Inadmissible: New HBF Chair

Clients of Houston’s Wright & Close usually sit down in the law firm’s conference room to pay for some sage legal advice on trial and appellate cases. But as part of the consultation they also get a bit of U.S. naval history for free. It’s about the Battleship Texas, a vessel docked near Houston that is the only surviving warship that participated in both World War I and World War II. “That’s true. We’ve got a large picture of the ship hanging in our conference room; you can’t miss it,” says partner Tom Wright. The firm provides an office for Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation, which helps raise money to preserve the vessel, housed on a Texas Parks & Wildlife historic site. Currently the foundation is preparing for the ship’s centennial celebration on March 15. The all-day event will feature performances by Texas musicians, including Robert Earl Keen, and a ceremony honoring the surviving members of the ship’s crew. “At the end of the day, there’s going to be a big fireworks display, and they’re going to simulate the firing of the guns,” Wright said. Wright, who serves on the foundation’s board along with Houston solo Ted Hirtz and Andrews Kurth chairman Tom Perich, said that after the celebration, the foundation will get back to work raising money to keep the ship stable. While the ship’s hull has been repaired to address the unyielding damage that saltwater does to 100-year-old steel, the Battleship Texas will ultimately have to be dry-docked if it hopes to see future anniversary celebrations, Wright said. For more information about the Battleship Texas and the centennial celebration, visit www.battleshiptexas.org.

After 32 years, a new Hidalgo County criminal D.A.

Democratic voters in last week’s primary said goodbye to longtime Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney René Guerra. Guerra won 36 percent of the vote, compared with 64 percent for challenger Ricardo P. Rodriguez Jr., according to unofficial election results of the Democratic Party primary from the Hidalgo County Election Department. Guerra and Rodriguez didn’t return telephone calls for comment. Rodriguez stepped down as judge of Hidalgo County’s 92nd District Court to run for D.A., according to his campaign website. Guerra was first elected D.A. in 1982 and sought reelection to his ninth term, according to his campaign’s Facebook page. As D.A., “he leads over 100 employees and manages a multi-million dollar budget,” said the page. A local newspaper, The McAllen Monitor, reported on the election results. “I’m shocked,” Guerra told the newspaper. “I didn’t expect the people to turn against me that much.” The newspaper reported that Rodriguez said, “I would like to thank Mr. Guerra for the service that he’s given to the County of Hidalgo for 32 years.”

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