Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Texas Judge Lets Convicted, Cold-Blooded Killer Walk Free to 'Get His Hair Styled at Barbershop'

Episode Date: August 29, 2023

The father and stepmom of a New York man killed during a vacation watched via Zoom as the man who confessed to the murder was released from jail to get a haircut.  Gregory Moore, a father of four, and friends rented a home in Houston, an Airbnb. After a night of clubbing, the men returned to their Airbnb. As one of the men parked the car, Moore and a woman with the group walked to the door. They never made it inside.  A man wearing a hoodie and carrying a flashlight rushed Moore.  Moore was pistol-whipped and shot multiple times. He took strikes to the neck, torso, left leg and both arms. Moore was life-flighted to a hospital but did not survive.   James Ray Lane, 33, confessed to the murder, but 351st Criminal District Court Judge Nata Cornelio allowed the defendant to remain free.    When Lane was charged, Judge Cornelio lowered Lane's $250,000 bond to $100,000, and during that time Lane has had multiple curfew violations.  Back before Judge Cornelio, Lane pleads guilty to murder, but the judge according to court documents allows Lane to remain free on bond until his sentencing, so he could get a haircut. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Tabitha Soules - Gregory Moore’s Stepmom Brian Foley -  Board-certified Criminal Defense Attorney, Former Chief Prosecutor in Harris County, (Houston) Texas; Author: “What Prosecutors Don't Tell You” (not yet published); Instagram @brianfoleylawpllc/ Youtube - @brianfoleylawyer/ Twitter @brianpllc  Dr. Carla Manly - Clinical Psychologist, Author “Date Smart: Transform Your Relationships & Love Fearlessly” Douglas Griffin - Houston Police Officer for 32 Years and President of the Houston Police Officer’s Union; Twitter & Instagram: @Griff3945  Andy Kahan - Director of Victim Services and Advocacy at CrimeStoppers of Houston Randy Wallace - Reporter for KRIV Fox26 in Houston; Twitter: RandyWallace Fox26/ Facebook: Randy WallaceFox26   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A loving father of four, a devoted son, gunned down outside an Airbnb. But that's not all. Wait for it. A judge, let me give you her name, Judge Natalia Cornelio lets the shooter out to get a haircut. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Fox Nation and Sirius XM 111. You heard me.

If you're trying to clean out your ears, don't. This judge, a former federal public defender who has devoted her entire life to getting killers out from behind bars, has let a killer walk out of jail so he could get his hair styled. Yes, I couldn't even make this up in my wildest dreams, but it happened. First of all, take a listen to this. Our friends at Fox 26. 351st criminal district court judge, Nada Cornelio lowered Lane's $250,000 bond to a hundred thousand. He's been out on bond for two years and has multiple curfew violations. August 17th, Lane is back before Judge Cornelio. He goes back to court and actually pleads guilty to murder. Then, according to court

documents, Cornelio allows Lane to remain free on bond so he could get a haircut. I've not seen someone actually convicted of murder and then allowed to remain on bond pending the sentencing. That's a first. We can confirm Blaine did go to Mr. Dunn's barbershop for a haircut. Okay, my head is spinning. I can hardly think. Let me go straight out to a special guest joining us, Tabitha Soles. This is Gregory Moore's stepmother. Miss Souls, I hardly even know what to say. When did you learn that Gregory's killer, he has pled guilty. I'm not saying he's just charged

with murder. He has pled guilty that this judge, Natalia Cornelio, let your son's killer walk free so he, the killer, could go get a haircut. I had to watch it on a Zoom. I had to watch this man stand in front of her and say that he did it and ask his lawyer ask if he can be free to get a haircut it was horrifying to just ask to hear him say i'm guilty i did it like with no remorse how did greg's dad also named greg how did he take it? His father is devastated. Absolutely devastated. It has took a toll on his health,

