American-Statesman
June 11, 1987
Feazell deal helped business, lawyer says
By Garth Jones
Associated Press
A Waco lawyer testified Wednesday that his law firm’s business prospered after an agreement was made with District Attorney Vic Feazell to share fees on cases dismissed.
“Our business seemed to continue to increase,” said Dick Kettler, who appeared as a government witness in Feazell’s racketeering and bribery trial in U.S. District Court.
Kettler said Tuesday that he and his partner, Don Hall, made and agreement with the McLennan County prosecutor in May 1984 that Feazell would get one-third of the legal fees paid for cases that Feazell “handled.”
Feazell, 35, who is still district attorney, is being tried on charges he accepted bribes or illegal campaign contributions in exchange for his influence over criminal cases. Feazell has denied the charges.
Kettler said Wednesday he never saw Feazell receive any money but he and Hall talked frequently about amounts to give Feazell for help in certain cases.
Under questioning Wednesday, Kettler said he had a written agreement with the government to plead guilty to a felony charge of tax evasion in return for his testimony. He said his attorney was still negotiating with U.S. attorneys over the punishment.
The jury heard a tape recording Wednesday made in Kettler’s office Sept. 12, 1986, of a conversation between him and Feazell. The district attorney did not know the recording was being made. Most of the conversation concerned the Austin grand jury investigation into Feazell’s office.
Kettler said when the agreement was made with Feazell in May 1984, the firm’s standard fee for handling driving while intoxicated or drug cases was $200 to $300.
If there was a chance the DWI charge might be dismissed for lack of evidence or decreased to public intoxication, the fee would be $1,500 to $2,000, Kettler said. But after the agreement with Feazell he said, the fee in such cases was increased to $3,000 to $3,500.
The indictment against Feazell accuses him of taking $19,000 in bribes.
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