Texas Beauty Queen Felon Julie Steen

Yesterday I was a bit surprised to get the news that one of Big Ed's nephews, up in Washington, got himself a ton of newspaper notoriety when he was arrested for the 14th time in 16 years for driving under the influence. The nephew has previously spent a lot of time in jail. This time he is going to spend 2 years in a state prison, rather than the county jails he previously spent time in. And this time, due to a new law, his crime is a felony.

If this boy was caught driving drunk 14 times, you can't help but wonder how many times he drove drunk and didn't get caught.

In today's Texas News a former Miss Texas contestant, Julie Witt Steen is in jail preparing for her 3rd felony theft charge in 8 years. Her previous thefts include stealing blank checks from a bank where she worked and turning them into cash to the tune of around $9,000. Working as a paralegal Steen managed to steal over $35,000 from a young widow. She got sentenced to 10 years for the young widow theft. The jurors gave Steen the maximum penalty after hearing evidence she took $70,000 from another widow and $75,000 from another employer.

Steen's most recent theft occurred while working for Allen and Melody Shelton, booking weddings for their A & M Gardens business. It's not yet clear how much Steen got away with from the Shelton's. It's believed to be up to $100,000.

The things people do are so perplexing. I've only known one convicted felon. That was a money theft crime similar to Steen's. That particular felon's troubles came about due to a very warped sense of entitlement along with a sense of being impervious to consequences, combined with absolutely no money-sense, as in this person can not keep a bank account open due to chronic check bouncing. And just like Steen and Big Ed's nephew, this felon's behavior was not altered by getting caught and doing jail time. The same fiscal and personal lack of responsiblity and deluded thinking that brought about the BIG TROUBLE is still there, untreated. Likely only a matter of time til, like Steen and Big Ed's nephew, BIG TROUBLE with the law happens again.

Sad, the messes some people make of their simple lives.