his depression. This is his firstborn. He's torn. You know, Miss Soles, all I can think about is my father. My father, Mac Grace, who worked all sorts of swing shifts,

night, day, you name it, for the railroad to put us through high school and put us through college and help put me through law school. How this would break his heart. It would break my father in half if something like this happened. And I remember, Miss Oles, when my fiance was murdered and we had to travel every single day for hours to get to the killer's murder trial. You know who drove me? My father. And I didn't realize it at the time. I was so lost in my own grief. My father would cry the whole drive to the courthouse. I just can't imagine what this is doing to Gregory Moore's family. He's got four children. He's got eight-year-old Peyton, six-year-old Amir,

five-year-old Kellen, and four-year-old Kelly. I pray that they don't understand what's going on. Guys, what do we know happened at the time of the killing? Take a listen to our friend Dave Mack at Crime Online. Gregory Moore, a father of four, was visiting Houston from New York. He and four other men from New York and New Jersey rented a home, an Airbnb. After a night of clubbing, the men returned to their Airbnb, inviting some women. As one of the men parked the car, more than a woman walked to the door. They never made it inside. So he goes out with his friends. A whole group of people come back. They're off the street. They're not driving drunk. They come back to their place for a fun night at home. And he gets shot down dead before he can even get into the Airbnb.

Joining me right now, in addition to Ms. Soles, an all-star panel to make sense of what we know right now, the facts at issue are undisputed. There's not going to be a jury trial. He did it. He pled guilty, pled guilty in court, taken down by a court reporter. Joining me right now, in addition to my longtime friend and colleague, Andy Kahn, Randy Wallace is joining us, investigative reporter, KRIV Fox 26. Randy, what is going on? It's pretty crazy, Nancy, I'll tell you that. And we actually went on the court document. It had the address of the barbershop, Mr. Dunn's barbershop. We went over there. We talked to the gentleman who cut Lane's hair that day.

And he said that Lane told him that, well, you know, I'm not going to be here for a while. I killed someone. I mean, he kind of admitted it to the barber, too. One thing I want to point out, when last Tuesday, when we did the report, I interviewed Tab of upset because the bailiffs, the deputies left the courtroom. Tabitha, tell Nancy about that. Oh, please do. I want to hear this, Ms. Soules. Absolutely. So after everything was said and done and he pled guilty, she was angry with the court bailiffs in there because there were none when this gentleman take that lightly when Lane said he was guilty so after the fact she was so mad with them not having been in the courtroom with her so she yelled at them but and you know she can care for her life but not anywhere else is okay let, let me understand something, Ms. Soles.

She was angry because she was unguarded by an admitted killer? Yes, ma'am. Okay, what did she say to the bailiffs? I don't know her exact words. I just know she was very angry that no one was in there with her when this man admitted guilt to murder. Andy Kahn, can you please help me make sense of what I'm hearing? Andy Kahn is with me, Director of Victim Services and Advocacy at Crime Stoppers of Houston. You can find him at crime-stoppers.org.

Andy, what is going on? Number one, tell me your understanding of everything that happened when an admitted killer gets let out of jail, lets out of the courtroom, out to walk amongst us to get a haircut. And the mom, the stepmom, has to see it on a Zoom. And the judge is mad because nobody's there to protect her from the killer in the courtroom. But she unleashes him on us. You know, somewhere up in the sky, Rod Serling is just comically laughing, going, God, I wish I could bring Twilight Zone back into the dawn and air. I understand your humor, Andy, because I know you.

But I don't find this funny one bit. Because I remember the day a viewer emailed me at Court TV and said, Andy, I've told you this story. I'd been there since a quarter of seven that morning. I finally got up to my office around one o'clock and I just looked at the public email where people would write in questions and comments. And a lady wrote in, did you know that your fiance Keith's killer has been released? And guess what? I didn't know. I remember that moment. I remember looking out at third Avenue in New York city. And it was like somebody threw a bucket of ice cold water on me. I did not have any idea.

