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David Woo / AP
At a news conference Thursday in Kaufman, Texas, Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes bows his head as District Attorney Mike McLelland answers questions about the slaying.
AP
Assistant district attorney Mark Hasse, 57, was shot to death Thursday in Kaufman, Texas.
The National Prosecutor Memorial in Columbia, S.C., lists the names of 11 prosecutors who were murdered in connection to their jobs, a testament to the rarity of such attacks.
In comparison to police officers, who suffer scores of on-duty deaths every year, prosecutors are relatively immune to deadly face-offs with criminals.
"They're not out on the street at 2 a.m. confronting people who are intoxicated, armed and violent," said Scott Burns, executive director of the National District Attorneys Association. "So when a prosecutor is killed, they are almost always premeditated attacks, which kind of raises the level of egregiousness."
The next name to be added to the monument will likely be Mark Hasse, assistant district attorney in Kaufman County, Texas, who was reportedly ambushed by one or two gunmen Thursday morning outside the courthouse where he worked. Hasse was the first DA to be murdered since Sean May, an Adams County, Colo. prosecutor, was shot outside his home in 2008.
The district attorney's association, which maintains the memorial, doesn't keep full historical records involving the killings of prosecutors; its list is almost entirely composed of murders that occurred since 1967, most of them committed by people whom the victims had put in jail or were trying to put in jail.
The only bygone case is William Foster, whose death in an epic gun battle at the Carroll County, Va., courthouse in 1912 has been recreated on stage, in books and through generations of oral retellings.
The list also does not include federal prosecutors. Dennis Boyd, who runs the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys, said his organization was not aware of any federal prosecutors murdered while on the job or in an attack directly linked to their work. The one possible exception is Thomas Wales, who was shot to death in his Seattle home in 2001, a crime, like May's, that has not been solved.
But the NAAUSA's lawyer, Bruce Moyer, noted that threats against federal prosecutors have been rising in recent years. Citing data provided to him by the Department of Justice, Moyer said reported threats rose from 152 in 2005 to 208 in 2010. He could not say if any of the threats resulted in physical attacks.
Authorities say they do not yet know why Hasse, who prosecuted dozens of criminal cases each year, was shot to death outside Dallas.
But it seems that sometime in the near future, his name will be etched in bronze on that small monument in South Carolina.
Such deaths "strike at the very heart of our justice system," Burns said. "The number-one duty of the government is to protect the people, and these are people who are on the front lines, along with law enforcement officers and court personnel. They go to work every day trying to protect the rest of us and bring us a sense of order via the rule of law."
He added: "While every homicide and murder is egregious, there is something more outrageous about killing someone for being engaged in such an honorable calling."
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Will this also make the TX legislature call for more guns?
A good man died who put his life on the line and that's the best you got? (clap, clap, clap) Wow.
A lot of good people die every day from gun violence. Was the little girl killed by the thirteenth bullet at the Arizona shooting not a good girl?
This just show that having all the guns in the world does not make you safer.
This guy never put his life on the line. Police, firefighters and the men and women in our military put their lives on the line but this guy worked in an office or courtroom all day sipping coffee and eating donuts surrounded by armed people. I got to wonder though as to how many innocent individuals he sent to prison or even worse, the chair.
LOL! How do you all know this was a good man? In the article it talks about how these prosecutors are out to protect people. But how many innocent people have they gone after?
Let me ask you all this. Who is more likely to want to kill? Someone who committed a crime and knows they're guilty, knows they deserve being arrested, or someone who is innocent that is being cheated by the system? Which person will be more angry? If you need some help, let me put it this way from someone who was prosecuted for a crime I didn't commit. A criminal only has themself to blame for the outcome, while an innocent person no matter how hard they try is having their whole life, their job, their wife, their children threatened because they have been arrested, charged and potentially convicted of a crime they didn't commit. So you ask me, and I'll bet this guy got what he deserved.
Unless you are personally involved in this man's cases you literally have no idea about his track record for "sending innocent people to prison", much less the chair. Sometimes judges, prosecutors or law enforcement are targets because the guilty criminal knows, when the facts are revealed through due process, who will be the players in that process that will ultimately send one to prison for a long time. Sometimes it's family or gang members who retaliate for one who has already been convicted. Innocent, law-abiding people don't go around murdering prosecutors of all people. Only low-lifes engage in such behavior.
I don't know how many innocent people a prosecutor puts away. I'm sure there are some miscarriages of justice everywhere. But how many guilty people do they go after and put away which makes the world a safer place? Even if they are donuts eating pencil pushers, they are doing a job that helps keeps crime down.
Criminals and their families are more likely to want to harm or kill a prosecutor than an innocent person would be. The innocent person facing prosecution for a crime they didn't commit will be outraged and angry. Criminals never take ownership fore their mistakes, everything is someone else's fault. Therefor in their mind the prosecutor would need to pay for finding them guilty of the crime that they were charged with.
