Kim Ogg - Harris County District Attorney Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Seven to fifty one our time here on Houston's Morning News.
I think even in Texas, we reserved the death penalty
for the most heinous of crimes and the most heinous
of criminals. And I'm sure that's what went through the
mind of District Attorney Kime Oug when she decided to
invoke the death penalty as an appropriate charge and punishment
for the two men who have been charged in the

(00:22):
death of Jocelyn Hungary. Kim Ogg joins us, good morning,
Welcome to the show. Was that the thinking here that
doesn't get a whole lot more heinous than this.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
The death penalty is the strongest action the government can
ever take against an individual, and we use it sparingly
because it is reserved for the worst of the worst,
and individuals like these Venezuela nationals who committed a crime
coming across our border. We're here in our city for

(00:53):
less than a month or so before they murdered this
little girl. And they didn't just murder that, a kidnapped
and raped and murdered her. These are the kinds of
cases that terrify anybody who's a parent or knows children,
has children who are relatives. So the death penalty is appropriate.

(01:17):
We feel like a Texas jury here in Houston will
support the death penalty for both of these guys after
the full evidence is presented. It's terrible case. And that
was the thinking. Yes, you're right, Jimmy.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
So is that a more difficult burden of proof? Does
it make your job as a district attorney? Does it
make the district attorney's offices job more difficult when it's
the death penalty case?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Well, certainly, we work on those cases and we dedicate
resources to those cases that we don't have for every case,
and we do that because the convictions have to stand
up on appeal for years. I think it's a real
travesty how long it takes for the death penalty to
be utilized finally and for criminals to be executed. But

(02:07):
because we're under such scrutiny legally on these cases, I'd
say it's harder. Yes, Now, the facts are always terrible
when we are seeking death, and that always helps the state.
But what I would tell you is legally there's not
a higher burden. It's just in operation we are dotting

(02:30):
every I and crossing every T, and we're doing that
so that these cases, once the juries come back with
a verdict in our community is spoken so that we
can uphold their wishes their sentence on appeal.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
I'm guessing that you probably talked to Joscelyn's mom before
you made this this decision. You know, that's a kind
of an important component here, right, What do what does
the family want to see happen?

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Well, crime victims have such trauma that they experience first
in the loss of their loved one and then as
they learn how their loved one died. Especially in this case,
it's just it's just torture. And so we don't place
the responsibility of making the decision on the victim. That's

(03:18):
something that is the responsibility of the district attorney. But
we always ask the victim's family what their feelings are,
what they want. In this case, I spoke with Alexis
Nungerray on election night. I told her this is what
we were looking at. We were waiting for some additional information,
and she was supportive. So we always consider the next

(03:41):
of kin's wishes, but we do not place the ultimate
responsibility on them to decide. That's my job.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Okay, I would be remiss if I didn't ask you
this you're going to be leaving that position here in
just a few short weeks. There'll be a new district attorney.
Will that death penalty still be invoked? Can anything change
with the new district attorney comes in?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, the incoming DA elect has full discretion. I created
a committee because I don't like the impression of one
person actually making these decisions. And I don't like that
because it looks like Caesar thumbs up or thumbs down.
So we pull together our best minds, We run the
facts through the committee. If there's any mitigating information provided

(04:26):
by the defense, we certainly show them that. So this
has been a committee decision. I think that makes it
much harder for the next DA to undo this decision.
But he will have that authority, all right. I think
that's something we want to look at.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
That would be a very unpopular choice if you were
to do that. Thank you for joining us this morning.
Sure do appreciate it. Good to talk to you. That
is a district absolutely, Jimmy, take care. That's a district attorney.
Kim Ogg. Y'all have a great day.