And now this stepmother and the bio dad has to sit there on a zoom and see this judge, judge Natalia cornelio let a confessed admitted killer who has pled guilty walk out to get a haircut you know nancy it's kind of like they got sucker punched by the criminal justice system so the reality is that the suspect was originally held on a $200,000 bond. That bond was reduced by the judge, cut in half. That allowed him to get out on the bond. He violated his bond conditions several times on curfew. He goes before the judge, pleads guilty to murder. So it's not like, well, he's just charged. He's just a suspect. No, he is now a convicted murderer. Evidently, the judge became, from what I've been told, very upset because she was left alone in the courtroom with a now convicted murderer and essentially told her bailiffs, don't leave me in this courtroom alone with this murderer. The murderer is actually

allowed to remain on bond pending sentencing. And one of the bond conditions, and Randy and I have looked through numerous conditions of bond throughout our years of doing our breaking bond story, but I've never ever seen anything in writing that specifically says you're allowed to go to a certain barbershop after docket, but you can't go anywhere else, but you can go and get your hair cut. That was a first. So he's actually due back in court, I believe at the end of the week, whether or not they're going to sentence them or not, who knows, but it's problematic because you have somebody now walking amongst us in the community who's a convicted murderer that is facing a lengthy prison sentence. And let me tell you, in Harris County in the last few weeks, we've been dealing with defendants who've been convicted and have been allowed to remain out on bond

or have skipped their jury trial that have gotten into shootouts with law enforcement. So this is not a very good public safety scenario, but for the victim's family, it's absolutely gut-wrenching when you find out the person who murdered your loved ones is still walking amongst us and can basically do whatever they please. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

Now joining us, high profile lawyer out of this jurisdiction, Texas, Brian Foley, board certified criminal defense attorney, former chief prosecutor in Harris County, Texas, and author of an upcoming book, What Prosecutors Don't Tell You. You can find him at brianfoleylaw.com. Brian, once there's a conviction, it's almost well in other parts of the country anyway. Once there's a conviction, it would be over my cold, dead body. The defendant would walk out of that courtroom. O-H-E-L-L-N-O. He is no longer presumed innocent. He is a convicted killer. And this guy, by all accounts, walks up to 30-year-old Gregory Moore, father of four, and guns him down right there outside the Airbnb.

He's minding his own business, just leaving a bar with all of his friends. I have like four or five other guys. They come home to the Airbnb. They're all going in. No trouble, no problem. And he gets gunned down. It sounds like a robbery, an armed robbery that ended in murder. That's what it sounds like. I don't know that, but I don't care. He pled guilty to homicide. Now, why is it that this judge thinks it's okay to gut the family like that. That's what a conviction is all about.

You get convicted of homicide, you go to jail. It's not you get convicted of homicide and you go get your hair styled. That's not the law. You're absolutely right. Especially on the law in Texas, a murder charge is a special charge called a 3G offense. It's named after an old penal code. And you cannot get probation from a judge for this. So there are some lawyers I talked to and thought, well, sometimes they'll reset a case and do what's called a PSI or pre-sentence investigation. But for a murder charge. Isn't the sentence mandatory? Yeah, it's going to be a mandatory.

Why do we need a PSI? Pre-sentence investigation is usually conducted by the parole board, sometimes somebody else, but usually the probation department, and they take into account what's his chance for rehab? Was he mistreated as a child? Does he have a criminal record? Blah, blah, blah. In order to help facilitate the judge get the right sentence. BS, because there's a mandatory sentence. The judge doesn't need help because there is a mandatory sentence on murder. Bam. So this is not about letting him out to wait

on PSI. And another thing to you, Brian Foley, i don't know what's happened to you since you became a defense lawyer but even if the judge is waiting on a psi that still doesn't mean this guy walks free after he's convicted of murder yes and it's it's he had a bond violation according to court records from february 14th of 2023 okay this is new to me. Slow down. Don't talk lawyer talk. Talk regular people. Talk a bond violation means he skipped bond already. He admitted to violating his house arrest. He has 10 violations, 10 plus violations. Okay.