Well if the NRA has its way, we will go back to the old west and all have a gun our our hip, and when we see someone doing something wrong, we will just kill them and save us all tons of money on such things as a trial and keeping these people in jail. Guns and more Guns are the answer. Where were all the Texans with there guns at when this guy was being killed????? Not so many Armed Texans willing to put there life's on the line to save someone else????? This is the problem with the NRA advice about arming everyone. Someone might shoot back when they are being shot at, but not to many will step up to help others.
Shooti8ng someone in Texas is considered a legitimate form of communication.
EVERYTIME somebody gets shot in the USA I wonder where the shooter got his/her guns. Did they purchase them legally, or, were the guns stolen from a gun owner who did not have them locked up in a safe that was bolted to the floor when at work?
It is true that a locked up gun does you no good for protection of your home when you are home. However it is also true that if you flap yer yap about having guns, you have an above average chance of being burglarized for your guns when you leave your house. With rights comes responsibility. If you don't think you have any responsibility for what happens with your stolen gun, save your argument for when you die. It might come up at that time.
They got their guns from obama and eric (With)holder
Dear NBC,
DON'T ADVERTISE THIS YOU F****** MORONS!!! You'll only give more criminals facing charges ideas.
Sincerely, Geek.
Yes, I'm sure it never crossed anyone's mind before.
I was arrested, police lied saying I confessed off camera outside of the interview room and my prosecutor ignored me when I said it was a lie. I was innocent.
My future career, job, wife and custody of my child were all at stake because of what these criminals (Police and prosecutor) did to me. It sure as hell crossed my mind to kill these scumbags.
Its hard to understand the pain, misery, depression, anguish that being abused by the justice system brings when it hasn't happened to you. Every day for months, sometimes years not knowing what will happen to you. Not knowing if your whole life will be ruined because of someone else's mistake and crime. A felony conviction can ruin your whole life. When a criminal harms you, it usuallly can be fixed. I've been robbed, had things stolen from me, property vandalized. But it is a drop in the bucket compared to what police can do when they lie and put a whole justice system on top of you. The Justice Department did a study and concluded at least 13 percent of people in prison are innocent. I'm sure a much higher percentage of people who are innocent plea in a deal to avoid prison, thats what I did.
If only we never heard about gun violence. Then it wouldn't exist and we'd all be safe.
Guns don't kill people. People don't kill people. The Media, that's who kills people.
Sorry for your experience.
I'm curious: what state / municipality did it happen in?
BrianB. I hear you man. I think like the Military complex, our prison system is a monster that must be feed. Look at AZ. Privatizing there prison system, and who is the major stock holder. That's right, Jan Brewer. The more people in prison, the more her and her friends make. There is something wrong there. Did you see that the former Governor of IL. was just released from Prison to a half way house last week. Well many people think he was set up by the Fed. because he put a ban on the Death Penalty In IL. because he seen to many people being put to death that were not guilty. So because he stood up and did the right thing, he was put in prison for this troubles.
Although I was not in the same problem that you were, I did have some problem with a court ruling that could have lead to blood shed. My step daughter got into trouble with the law, She was out of control and the Courts couldn't handle her, We couldn't handle her as the Courts have taken parents ability to make there children mind, many years ago. Long story short, my wife made her leave the house to protect our younger daughter from the Drug dealers the older daughter was bring into our home. After breaking her Parole about 6 times, the Judge put her in jail, then told my wife that when the daughter got out, that if my wife couldn't control her, that they would put my wife in jail. Well I came undone. I told the Judge that the step daughter wasn't coming back to my house, and that was finale. And I told him that I was well armed and I would use my 2nd amendment rights to protect my family. And at that time my step daughter was a danger to my family, and she was not coming back there to live. He said to me that I had no say in the matter, I told him he was going to get a bunch of people dead, and He had better make other arrangements. I have never had any trouble with the law. But that day then and there I was ready to have a shoot out with the law. NOW having said that, this is why I do not any of us need a AR 15 in the house. I was and am friends with many of the local police where I lived at the time. And one of my very good friends, whom is a Detective with the County came to see me and we talked things out. But my friend Jack, took the time out of his day off to come see me. He told me that the Judge was wrong, but we had to do what he said. But He gave me his cel and told me that the first time the girl got out of line or had anyone at the house that shouldn't be there, to call him and he would personally take care of it. He then went the next day and arrested the two drug dealers that she had at my house and put them in jail for Prole violation. You see in 2 days time my friend Jack fixed the Problems the Judge should have. All ended well. But things can happen that can push a otherwise law abiding person to do something very wrong. I am so happy I never felt the need to have an assault Weapon like that.
Guns don't kill people, the bullets do. Just ban the bullets, and let everyone have as many guns as they want. Problems solved!!!
