Private Practice for County Attorney Fleming?

Reliable sources say that recently re-elected Harris
County Attorney Michael Fleming is planning to step down in the coming
weeks and take a high paying job with a Houston law firm. Contacted at
his office, Fleming denies he’s made any decision but admits he is
mulling over several offers.

“I’ve had some people approach me about doing that but I don’t have
any present plans.” Fleming, who is married to former prosecutor Natalie Jackson, went on
to say that his expanding family is forcing him to take a hard look
at his future. “We just had our sixth child born and I’m going to
listen to what they have to say,” he explained.

One possible employer is the downtown firm of Locke Liddell
and Sapp, formerly Liddell, Sapp, Zivley and LaBoon. That firm
employed Fleming during his campaign in 1996 for county attorney after
he left his position as assistant county attorney under Democrat Mike
Driscoll. Locke Liddell does extensive business with Harris County.

Fleming was strongly supported by Republican County Commissioner
Steve Radack in his first race. Radack did not return a call for
comment.

County sources report that Mike Stafford, an assistant
under Fleming and a recently defeated candidate for District Attorney,
is being pushed as the replacement who would be appointed by
Commissioners Court to serve the remainder of Fleming’s four-year term.
Stafford ran for county attorney in 1996. He did not make the GOP
runoff election, but endorsed Fleming against attorney Mickey Lawrence
in that race. In the recent District Attorney contest he was backed by
Radack.

After Fleming beat Democrat Sylvia Garcia, he appointed Stafford as
a first assistant in the County Attorney’s office. That fueled rumors
of a deal between Fleming and Stafford: an endorsement for a county
job. Both Fleming and Stafford denied any such arrangement.