Is that Tabitha Soul speaking? Yes. Yes, ma'am. He has 10 plus violations. 10 probation violations or bond violations there are he has violated that ankle bracelet bond um violation 10 plus times noted that that that is i've read there's probably more i have not read but as far as I've read, each individual one has this time to this time, he was not supposed to be out. He went here to here. He was not supposed to be out over and over

and over again with a slap on the wrist saying it's been loaded. Is it always the same judge? It probably is. Andy, is it the same judge? Because typically when you have a defendant go in front of a judge, if there's any infraction or problem with that sentence or that case, that case comes back to the same judge. And in the future, if that same defendant is arrested and indicted for something else, he comes back to the same judge you saw before. So is it the same judge letting him out over and over and over, even basically ignoring the bond violations, all 10 of them? The court documents clearly indicate that it's the same judge because I'm reading the bond violation report as we speak. And like Tavis says, there's numerous violations of curfew violations

and the judge admonished him previously for violating curfew violations. So this was not his first dog and pony show of violating his conditions of bond. It looked like a repetitive pattern, but he was still allowed to remain bond pending the case. Brian Foley, what is wrong with this judge, Judge Natalia Cornelio? Yeah, it's just part of her worldview. And she thinks this is how it should go. If you look at her reelection website, she has a whole section on reducing reliance on incarceration. It's surprising even still, because there's those mandatory minimums for a murder incarceration. It's surprising even still because there's those mandatory minimums for a murder charge. There's no possibility of probation. I think it's being possessed by this worldview that the police and the criminal justice system is maybe just there

to oppress and that she's an active participant to try to reverse that. Doug Griffin is joining us, Houston police officer, for 32 years. He is the president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Doug Griffin, how do the cops, men and women, keep putting one foot in front of the other when you've got a judge like Judge Natalia Cornelio letting guilty defendants, murder defendants who have admitted guilt, walk free to go get a haircut. Sadly, this is not the first case of a judge acting like this or even this judge acting like this. There's case after case after case where we have people on multiple felony bonds. They violate the conditions of those bonds by picking up another case.

We had one guy with 14 bonds still out and then committed a murder. We have in Harris County right now at least 110 capital murder suspects free on bond. That would never have happened five, 10 years ago. So now when these guys know they're going to court because it's a capital case, which means life in prison or possibly death penalty, then you think they're really motivated to go back to court? Absolutely not. And then we have to deal with them. We have some poor officer going to stop a car today, not knowing that there's possible capital murder suspect that's wanted in that car. Or in this case, convicted.

Exactly. And looking at life behind bars, no alternative to life behind bars. You think he is going to turn himself in? No. And like Andy said earlier, we've had, HPD had three officers shot just about a year and a half ago from a guy on multiple felony bonds. Harris County just had three officers shot because of a guy on multiple felony bonds that did not go back to court after being convicted. Now, we've got to put a stop to it. We've got to get these judges out of there. And this is just another example of what we're

facing here in Harris County. Guys, joining me is the stepmom of the murder victim who was watching the proceedings by Zoom. When she hears she and the bio dad, her husband, could not believe it. When they hear the killer is being allowed free on bond to go get his hair styled. By Judge Natalia Cornelio. What happened to the victim, the father of four in this case? Take a listen to our cut three, our friends at KHOU. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died. Right now, they don't have a suspect or vehicle description, but are hoping to gather surveillance video from the neighborhood. As far as we know, they never made it inside the house and so he was shot in the right at the front doorstep. Anyone with any information is

being encouraged to call the sheriff's office. As Moore and a woman walked to the door, a man wearing a hoodie and carrying a flashlight rushed Moore. Moore was pistol whipped and shot multiple times. He took strikes to the neck, torso, left leg, and both arms. Moore was life flighted to a hospital, but did not survive. So the victim was pistol whipped repeatedly. You know, to you, Douglas Griffin, Houston police officer, 32 years and president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Could you explain to those people that don't know what it means to be pistol whipped in the face? What does that mean? over 32 years and president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Could you explain to those people that don't know what it means to be pistol whipped in the face? What does that mean?

