Battalion
June 16, 1987
Witness: Feazell’s wish for fees was surprising
AUSTIN (AP) – A former McLennan County chief prosecutor said Monday he was astounded when present District Attorney Vic Feazell asked for a share of legal fees when he got drunken driving cases dismissed or reduced.
“He told me that he wanted to participate in our fees,” testified Don Hall, who was district attorney in 1963-66 and a former law partner of Feazell, “He said he had done us a lot of favors and we had made money as a result of those favors.”
Hall is the last scheduled government witness in the federal court bribery of Feazell, 35.
“He said he wanted a mathematical percentage of cases dismissed,” Hall said. “I was astounded. I had never shared a fee with anyone, nor had I taken one when I was in public office.”
Hall testified Feazell finally asked for one-third of the fees that Hall’s law firm received in cases where Feazell became involved in getting charges dismissed or reduced.
Hall said he and his partner, Dick Kettler, discussed Feazell’s demands.
“He (Kettler) was astounded too.” Hall said Monday. “We never reached a conclusion on the matter. The next time a case came along, we just cut him (Feazell) out a third and gave it to him.”
Hall testified that shortly before he and Kettler became government witnesses, Feazell threatened them with state prosecution by Attorney General Jim Mattox.
“He (Feazell) told Kettler that we could still be prosecuted by the state and he would have his good friend Jim Mattox do it,” Hall said. “He said the government immunity would not extend to the state. I took that as a threat against both of us.”
Kettler testified for three days last week, telling of numerous instances in which he and Hall agreed to give Feazell one-third of the cases that Feazell “handled.”
Feazell is accused of taking $19,000 in bribes from Waco attorneys in exchange for dismissing charges against their clients.
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