SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7,2008 • ESTABUSHED 1869 • Voi;i39, No. 51 • WWW.THEPARIJ

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i yearTHERARiSNEWS "

bid iiiddehtSERVING NORTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUfTHB

Past haunts 6th DistrictMAKY MADEWELL.ma^.made.weil^heparistiewsxorn

Former Paris mayor andRepublican candidate for 6th

-District Judge Eric Cliffordspbnt time in an Austin jailand served a probationarys e n t e n c e f o r s o l i c i t a t i o n o f

prostitution in 1995, according to Travis County courtdocuments .

He was Arrested Feb. .16,1995, after offering an undercover officer $150 in exchangefor sex , cour t documentsstate.

"On Feb. 16, 1995, DeputyA. Reyna was assigned tothe vice section working aplain clothes assignment," anarrest affidavit prepared by a^mber of the Travis CountySheriffs Office states. "EricS. Clifford, in a conversationvnth the officer agreed .toengage in sexual intercoursefor a fee of $150."

Clifford, in a written statement Friday, admitted theincident happened, calling it"my one and only brush withthe law."

"Whileattendingacontinu-

A

ing legal education conferencin Austin, I was accused cthe misdemeanor offense csolicitation," Clifford statec"After discussing the mattefully with my wife, I decide^to accept deferred adjudication and pay a'small fine rather than go ffirfcjugh the publihumiliation of litigating thm a t t e r. "

Cour t documents sho\Clifford spent a night in ja:before posting j a $500 bomthe following day.

On Aug. 3|, 1995, Austiiattornev Robbf Shepherd file«

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^S)4]Woso(/m£4s $1.25 SUNDAY

rict Judge candidateration conference

wa's accused ofsanor offense of

Cl i f ford s tated,ssing the matterY- Wife, I decidedferred adjudica-a small fine rath-rough the publicbif litigating the

) ,cun ien ts show

^ a night in jailig a $500 bondday.il, 1995, Austin3 Shepherd filed

"t never sought special favors ortreatment in resolving the incident, nor tried to cover it up."

Er i c C l i f f o rd 'Republican candidate for 6th District Judge

' Y M F

papers stating that Clifford judge presiding over Traviswas waiving his right to County Court At Law No. 7.a jury trial. The same day u. u.jr - v c c J 1 J . H e h a d t o p a y $ 3 3 5 i n r e s -Cuttord was placed on a six-m o n t h ' t e r m o f p r o b a t i o n a n d ®deferred adiudication by the CLIFFORD P-3A

Candidatesface peersat forum

tree m ner habitat.We had a tough time saying

goodbye," said Todd Bowsher,curator of the zoo's mammalsin Ae Wilds of Africa exhibit.

"It's very sad that she'spassed on,- but what a greatlife she's had," said KristenLukas, curator of conserva-

In 2004, Dallas police shotand killed a 13-year-old gorillanamed Jabari at the zoo after itjumped over a wall, bit threepeople and snatched up a toddler by his teeth. The enclosure was remodeled and thecity paid a fine to the U.S.Department of Agriculture. ,

Clifforc' F R O M P - 1 A

$200 fine and $40 in monthlysupervision fees during hissix-month probation period.

Clifford noted that theincident has been a matter ofpublic record for almost 14years .■ "I": n^vef-^sought special

' 5r treatment in revolving the incident, nor fried tocover it up," Clifford said. "Itis regrettable that my political

' foes are only now attemptingto exploit it for their ownpolitical gain.

"I have apologized to my3^e, family and friends -for- the embarrassment that beingin the wrong place, at the"wrong time, with the wrongpeople .has caused," Clifford

said, "I take full responsibilityfor the matter."

Clifford faces Democraticcandidate David Turnerin the race for 6th. DistrictJudge. Jim Lovett, who holdsthe position, is retiring afterthe completion of his term atthe end of the year.

Turner denied having anything to do with informationabout Clifford surfacing.

"That's something he andthe voters have to sort out,"Turner said in response to aquery on^aturday.

"I am running on my ownexperi ce other thanthat I nav^nfe comment,"Tu rne r sa i d .

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