It means they took the weapon that they were using to hold him up and began to beat him in the face with it, taking that handgun and hitting him repeatedly in the head and face. And then that wasn't enough. Decided to shoot him multiple times. This wasn't just a, hey, I'm just going to rob the guy and take his money. This was almost like it was personal. He just beat that guy and then murdered him in cold blood. And if you could see the victim, so handsome, so young, four children now gone forever. Now, at first I thought this was going to be an armed robbery gone bad, but it wasn't that spur of the moment. Oh no, this was cold blooded. Take a listen to this. Police discovered that the shooter is one of the women's boyfriend. He used Instagram to track her

and followed the girl back to the Airbnb alone with Moore and his friends. During an interview with the suspect, he admitted to going to the location to pick up his girlfriend, and an argument ensued. And Moore. The Harris County Sheriff's Office

says 21-year-old James Ray Lane has been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a man outside an Airbnb. Investigators say Lane was in a fit of jealous rage as he tracked the victim and a witness using Instagram. The victim was 33 year old Gregory Moore, who was visiting the area with friends from New Jersey and New York. James Ray Lane has been charged with murder. His bond is set at $250,000. And, you know, to Dr. Carla Manley, clinical psychologist. Now, this is one of the many reasons we have Dr. Manley on. She's the author of Date Smart, Transforming Relationships and Love Fearlessly.

You can find her at drcarlamanley.com. How was he, the dad of four? He's not married. He can date whoever he wants to. How was he supposed to know that this woman he just met at the club has a boyfriend, not just a boyfriend, a violent boyfriend that owns a gun? Absolutely. When we're out dating, when we're out in the public, we don't expect to be victims of violent crimes. We do our best to assess the person we're dating to hope that there are good individuals

with solid characters in their lives. So he would have been completely taken by surprise. And it's a really horrendous situation all the way around. And I'll wait for you to ask me questions about what the judge has done, but I can tell you it's absolutely heinous. I'm just thinking through what went through Greg's mind. He's out with his friends. Nobody's causing any trouble. I think it was three or four of his buddies from New Jersey. They're all there in Texas. They go out and have a great night on the town. They come back and out of the blue, up comes this guy, James Ray Lane. He has stalked them. He has followed his girlfriend and he's got a gun. You know, in my mind, Andy Kahn, that changes things.

No, I can't bring Greg Moore back. But this was not some robbery gone wrong, which is still a murder. He went there on purpose. He stalked his way to this location, Andy Khan. That is cold blood. He pulled that trigger and he pistol whipped this victim in cold blood and this judge let him out to go get his hair styled. No, this was not something random spur of the moment. I mean, you had to track them back to this Airbnb over 25 miles from where they originally were. So the fact that you're actually tracking any movement of your alleged girlfriend tells me that you've got some major issues going on with your life.

And we do know that Lane has some sort of juvenile record, but as Doug would know, getting juvenile records is very difficult to obtain. So the fact that, I mean, he had zero chance. You get out of the car and the next thing you know you're getting pistol whipped in the face and then you're shot and left for dead there is no if ands or buts did he do it he did it and he's facing a sentence right now of anywhere from five years to 99 years in prison which from our perspective he deserves and should get the maximum sentence but for him to continually be out on the streets right now, knowing he's facing a lengthy prison sentence, puts the public at risk and definitely puts law enforcement officers at risk. This is cold blood. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Out to you, Brian Foley, high-profile lawyer,

joining us out of this jurisdiction, Texas. That changes things. That changes the complexion of the crime. This judge lets a guy out that coldly and calculatedly this jurisdiction, Texas, that changes things. That changes the complexion of the crime. This judge lets a guy out that coldly and calculatedly planned an attack. And now a young father of four is dead. And his parents have to watch on a zoom to see his killer, confessed killer, walk away out of jail, out of the courtroom at the judge's order to get his hair styled. And, you know, and it doesn't have to be that way. The judge has the power to ask the prosecutor for more detailed information to make a bond decision.

