HOUSTON – Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has a lot on her plate after the deadly shootout on Harding Street last month.
“We would rather get it right than just get it done,” she said.
Her team has to review 1,400 cases going back 30 years, plus 27 pending cases because Sgt. Gerald Goines is accused of lying on an affidavit. He has been relieved of duty.
The task for Ogg won’t be easy, but she affirmed her team will get it done. “I know the public trust depends on it,” said Ogg.
Ogg says she wasn’t surprised the FBI launched a civil rights investigation into the botched drug raid, adding she’s worked closely with the feds before.
“And we will share information as we do, and we look forward to a resolution on this case as fast as justice will allow,” she said. However, time isn’t a luxury her team has.
Ogg plans to make a request for additional funding to get more prosecutors and investigators to review the 1,400 cases going back decades.
“These are individual cases. Justice has to be meted out in every one. It takes time,” Ogg said.
KPRC asked how long Ogg thought it would take. She did not have a direct answer, only saying she hopes she gets the funding for more staff, but either way, it’ll get done. “We can get there with the understaffing that we have, it’s just going to take longer, and I think that most people in Harris County want this resolved now,” she said.
Ogg said the 27 pending cases will be easy to sort out, however, the 1400 previous cases, each unique, will take a lot more manpower to go through.