While this prosecutor could have been a good guy, its hard to imagine them as good guys. Its their job to find a person guilty, by all means. They don't care if you are innocent, they are only out for a guilty verdict. The justice system has become a "contest" of who can win. A prosecutor doesn't care, he only wants to "win". An accused person is dammed from the start, as they now have to pay for an overpriced attorney, or they risk being easily found guilty by overzealous prosecutors that are out to add a notch to their win rating. The prosecution has unlimited funds to play with, but an accused person is limited by their income, so you tell me who has the better chances of winning.
I am actually surprised that more prosecutors aren't hurt or killed, not that I wish that upon anyone. While there are worse justice systems out there, ours is far from fair, or accurate in deciding guilt or innocence. There are still too many guilty people going free, and too many innocent either losing everything to prove innocence, or not being able to afford to do it.
incarceration and the industry that enables it is big business, true.
The first thought that came to my mind was the MEXICAN DRUG Cartels!
The only people that go to prison are those who have either admitted their guilt or been found so by a jury. All of this "innocent people suffer at the hands of prosecutors" schtick is nonsense. If you don't like the laws, blame the legislature. If a cop beat you silly, blame the cop. If a prosecutor shouldered the burden of proof, argued to a jury that you were guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and they convicted your butt - blame the jury. Instead of complaining, move to where it is as lawless as you want it to be.
steve I will admit you make a good point. However, I have first hand knowledge that all innocent people are not set free and all guilty people are not sent to jail. I would take our system over no system, however you act as though no mistakes are ever made. I wish you were right, but you are not.
Ban handguns.
This is an outrage!
We should get Joe Biden to form a study group to come up with some new laws that will have no effect on parking lot murders of Texas prosecutors.
Sometimes handguns serve a purpose: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/man-shot-near-martin-luther-king-jr-high-school-in-detroit
Couldn't find that story anywhere on MSNBC.
There have been fears and speculations that, like in Italy and in Mexico, cartels are going to put a bounty on the heads of lawyers and judges who prosecute them. And with more guns, easy to purchase here or over the border, these kinds of gun violence are probably going to increase. That is sad and scary. This should be a national program...up for public discussion as much as gun control.
I agree. Its prohibition that is funding organized crime. A well funded criminal element, is death to law and order. You cant tax enough to fight.
The ONLY way forward is legalization, and decriminalization. Get the flow of money away from criminals. Gun control is also important. But its just part of the problem. The government has been at war with too many of its own people, for too long. All the illegal money, has made too many bad guys rich. That's never a good idea. The cartels have millions, because of Americas stupid war on drugs (people).
Injustice in the system is another reason this could have happened. Far too many people have been railroaded.
Why do you thing drugs flow freely into this country. They make the LAW men a offer they can't refuse. And if you do refuse, then your dead. Hell these people have more money then the US Government. The only way to stop it is all out war in Mexico and Columbia. Maybe we need to do that and not so much protecting the flow of Oil to china and the rest of the world. Drugs present a clear and present danger to the United States, pure and simple. People get on that @!$%# and they are rendered Useless and we end up putting them on welfare and we pay for the rest of there life's. People can't buy food for there kids, but there is always money for Beer, whiskey, Drugs, Smokes. I watched my sister do that, she had a gambling problem. BINGO of all things. They never had food in the house, but there was a carton of smokes in the freezer all the time. She spend every dime they had to play bingo while her 3 kids did with out food and anything else.
I have had some experience with prosecutors, and I well know what they are capable of. I don't think the object is protection of the people so much as feathering one's political nest with lots of convictions and good sound bytes. Little concern is given to truth, justice, evidence---just close the case and send somebody, anybody, to jail. Just count the number of former prosecutors in Congress if you doubt. If this ADA was the exception which proves the rule then may he R.I.P; if he typifies the breed then it's just one less wallower at the trough in the criminal injustice system.
Particularly in Texas, where they execute retarded people for over time parking or littering.
My experience is that 'justice' comes in a poor second to 'conviction rate' - if the guilty go to prison and the innocent go free, it just gravy - the goal is always 'conviction rate'. That's why they try to force everyone into a 'deal', innocent or guilty -rather than go to trial.
Kaufman, Texas?
Really?
Well, if I were "ya'll" I would be conducting an internal investigation first. You see, corruption often is the underlying circumstance in a tragedy like this. If a DA or other public official accesses too much "dirt" against offenders within, sometimes the retaliation is made to appear that it was caused by an unrelated civilian.
Not saying this is certainly the case.
But, more often than not - it is.
'Specially in Texas. Offenders flee other states to hide there and work at universities.
That's for the record.
I blame Obama
I was wondering when someone was going to blame Obama.
The District Attorneys of this country are among the biggest sources of corruption in our legal system. They treat cases like scorecards. Many an innocent person has been convicted by little more than the desire of the DA to put another notch in his/her belt.
He had a CCP and like most officers of the court in TX, he was carrying. Fat lot of good it did him.