D

Notes on the Just-Completed Philbin Awards Luncheon

A number of our group has returned from the Belo Mansion, whereat was held the 26th annual Stephen Philbin Awards luncheon to recognize excellence in legal reporting. The keynote speaker was Susan DeSanti, of the Federal Trade Commission. Jump for notes on the proceedings.

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Leading Off (6/17/09)

1. Oh, this is too rich. Judge Barbara Lynn issues a gag order in the City Hall corruption trial. But defendent Darren Reagan goes ahead and faxes a letter to the DMN in which he accuses lawyer Don Templin of having staked out his DeSoto house back in 2005. Oh, also, Reagan thinks Templin was involved with a home invasion robbery at his pad. That would be Don Templin, D Magazine’s attorney at Haynes and Boone. For anyone who knows Don, the idea of him running a stakeout is a gas. That’s really good stuff, man. Now, the home invasion? That totally sounds like Don.

2. Mary Poe, our marketing director, just called to say there are about a half dozen cops at an apartment complex down the street from D HQ, on Abbott Avenue, on the edge of Highland Park, with their guns drawn. So there’s that.

3. Do you drive on any of the North Texas Tollway Authority’s roads? Get ready to pay a lot more for the privilege. (Note to my buddy who hosted our poker game at his new house in Frisco a couple weeks ago: I’m not ever going to see you again. Sorry.)

D Magazine Gets Sued, Gives Plaintiffs the Heisman

The four men you see here have filed a lawsuit against D Magazine. They are, from left, David Kattner, Timothy Stecker, Jeffrey Nelson, and Al Schoelen.

They claim we libeled them in our June 2007 issue, with a story about a rookie cop named Shanna Lopez who stumbled into a phony ticket scheme and got fired when she started asking questions about it. You can read their filing here. You can read our motion for summary judgment here.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to wade through all the reasons why our lawyer (Hi, Don Templin!) believes we didn’t libel the men, here’s the only thing you (and the judge) need to know: plaintiffs’ lawyers — David Schiller and John Exline — filed the suit May 30, 2008. We published the story May 23, 2007. The statute of limitations on libel is one year.

This close, guys. This close.

Sandra Crenshaw Files Suit Against D Magazine

Yup, it’s true. Have a look. It’s a little hard to parse. We’re waiting to see if we get served (or pwned). I talked to our attorney, Don Templin, over at Haynes and Boone this morning. He said he was considering filing a response in rhyme.

P.S. No, she didn’t show up at Wick’s house to protest on Saturday. In a note the HP Dept. of Public safety, she wrote: “We have decided to go door to door in Highland Park first asking the consumers of the advertisers in the Magazine to support our cause. This is the safest and most effective way. Further, can you advise me when the next Highland Park city council meeting is. We should reach more people that way.”

Update: Several of you have pointed out to me via e-mail that it’s not technically a suit. Yes, see John’s comment at 12:51 p.m.

OZONA: NOT ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE?

After golf today (Don Templin, 94; some guy named Peter, 95; yrs trly, 89, though reprimanded by Royal Oaks personnel for wearing shirt untucked; Adam, requested that his score not be posted; Eric, did not finish round), we went to lunch at Ozona. (Hello to the FrontBurnervian who shouted, “Hey! Get back to posting on FrontBurner!”) We took a seat on the patio — the patio upon which we heap praise in our upcoming July issue. I was prepared to order the chicken-fried steak — the chicken-fried steak that we called the best in Dallas a few issues ago. And we waited. And we waited. No server to take our drink order and tell us she’d be right back. In fact, worse: there was a server, but she walked by our table several times without even stopping to say she’d be right with us. I’m guessing we sat there somewhere between five and 10 minutes, being ignored. And then we went and ate across the street at Desperados. And you know what? After we named Ozona’s chicken-fried steak the best in town, we heard more than one complaint about the service there.

Ozona, your food is good. Your patio is lovely. But your service needs attention. You’re on notice.

THE LAST WE’LL HEAR FROM WILLIAM GHEEN?

If you haven’t been keeping up with l’affair Gheen, search this site for his name. Essentially, though, to get you up to speed: he posted Rod’s entire story on his site. I called him and asked him to remove it. The conversation didn’t go well. And I told him I loved him–which caused him to wonder on his site whether saying “love you” was some sort of liberal catchprase, like “Talk to the hand.” I am not making this up.

Okay, so here’s the letter our lawyers sent him. Those of you waiting for Don Templin’s snarkiness might be disappointed. Instead, Jeffrey Becker wrote the note. What it lacks in snark it makes up for with sheer educationosity. I, for instance, learned something about “spoliation of evidence.” Nice!

And here’s Gheen’s response:
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RE: “MEXICAN IMMIGRATION” (AND WILLIAM GHEEN)

Our good friend from the West, Bud Kennedy, sends word on the man I love:

Welcome. You’re not the only one who’s had words with William Gheen. He called me up ranting about a column on the Texas Minutemen. He not only refused to remove it from the Web site, but also posted that I am in the “enemy camp.”

I’m not sure who the Star-T’s lawyer is, but it must not be Don Templin. I’ve already had one FBvian who appreciates Don’s lawyering (speaking of Modern Luxury) ask that we again post his work. It’s an expensive way to generate content for the blog, but I’m only too happy to oblige. I hope to have a copy of Don’s letter by tomorrow.

RE: DON TEMPLIN

Read it and weep, ladies.

RE: “MODERN LUXURY WILL NOT TOLERATE THESE CONTINUED AND DELIBERATE ATTACKS AGAINST IT AND ITS MAGAZINE.”

A law-abiding FBvian writes:

The reply letter is a scream! Donald Templin puts the “fun” back in functus officio. Please tell us more about our new favorite sarcastic lawyer.

All I can tell you is that he married well (to Sarah Saldaña), he’s handsome, and he should paying us–not the other way around.

LAST CALL FOR DOUBLE YOUR MONEY

A big round of applause to our latest donors to the D Magazine match challenge for the Mayor’s Hurricane Relief Fund. Friend of FrontBurner Don Templin stepped up for $500 and Lightreading.com’s Phil Harvey for $100. Rob Lee walked in off the street with $25. That brings our total so far to $10,725–for a grand total for the evacuees of $21,450!

We’re still accepting checks, folks. Get your donation in here–made out to the Mayor’s Fund–before 5 p.m. today, and D Magazine will gladly match it. Drop it off at 4311 Oak Lawn at the corner of Herschel. We’re on the first floor.

YET ANOTHER FRIEND

Don Templin is a swell guy. He’s also our attorney. So what happens is, we call Don on a Thursday evening around 4 and say, “Don, we need you to read that manuscript we just e-mailed you and make sure we’re not libeling anyone. And, um, can you do it by tomorrow, first thing?” Then what happens is, Don reads it and calls us and says, “I don’t see any libel trouble here, but do you really think this story is any good?” Then he charges us $400 an hour. But now Don is paying us. So he’s not just our lawyer; he’s our friend. Thanks, Don.