Misinformation Corrected on Robert Corrigan
Recently, my office has received numerous calls from interested citizens after viewing
television coverage from some T.V. stations and newspaper articles concerning the attempted
suicide of Robert Corrigan on September 20, 2006 in an apparent attempt to avoid having his
case adjudicated and probation revoked for which a motion to do so had been filed by the
District Attorney’s office.
Those announcements incorrectly stated that when Corrigan entered his guilty plea to Failure
to Stop and give Assistance under the Parks and Wildlife Code in the 33rd Judicial District
Court in Llano, his sentence resulted from an arrangement or “plea bargain” between
prosecutor and defense attorneys.
It had been made plain from the beginning that this office would not and in fact did not enter
into any plea arrangement with Corrigan’s attorneys. After Corrigan was indicted, my office
refused to enter into any arrangement or “deal” as to recommended punishment if Corrigan
pled guilty. In fact, no “deal” was offered and no response to requests for a deal from Corrigan’
s attorneys was even considered.
Our system in Texas allows a defendant in a criminal case at the time of trial, to either plead
guilty to a jury or waive a jury and plead guilty before a judge in open court. In either case, no
plea bargain is required. In those situations, defendants “take their chances” with a jury or
judge. On October 22, 2004, Robert Corrigan did just that and took his chances with the
judge.