With Harris County DA Pat Lykos being investigated by a grand jury and the Texas Rangers, you would think there would be a rush to get things moving. But it's going slow.
Three weeks ago on February 13, last-minute shoppers were still looking for Valentine's Day flowers, gas was 18 cents cheaper per gallon, and the Texas Rangers -- already in the midst of a criminal investigation -- asked a Houston judge for help looking into DA Pat Lykos.
On Tuesday, three weeks and a day later, the Rangers are still waiting.
"Get on with it," said KTRK Legal Analyst Joel Androphy.
The job of picking what will be the fourth special prosecutor to look into Lykos' office belongs to Harris County Judge Belinda Hill. She didn't ask for the job -- it's just her turn as chief administrative judge.
After some of the previous special prosecutors were both investigated by the DA and criticized by her supporters for being politically motivated, Judge Hill appears to be taking her time making sure the next appointee is above criticism.
"Why does it take so long to pick the right person out? There is no such thing as the right person, it's an independent person," Androphy said.
Whoever it is, they're expected to help the Rangers figure out if any laws were broken when Lykos and her team looked into the grand jurors who were looking into her.
"I certainly didn't order any investigation," Lykos said during a press conference back on January 31.
You remember -- it's the investigation she denied, before admitting to it. The Rangers inquiry is the one that started before she took credit for inviting them.
You can't be blamed for being confused and now it's a question as to why we're waiting weeks for the appointment of a person who could help clear it up.
"The longer they wait, the more they're hoping that the media just forgets it, everything goes on and maybe people don't want to deal with it again," said Androphy.
He suggested going outside Harris County for an appointment, but there's no indication that's going to happen.
DA Lykos had no comment.
We reached out to the Rangers who initially asked for the special prosecutor to see what effect it's having on their case. A spokesman from Austin told Eyewitness News Tuesday afternoon, "The investigation is continuing and employees at the DA's office have been cooperative. A special prosecutor will be needed once the investigation is complete."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