She can know these facts. Oftentimes they are read, these facts at the beginning of the case. The most surprising thing is that he was still out on bond when he had violated back in February and continued to violate in June. And then, like we said, once you've already pled guilty and you're convicted of murder, you have no right to be on probation. There's no need for him to be released at that point. Oftentimes, almost all the time, they're put in custody at that point. Guys, take a listen to our Cut 8, our friends at Fox 26. This is not the first time 351st Criminal Court Judge Nada Cornelia has allowed a defendant

to remain free on bond after pleading guilty to a violent crime. June 28, 2021, 30-year-old Gregory Moore was gunned down by 33-year-old James Ray Lane. If he would have just hurt him, I would have been fine with that. But he was shooting to kill. Moore, a father of four, was visiting Houston from New York.

And more from our friends at Fox 26. Listen. Gregory Moore's dad and stepmom couldn't believe the judge allowed Lane to remain free. I think that's nonsense. Like, if he pleaded guilty, he should have been locked up right then and there. Like, why give him, it's been two years now. Letting him go get a haircut? For what?

For what? My son can't get a haircut. My son can't spend holidays with us. He can't see his kids get a haircut. That boy should have been locked up from the beginning. Ms. Souls, when you say our son can't go get a haircut, you know, I think the same thing all the time. Keith can't go out. He can't go for a jog. He can't see his family. He never got to have a family. And it hurts me to know his killer can do all those things, all those things that Keith loved to do.

He was an athlete on baseball scholarship. He can never do any of those things again. His family was robbed of seeing him grow up and marry and have a family, the things that we had planned together for so long. What goes through your mind when you think that your son's killer is walking free to go get a hairstyle? I think that it just feels like it hurt all over again from the beginning. Every day I think about it, every day it hurts even more because now I fear that maybe this guy is going to do it to somebody else

and that person is going to have to feel the same pain that I feel. We're missing out on so many things with my son, and he's allowed to be home and have meals with his family and do things freely without consequence is how I feel because he's just running around free. Let me go get a haircut. Why not? Randy Wallace, has anyone asked the judge what was she thinking?

She obviously is not a fan of mine, so she's not going to talk to me. I want to go back real quick to what Tabitha was saying about being alone, about Judge Cornelio being alone with lane i talked to um david cueves the uh president of the deputies association he talked to um the deputies assigned to that court apparently what happened is there was some sort of emergency. Something happened, and they were called out of the court for about 10 minutes. So Judge Cornelio was alone with Lane. And when they came back, she was very upset about being in the courtroom with him without a deputy there. I think that's so telling. Here's a woman who sees no problem with releasing this man to the public and yet she's afraid of being

in a courtroom with him without somebody being in there with her with a gun as if her life is more important than ours exactly and it's not the first time she's done that take a listen to our cut 12 fox 26 back in march judge cornelio allowed allowed Christopher Diaz to remain free on bond after pleading guilty to assaulting a family member and getting a 14 year prison sentence. Christopher Diaz has had multiple felony convictions. Diaz spent a month on the run after he

failed to go back to court to begin his prison term. If you're Mr Lane and you're looking at a lengthy prison sentence, do you show up or not? Lane is supposed to return to court on August 31st to be sentenced. Yeah, good luck with that. Andy Kahn, who is Christopher Diaz? Christopher Diaz has a lengthy criminal history, including a conviction of injury to a child. He pled guilty to assault with intent to impede breathing, which is just a fancy term for I'm trying to strangle somebody to death. He was actually sentenced. So here's what kind of

