For the first time in eight years, Harris County has a new district attorney. Sean Teare officially assumes office this week, after defeating two-term incumbent Kim Ogg in the Democrat primary last spring, then beating Republican Dan Simons in November.
Teare has tried to present himself as a reasonable reformer who will "do what I think is right," with media profiles bolstering that narrative. But his political leanings have led to questions about how (or if) he will prosecute crimes. After all, he is a liberal who received funding from billionaire left-wing activist George Soros and had the endorsements of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and several liberal activist groups. "I think in the first six months, first year in office, we'll really be able to see what kind of DA he is," says Jared Woodfill, attorney and former Harris County GOP Chair. "Whether he's a law and order DA, or someone who uses the office to target political opponents and uses it as a stepping stone for future advancement."
Notably, one of the top items on Teare's agenda is "bail reform," which has been code for ending cash bail and letting criminals go free on so-called personal recognizance (PR) bonds. "If he takes that approach, I think there will be a huge public backlash because it means that ultimately people will get killed (if criminals are released)," says Woodfill. "So that would be a very poor move, in my opinion."
The other big question is how Teare will handle the ongoing bid-rigging corruption case against staffers in Hidalgo's office. When he spoke to KTRH during the primary, Teare called the case a "political football" and vowed to recuse his office, moving it to another county. But that may be moot since Ogg already turned the case over to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office.
Woodfill, who is highly critical of Ogg's time in office, tells KTRH it is up to the public to hold Teare accountable. "You can't weaponize the DA's office," he says. "We've seen that in New York against President Donald Trump, we saw it here in Harris County, we see it happen all over the nation when liberal, progressive prosecutors who have an agenda come in and abuse the office."
"I am hopeful that Sean Teare will take a different approach."
Photo: The Image Bank RF