A former Dallas police officer who fatally shot her neighbor in his own apartment in September will be tried for murder.
At the end of last week, a grand jury indicted 30-year-old Amber Guyger, who is white, for killing Botham Jean, a 26-year-old black man. Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson addressed the press Friday after the indictment was announced.
“We talked to over 300 witnesses and we did all kind of lab testing in preparation,” Johnson said. “We did a full complete presentation to the grand jury.”
Johnson discussed the indictment alongside Jean’s family, including his mother Allison Jean. Jean thanked the district attorney’s office for its work on the case.
“I look forward to the next step, which is a conviction of murder of Amber Guyger, and more so the proper penalty that will cause her to reflect on what she has done and the pain that she has caused,” Jean said.
District Attorney Johnson says it could be a year before Guyger’s criminal trial begins. The Jean family has also filed a civil lawsuit against Guyger and the City of Dallas.
Mexico officially has a new leader.
The Texas Standard’s Joy Diaz reports that Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador was sworn in on Saturday. The US delegation o hand included Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump,
López Obrador called their visit a gesture of goodwill.
On the way to Mexico City for inauguration of President López Obrador with Sec Perry and VPOTUS Pence pic.twitter.com/1yBMSoi7IU
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) December 1, 2018
López Obrador also thanked Mexicans living abroad, noting their $30 billion in remittances are now Mexico’s largest source of income. He said he’s inheriting a country in shambles – but that a renaissance is coming.
Mexico needs three things to face its crisis, López Obrador said, and it already has two: a hardworking people and a wealth of natural resources. And soon, he said, it will have the third: a good government.
Andres Manuel López Obrador is Mexico’s 65th president, with a term of six years. But, he has asked the people to rate his presidency after two years – and if necessary, remove him from office.
The Texas House Republican Caucus has endorsed State Rep. Dennis Bonnen as speaker for the 2019 legislative session. The group announced the unanimous decision over the weekend.
In preparation for the 86th Legislative Session, @TXGOPCaucus has selected @RepDennisBonnen as their Endorsed Speaker Candidate. See the press release here. #txlege pic.twitter.com/gkx1CVxiCK
— Texas House Republican Caucus (@TXGOPCaucus) December 1, 2018
Rep. Bonnen, who represents Angleton, said during a November press conference he had enough votes to secure the seat left vacant by retiring House Speaker and fellow Republican, Joe Straus.
The Texas House officially elects a speaker on the first day of the next legislative session, which begins January 8.