makes it a little bit different than what we're talking about. Same judge. Yeah. Same judge, same court, 14 years in March. And for whatever reason, he's allowed to remain free, told to return back to begin his sentence. And of course, he just said, yeah, you know what? I'm out of here. I'm not going to do this. So the Harris County Sheriff's deputies officers, there was actually a warrant out for his rearrest, even though he's already been convicted. So again, like Doug and I have been saying, you're putting law enforcement at jeopardy. In a horrible, horrible position. I mean, if you pull this guy over, even for a traffic violation, he's going to shoot the cop because he doesn't want to be pulled in on a murder charge and go in for life without parole or a simple life. Guys, it's happening over and over and judges are supposed

to be the experts in the law, but apparently they can't see beyond their own concerns. Take a listen to our cut 13, our friends at KTRK. My mom was 80 years old. She was disabled. You know, she's shuffled with a cane and she's the prototypical grandmother, you know, reading glasses down on her nose, knitting needles by the side of a rocking chair. A mother of three, grandmother of six, Rosalie Cook was three minutes from home at Walgreens at Gessner and South Brayswood Boulevard to buy a card one year ago. As she headed towards her car in the parking lot to go home, Rosalie was stabbed to death by Randy Lewis. And who is Randy Lewis? Well, he had been arrested 67 times. That's 67 times. He was out on ROR, released on personal recognizance. In other words, released on your promise, you'll come back to court.

And he runs into this, literally a little old lady, 80 years old, out to buy a card at Walgreens and stabs her dead. Now I see judges bending over backwards for defendants. Uh, here's a good one. Our cut 17 out of 12 news. Jacob Chansley, also known as the Q Shaman, last seen storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, will be served organic food as he awaits trial in federal custody in Washington, D.C. Now this comes after a federal judge ruled yesterday that Chansley's religious beliefs entitle him

to be able to follow his organic diet. Organic diet? What about Brian Koberger? He's getting a vegan diet, and it's not because of any religious belief. Judges bending over backwards to coddle killers. This guy we were just talking about, not only is a burglar break and enter, but to our own Capitol. And he's getting a special meal. He's worried about his religion.

Now he wasn't worried about his religion when he was breaking into the Capitol. That's not all. Here's a judge that stops court so the defendant can get a designer outfit on. That's right. Stops the bailiffs, the jury, the witnesses, everything so the defendant can get her outfit just right. Take a listen to our cut 18, inside edition. Is she in a courtroom or at a red carpet event? Anna Sorokin is accused of posing as an heiress to live an extravagant lifestyle, but it's what she's wearing to trial that is making headlines. The 27-year-old defendant showed up

wearing a form-fitting black dress with a plunging neckline and choker necklace. It's a look that could backfire, warns stylist Dawn Karen. Black dress, definitely a no-no. It hyper-sexualized her. It makes her appear to be like a seductress. The choker kind of shows to me

that she's trying to be overtly sexy. The more sexy she appears to be, it hurts her. Sorokin is so obsessed with her clothes, she refused to enter the courtroom because her. Sorkin is so obsessed with her clothes, she refused to enter the courtroom because the outfit she was given to wear was not up to her standards. The angry judge told her, this is unacceptable and inappropriate. This is not a fashion show. Well, the judge was all bark and no bite because the judge delayed court and waited for the defendant who had ripped people off to over $60,000 to get her outfit just

