accused Watkins of contempt after he refused to testify in a hearing on allegations that the DA’s office was prosecuting an oil heir as a favor to a political benefactor. Watkins had claimed his work is privileged.
A different judge ruled on Aug. 23 that Levario should not have granted the hearing sought by oil heir Al Hill III without proof of misconduct.
