Longtime readers of FrontBurner know Sandra Crenshaw as a former city council member and the originator of the “cactus juice” meme. It all started in 2008, when Crenshaw, as a precinct chair, absconded with a bunch of votes in the presidential election. She took to the comments of our blog to defend herself, eventually contributing more than 3,000 words to this post. If you don’t have time to comb through the whole thing, here are the highlights.
So I was amused when an alert FrontBurnervian pointed out to me this morning that the Dallas Morning News endorsed Crenshaw in the race for House District 110. The paper argues that the incumbent, Toni Rose, “has nothing legislatively to show for her single term.” Furthermore, she didn’t fill out the paper’s voter questionnaire, and she “hung up the phone when challenged for answers.” So the nod went to Crenshaw — with a caveat. The paper says of Crenshaw:
She’s no stranger to handcuffs. District 110 needs that energy — if it can be effectively harnessed.
Yes, the handcuffs. Crenshaw was arrested in 2012 for stealing a Nissan Versa from a Budget car rental near Love Field. She talked to the Observer about getting nabbed near the downtown Central Library. Odd deal. Crenshaw had been indicted at that point, but nowhere could I find a media report on the final disposition of her case. I tracked down the arrest affidavit, which provides quite a narrative. Crenshaw, it appears, rented a car and then for three months simply refused to return it. A nephew of Crenshaw’s told authorities that he thought Crenshaw was living in the car.
After a bunch of legal filings in which Crenshaw put forth conspiracy theories involving her court-appointed attorney, the case was finally dismissed on October 25, 2013. Here are the reasons offered by the assistant district attorney for dismissal:
1. The defendant is mentally ill.
2. All efforts to engage the defendant in community mental health services have been made.
3. The defendant is indigent and receives SSI, making restitution collection impossible without thwarting the ends of the Social Security/SSI System.
4. Given the above, the complaining witness agrees with the disposition of this matter.
It sounds like Sandra Crenshaw needs to seek help before she’s fit to serve in the House. It also seems that the News should run criminal checks on candidates before endorsing them. I called Crenshaw for comment and will let you know if I hear back from her.