straight before she would walk in. That's why we have BLFs, woman, to bring the defendant into the courtroom. Okay. And what about Jamie Lee Komoroski? Do you remember her? She got so drunk multiple times the legal limit and then plows down a bride and groom, leaving their wedding reception, mows them down in her car and kills the bride in her wedding dress. Wait for it. Take a listen to our friends at Crime Online. Komoroski has been vocal about conditions in the jail. Her complaints range from a lack of riding supplies to not having an exercise mat to do her crunches. Komorowski has complained about nosy deputies and the food, hot dogs, cold meatballs, white bread and more. She even complains that a deputy wouldn't even let her hold the remote control to change the television channels in her holding area. Okay, sometimes I'm actually left speechless. Andy Kahn, my longtime friend

and colleague, director of victim services out of Houston. Andy, she's upset. Yes, she did mow down the bride and groom, drunk as a skunk, killing the bride in her wedding dress. But she's upset she can't hold the remote. Help me. It's like being part of this backwards world and you sit there and you just want to scream like Peter Finch in Network. I'm mad as hell and I can't believe this is happening. This has got to stop. I don't understand this new criminal justice reform philosophy of where now the defendants and the convicted killers and convicted felons are bending over backwards, basically acquiescing every little whim and every little request they get. Crime victims are the only unwilling participants in the criminal justice system. Everyone else chose their role. Law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, parole, probation, victim advocates. one ever said pick me pick me i want to be a

victim of a crime and yet right now victims are treated with disinstitutionalized disinterest like they're not even part of the equation including this judge judge natalia cornelio and you elected her she wasn't appointed as some political hack by the governor. She was elected. What is her jurisdiction, Randy Wallace? You know, one of the interesting things, too, when you look at these judges here, back when we had the primary, we had we've been doing breaking bond for more than two years. And during the primary, some of the incumbent judges, they lost, which is almost unheard of. But then the November election last fall, all these judges that we had been doing

reports on, they got reelected. Okay. My question was, I know it's Houston, Texas, but what is her jurisdiction? What county? Harris County. Harris County. Harris County voters, you did this. You did this to yourself. Now, what are you going to do about it? Sit by and let Judge Natalia Cornelio let other killers out? You know, I got a question for you, Dr. Carla Manley. When my children were growing up, they would read these little bitty, when I was teaching them to read these little bitty thin books, and they would have a number on the outside as to the difficulty of the books. Well, it was about difficulty three.

And my son read a Superman book about Bizarro Land. Bizarro Land is another planet where everything is exactly opposite as it is on our planet. And so the Superman there was a bad guy. Everything was upside down. Everything was reversed. And that's exactly what's happening here. Nobody gives a flying fig about the victim, especially Judge Natalia Cornelio.

It's all bass-ackwards, Doctor. Absolutely. I worked for six years with juveniles on probation, a very serious unit. And what I learned from that experience, regardless of your age, is that when children or adults are given consequences, where they are predictable,

where the environment is consistent, the consequences are predictable, especially when they have impulse control issues, which children do, but also criminals certainly do. If we don't have predictable, natural consequences, we really run the risk, as you say, of turning the world upside down for ourselves, for the children, for the children that become adults, and in this case, for the public, where it is a topsy-turvy world when convicted murderers are released. That was beautifully said, Dr. Manley. Dr. Carla Manley speaking, but final word to Tabitha Soles.

This is Greg's stepmom who's been trying to get his father through this stunning blow dealt to him by not only a killer, but a judge who lets the killer walk free to get his hairstyle. Fat chance this guy's going to come back to court for life behind bars. Ms. Soules, what's your word to the judge? I hope that by the time October 18th comes, she has some common sense back into her head to put this guy behind bars for a lifetime.

And my hope is that the voters remember this come re-election time. That's my hope. Absolutely. Let your voice be heard. You can reach the judge at 832-927-3675. Repeat, 832-927-3675. And you can reach her law clerk. She doesn't have the guts to put her own email out there. The law clerk is esperanza.alanez at hc, that's Harris County, districtclerk.com.

Let your voice be heard and the voters of Harris County sit up and pay attention. We wait as justice unfolds. Goodbye, friend. This is an I Heart Podcast.