HOUSTON – It’s arguably the most powerful office in Southeast Texas, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Every year the office receives millions in funding from Harris County. It prides itself in doing what is right when it comes to justice, even overturning the mistakes made by law enforcement in the past. However, legal experts tell KPRC 2 Investigates that politics may be a factor in the selection of high-profile cases, many of which are dropped, dismissed, or fail to secure convictions.
Dr. Hasan Gokal said he is unable to escape what he went through.
“If you Google my name, you’ll see Texas doctor charged with vaccine. It’s still the first one that comes up and that bothers me,” said Hasan, who was accused of stealing vaccines from a county-run vaccination site in Humble in late December.
Gokal’s case produced headlines nationwide when DA Kim Ogg and her office announced the charges in mid-January. A judge later dropped the charges and the Texas Medical Board cleared him, but the DA’S office continued pursuing the case until a grand jury found there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.
However, to this day Gokal’s case remains on the DA’s website without any updates or retractions in their news release section.
While Ogg has other news releases discussing convictions, there are some high-profile cases launched with news conferences and press releases where no guilt was determined and there is no update.
“You are literally indicted on the front page, and when your case is dismissed, there is no page,” said criminal defense attorney Dan Cogdell.
The deadly Harding Street raid is the biggest case in Ogg’s tenure as District Attorney. She has spoken about it several times. Recently, a judge in one of the cases associated with the raid told the DA’s office in court he was sealing a record of the hearing because “the DA has tainted the public’s view of this case with numerous public statements that were made.”
Those involved in these cases and others examined by KPRC 2 Investigates view them as having a political component to them.
“Our DA’s focus is not on the cases that should be prosecuted. Our DA’s focus is on the cases that affect her politically. That is not her job description,” said Cogdell.
Ogg campaigned on the work she and her team conducted on Harding Street, even posting links connected to the raid from news organizations on her campaign’s website.
“You can’t play politics with people’s lives,” says KPRC 2 Investigates Legal Analyst Brian Wice.
Lisa Andrews who has gone up against Ogg’s office in recent years, says that is what drivers Ogg’s office.
“It’s politics first, every day all day,” said Andrews. “It’s dangerous and it’s wrong to put people through the hell of a criminal indictment for political gain.”
Ogg declined KPRC 2 Investigates interview requests for this report.