Denton County's new district attorney challenged on his claims to be Mr. Clean
Dallas Observer
February 8, 2007

Charges of corruption have long haunted the Denton County District Attorney's Office so when former prosecutor Paul Johnson decided to run against his old boss last year, he made the most of the allegations. During the campaign, Johnson painted himself as a crusader for social reform who, if elected, would clean up a district attorney's office that some claimed had taken bribes from drug dealers and wife beaters. The campaign tactic worked: Johnson won the Republican primary against incumbent Bruce Isaacks, who had held the post for 16 years and once he took office, Johnson promptly made good on his word, firing 25 of the 50 or so prosecutors who worked in the office.

Problem is Johnson's only been in office a short while, and already he's facing the same sorts of charges he leveled against Isaacks, namely dishonesty and cronyism.

It all goes back to a political flier Johnson sent to Denton voters during the campaign last year. Titled "Justice for Sale in Denton County," it included excerpts of several newspaper clippings that highlighted some of Isaack's missteps. Isaacks had struck deals with drug dealers in exchange for cash cars, motorcycles and jewelry, the flier claimed, referencing a 2003 Dallas Morning News article and he had dropped a DWI and spousal abuse case in exchange for a $1,000 campaign contribution.

The second incident involved a man named William Lee Mitchell a bail bondsman and real estate developer. When Mitchell got the flier in the mail, he called his attorney. He was not only being accused of bribing the district attorney, he told his lawyer, his mug shot was also on the front of the flier. They had to put a stop to this.

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Trantham says there is no ethical rule against this. "You could make a case that there's big conflict of interest if I'm over here saying 'You know, hey, I represent you, Paul. Hey, you got to give me this deal.' Now that's not just a conflict of interest, that's a criminal case. But that's not happening. I don't even discuss cases with Paul. I deal with all his assistants."

But Charles Silver a law professor at the University of Texas, says there could be a conflict of interest in this arrangement. If nothing else, it might make Trantham's clients in criminal cases wonder how zealously he will defend them, given that he is representing the district attorney in a civil lawsuit. "It doesn't turn on duties...but on the appearance of impropriety," Silver writes in an e-mail. "The relationship between the lawyers seems too cozy."

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