Another prosecutor in Travis County has been charged with a DWI. Four months ago it was District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg who was arrested for driving while (heavily) intoxicated. Video from the traffic stop and the police station revealed that Lehmberg went to great lengths to embarrass herself, the office she holds, and the people of Travis County. Despite all of this, she refused to step down.
Today news has broken that Assistant DA Brandon Grunewald has been charged with his own DWI. This leads to a series of obvious questions. Is there a systemic problem with alcohol abuse in the Travis County prosecutor’s office? How can our top county law enforcement officials be trusted to prosecute the law if they have no respect for the laws they are supposed to enforce?
When the consequences for misbehavior at the top are insignificant it sends a signal that the consequences for those down the chain of command will also be insignificant. This creates a poisonous and potentially lawless environment in a place where laws are supposed to be enforced, not broken. Lehmberg and Grunewald should both resign immediately and someone needs to step in and clean house.
Unless of course laws are just for the little people. In that case, carry on.