Print the value of index0
Matt Russell, STAR Drug Court, Mercy Street Church, Texas Tech Matt Russell Influence Peddled in Case in Which I was a Victim Houston Texas
In 2007, one of the parishioners of Mr. Russell's infamous Mercy Street Church, a heroin addict, prostitute, and stripper, stole my car and crashed it through a parking gate. The defendant's dad also ran the rehab center at Mercy Street, yet get this, was a druggie at the very same time his daughter cracked up my car. The defendant's sister, also a member of this church, was also a druggie, who introduced her to her drug dealer. How is it that you counsel others while you are a druggie yourself??
Harris County Criminal Courts staff counsel has now admitted that there was wrongdoing in the case, and says they are going to reassess the STAR Drug Court and Mercy Street.
Russell colluded with a court employee, Mary Covington, to seek special treatment for the defendant, got the defendant assigned to a rehab (at taxpayer expense) which his friend's ran, and even had the nerve to kick a friend of mine and witness out of the courtroom and threaten to beat him too! Some priest / pastor! I wish he threatened me, because the baliff would have been scraping his a*s off the floor.
Mr. Russell and the court case/proceeding itself is now under investigation at multiple levels for influence peddling in this case. Russell faces several potential felony and misdemenor proceedings for influencing a trial and public official, and witness tampering / obstruction.
TheWerky
Houston, Texas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Anonymous
Houston,Texas,
U.S.A.
Summary Of Events and Other Postings
#2Author of original report
Sun, August 02, 2009
Two months ago, I decided to contact the head minsiter of this church to try to find resolution for myself and the other victims. In general, I found the head minister to be extremely nice and amacable. However, for 3 weeks, I listened to that fact that he intended to meet with the other victims, without that ever happening. Further, I learned in the course of this time other untrue things that were said about me by Lindsay and others, so I posted more facts about Russell and Covington's actions in the courtroom. Here are the clear facts of this case and the preceding events, all of which can be clearly backed up by witnesses, the statements of the Court general counsel, dozens of witnesses from 2006 and 2007, and many victims:
1) Mr. Russell and his friend in the court system, Mary Covington, who runs the STAR drug court took steps to influence the court decision outside of due process. The general counsel for the Harris County Court System represented to me on a recorded audio taped conversation that there was inpropretaries in the case. Specifically, on behalf of their own employee, Mary Covington, she admitted Covingtion acted, and I quote, "inappropiately" and "advocated" for the defendent. This is not only highly unethical, but in fact, illegial and clearly breaks several Texas statutes, yet amazingly, Covington still works for the court system. Part of this conversation is posted on YouTube.
2) Mr. Russell, in attempting to prevent another VICTIM of Ms. McAllister's actions, a witness, and someone who I sent into the courtroom to deliver my wishes to prosecutors, from speaking to the prosecutors, denied my right (and this is a standard state and federal victim right) to make my wishes known to the prosecutors. His, and Covington's, interference in the case, also denied both the victim(s) and state's RIGHT to a fair, unbaised trial.
3) To this date, other than the half an apology I received from Lindsay and a promise for repayment of damages (which still has not happened two years later), it is my understanding that she had not taken any steps to make reparations to any of the other victims. Yet, despite this, I understand from friends she was out clubbing / attending parties / raves with her money - specifically, among others, the DJ Bizz rave on May 23. Not surprisingly, a week or two later she was rearrested. I, quite frankly, can live without being repaid. However, to list just a few, there is a gentlemen named Andrew who is living with his parents, partially, if not largely, because of Lindsay. Lindsay convinced this gentlemen she loved him, got him to spend a large amount of money out of his retirement funds on her, and then stole thousands of dollars in electronic equipment from him. She relished in the fact he spent most of his retirement funds on her. Then there is a guy named Mark, who innocently picked her up from a hotel one day, to get threatened and embarrassed at his workplace the next day, when he later found out Lindsay stole the wallet of some guy she went to meet in hotel room there who tracked him to his professional building. Then there is the HEB cashing center, where Lindsay and her boyfriend took pride in the false checks they cashed there (someone has to pay for these - money doesn't grow on trees) and a bunch of other people she "borrowed" money from. Many of these people truly tried to help her - they bought her food, provided her transportation, tried to get her to go to rehab. In return, she stole from them, and then moving from one to the next, defamed each to the subsequent victim, saying they were "perverts" or "took advantage of her."
Neither Lindsay, nor her parents, nor Russell, took any steps to see if they were OK, to apologize, or to make reparations to these people. Peoples lives and reputations were destroyed for trying to do the right thing, and help, all while Lindsay's parents did nothing (many of us tried to get them involved). I find this ironic since Lindsay's mother would ALWAYS complain to me that her ex-boyfriend stole a mere $100 or $200 in tools from her garage, yet Lindsay owes people tens of thousands of dollars in stolen and destroyed property (not to mention a host of other crimes, besides property ones).
The head minister thinks my actions are "disgusting." I think the victim treatment is disgusting. Either a) they all believe everything coming from Lindsay's mouth and refuse to sit with the dozens of victims and witnesses from 2006 and 2007 or b) they are just enabling the Lindsay's actions and her pity party. Lindsay kindly went around in 2007, which I later found out, telling people I had STDs, which is completely untrue (and disgusting). At least my claims are true.
The head minister accused me of being crazy, yet all of the facts are clearly backed up, it is Lindsay who has problems with MANY people (not I), and it is Lindsay who drove my Mercedes sports car through a parking gate on purpose. What sane individual would do that? Further, this head minister had the nerve to say he would press charges against me if I said or did anything more -- it's my right as a victim to speak out and to see justice done for myself and all the other victims. To threaten criminal action to get someone to do or not to do something is in and of itself illegial.
4) The Harris County Court System currently forces drug rehab candidates into religious based rehab. This is clearly against the law, as evidenced in the Sante Fe school district case, and more recently, a 2007 9th circuit opinion against court ordered AA meetings, based on religious affiliation. It seems like regularly, in Texas, governments want to test the law and civil liberties and need to reminded of the LAW as spelled out in our Constitution and federal court decisions. Similiarly, it is my OPINION that the Mercy Street/Court relationship breaks judicial canons of behavior.
5) The Harris County prosecutors office did a less than complete job of reviewing this case, in dismissing it after 2 weeks without even speaking to some key witnesses on the list. Further, they refused to transfer jurisidiction to the State AG, as requested, due to clear conflicts (including Covington works in the same building!!). That's OK, because this will provided further entertainment for other agencies. Similarily, neither Covington's superiors nor Judge Ed Emmett have any comments, despite the findings of their general counsel's investigation, and Covington still apparently works for Harris County.
NOW, I am done speaking publically, and will let the investigations take their course(s). I do believe, however, some other victims and witnesses will be posting their statements.