Dallas Examiner, 2/18/10 - "Terri Hodge Found Guilty in Corruption Probe

Three months after former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill’s conviction for corruption, the sweeping FBI investigation has claimed another prominent victim: longtime state representative Terri Hodge. Charged with taking money from developers in exchange for helping them get lucrative tax credits, Hodge pleaded guilty to a lesser count of income tax fraud.

While it may be difficult to resist the temptation to situate her story within the all-too-familiar framework of political scandal, it’s worth remembering that, for many in District 100, Terri Hodge was a well-regarded representative for one of the most economically and socially stressed districts in the city.

“We voted for her, and campaigned for her,” said District 100 resident Mary Malone, “and I guess if there’s a good side and a bad side, the good side is what we all knew about.”

Malone, a district resident for four decades and president of the Las Casas Neighborhood Association, paints a picture of a concerned, active state rep who attended neighborhood barbecues, fussed over her constituents’ needs, and even saw to it that Malone’s dog was awarded a commendation for his involvement in foiling a burglary.

“It was little things like that that touched your heart,” said Malone. “It was the caring that we knew about Terri Hodge.”

Dallas Examiner, 10/8/09 - “The Jury Has Spoken”

It’s being called the most stunning political fall from grace in the city’s history. On Monday, August 5, the corruption trial of former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill ended with a guilty verdict. The decision has left many political observers thunderstruck, and has raised fundamental questions about the way business gets done in City Hall—in particular, the power wielded by city council members over development projects in their districts. The verdict has also left in its wake much anguished speculation about the fate of some of the important issues that Hill championed, among them the idea of minority participation in city projects. For the cynical, there remains the question of whether Hill was singled out because of his politics or race. For everyone, there persists the question of how to undo the damage.

Found guilty on 8 of 9 counts in the case, and facing years in prison, Hill continues to deny that there was any corrupt intent in any of the actions he took while on the city council.

“We were very confident not only about our case and how it was presented,” says Hill, “but we were also confident in our own innocence, and that justice and truth, when pressed down, would rise up and the jury would see that.”

Upon speaking with Hill, it immediately becomes clear that he foresaw a different outcome. “It’s been very painful. It feels like a kick in the gut. The truth is, we didn’t expect that [verdict] at all. We didn’t plan on it, we didn’t think about it.”