Deric Walpole, the attorney for indicted deputy Collin County clerk Rebecca Littrell has issued subpoenas duces tecum to local reporters, including me, Ed Housewright of the Dallas Morning News, and Danny Gallagher of the McKinney Courier-Gazette.
A subpoena duces tecum requires the recipient to appear in court and to bring certain documents. I have been ordered to appear before the 401st District Court on Aug. 25 and to bring “articles regarding Rebecca Littrell … including but not limited to ‘Blog’ posts and responses.”
Littrell, along with five  others in the District Clerk’s office, was indicted for “Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity,”  including counts of “Theft by a Public Official” and “Falsifying Official Documents.” They’re accused of falsifying time records to grant hundreds of hours of paid time off to district clerk employees.
In any event, I plan to attend the hearing and report. All six defendants are expected to appear. The judge will also hear arguments on several defense motions.
Two of those motions, filed by Deric Walpole, seek to restrict publicity of the trial. Official corruption trials are the public’s business, and I’ll continue to ensure that the citizens are informed of the progress of these trials.
