Post by WaTcHeR on Jun 5, 2006 11:15:36 GMT -5
Former Crockett Junior High principal Olen Vanburen Grady will serve two years probation for taking a loaded firearm onto school property in February.
Judge John W. Smith accepted a plea agreement Friday in his 161st district courtroom.
In courtroom testimony, Grady told the judge he’d accidentally brought the weapon into the school and, furthermore, accidentally fired it.
“When I shot that gun, I knew I’d made a tremendous mistake,” Grady said. “I knew there was no way I could apologize to the community. There was no way I could apologize to the administration, to ECISD.
“It was a tremendous, career-ending mistake,” Grady said, his voice breaking with emotion.
The mistake was indeed career ending. As part of his sentence, Grady was ordered to resign from ECISD and to turn over his teaching certificate to the Texas Education Agency — both of which he’s already done.
Deputy District Attorney Linda Deaderick told the judge she carefully weighed the decision before recommending to the judge that Grady receive a deferred adjudication — meaning if he completes his probation successfully, the charge will be removed from his record.
“When this case came to my desk, it was something that gave me grave concern,” Deaderick said. “I think of all the people in Ector County who are concerned about what happened at Crockett Junior High when Van Grady had a gun on campus.”
Deaderick said Grady’s case has weighed heavily on her.
“I think it’s very important to look at this case in the light that we would if it were anyone else that came to us in these same circumstances,” Deaderick said.
“It’s no secret that I’m known to be really hard on cases,” Deaderick said. “I take my job seriously. … I can tell you that I’ve spent a sleepless night last night over what I’m about to say to the court.”
Jim Darnell, an El Paso attorney representing Grady, said, “It’s something we can live with. I think it’s fair.”
Before Smith accepted the agreement Darnell and Deaderick worked out, the judge heard testimony from several of Grady’s former co-workers.
“It’s unusual to have witnesses at a plea bargain,” Smith said. “Because of the unusual nature of this case, I want to know exactly what happened. The public has a right to know exactly what happened.”
Donna Rogers, who was Grady’s secretary at Crockett, said she was standing in the office doorway when the weapon was fired. Grady was reaching into a duffel bag when he fired the .40-caliber Glock handgun.
“It was an accident,” Rogers said. “I could tell by the look on his face. He was shocked after it happened.”
Grady later told the court he was planning on going to the Odessa College firing range after school — something he’d done frequently. Grady said he usually carried two gym bags to school, one with clothing and the other with weapons. He said he usually parked off campus.
“I parked on campus that day because I was running late,” he said. “I was behind schedule.”
Grady said the pistol had gotten mixed into the clothing duffel bag. When he reached into it for some cough medicine, he found the gun and accidentally fired it.
Witnesses for both the prosecution and defense, without fail, extolled on Grady’s virtues, calling him a good and fair man with unimpeachable integrity. All the witnesses said they believed jail time would be too serious a punishment for Grady, who has a spotless criminal record.
“When you have a rapport with students who years later they go out of their way to find you and catch up with you, that’s a lot of respect,” Brian Rosson, ECISD director of non-teaching staff, said. “…He was well respected by his faculty, peers and students.”
Judge John W. Smith accepted a plea agreement Friday in his 161st district courtroom.
In courtroom testimony, Grady told the judge he’d accidentally brought the weapon into the school and, furthermore, accidentally fired it.
“When I shot that gun, I knew I’d made a tremendous mistake,” Grady said. “I knew there was no way I could apologize to the community. There was no way I could apologize to the administration, to ECISD.
“It was a tremendous, career-ending mistake,” Grady said, his voice breaking with emotion.
The mistake was indeed career ending. As part of his sentence, Grady was ordered to resign from ECISD and to turn over his teaching certificate to the Texas Education Agency — both of which he’s already done.
Deputy District Attorney Linda Deaderick told the judge she carefully weighed the decision before recommending to the judge that Grady receive a deferred adjudication — meaning if he completes his probation successfully, the charge will be removed from his record.
“When this case came to my desk, it was something that gave me grave concern,” Deaderick said. “I think of all the people in Ector County who are concerned about what happened at Crockett Junior High when Van Grady had a gun on campus.”
Deaderick said Grady’s case has weighed heavily on her.
“I think it’s very important to look at this case in the light that we would if it were anyone else that came to us in these same circumstances,” Deaderick said.
“It’s no secret that I’m known to be really hard on cases,” Deaderick said. “I take my job seriously. … I can tell you that I’ve spent a sleepless night last night over what I’m about to say to the court.”
Jim Darnell, an El Paso attorney representing Grady, said, “It’s something we can live with. I think it’s fair.”
Before Smith accepted the agreement Darnell and Deaderick worked out, the judge heard testimony from several of Grady’s former co-workers.
“It’s unusual to have witnesses at a plea bargain,” Smith said. “Because of the unusual nature of this case, I want to know exactly what happened. The public has a right to know exactly what happened.”
Donna Rogers, who was Grady’s secretary at Crockett, said she was standing in the office doorway when the weapon was fired. Grady was reaching into a duffel bag when he fired the .40-caliber Glock handgun.
“It was an accident,” Rogers said. “I could tell by the look on his face. He was shocked after it happened.”
Grady later told the court he was planning on going to the Odessa College firing range after school — something he’d done frequently. Grady said he usually carried two gym bags to school, one with clothing and the other with weapons. He said he usually parked off campus.
“I parked on campus that day because I was running late,” he said. “I was behind schedule.”
Grady said the pistol had gotten mixed into the clothing duffel bag. When he reached into it for some cough medicine, he found the gun and accidentally fired it.
Witnesses for both the prosecution and defense, without fail, extolled on Grady’s virtues, calling him a good and fair man with unimpeachable integrity. All the witnesses said they believed jail time would be too serious a punishment for Grady, who has a spotless criminal record.
“When you have a rapport with students who years later they go out of their way to find you and catch up with you, that’s a lot of respect,” Brian Rosson, ECISD director of non-teaching staff, said. “…He was well respected by his faculty, peers and students.”