Desperately Seeking the District Attorney

word is, dallas county district attorney john vance is scarcely seen around the courthouse these days. The first judge we telephoned confirmed our suspicions. We quizzed him point-blank, “Where in the world is John Vance?” and he promptly responded, “That’s a damn good question.” So we set out to scout this AWOL official. We asked some regulars around the Crowley Courts Building, “When was the last time you saw John Vance?”

Judge John C. Creuzot: “Saw him doing what?”

Cafeteria Manager “John Vance? The DA? I don’t know.”

Judge Larry Baraka: “Whoa…October I guess. Why, is he missing?”

Security Guard: “Hmm…Boy…I saw him up in his office last week. But I went up there, though.”

Jim Ewell, Sheriff’s department “Uh. ho, ho…There’s several John Vances. Who are we talking about?”

Judge Keith Dean: (laughing) “Actually today…at a party.”

Judge Lana McDaniel: (laughing louder) “Well, I see him quite frequently coming up the elevator, going down the elevator, on the way to lunch, that sort of thing,”

Clerk in the Criminal District Courts Magistrates office: “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him. That’s the weirdest question I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Assistant District Attorney Norm Kinne. however, testified that he had spotted Vance “about 30 or 40 minutes ago.” Hearing this did ease our anxiety and slow our search considerably. But we didn’t breathe our final sigh of relief until John Vance himself called from his office, verifying that he was-for a while, anyway-punched in on the county’s clock.