1:30 Monday update: Colleyville Judge James Ames said the city warrants for James Michael Tesi's were valid when Officer John Fossett tried to stop Tesi. Fossett, who is a Colleyville warrant officer, saw Tesi while driving on Precinct Line Road on July 21. He decided to make a stop, but Tesi evaded Fossett and instead drove to his home in north Hurst. Fossett followed him there. They subsequently exchanged as many as 15 gunshots resulting in Tesi being shot in the leg and face. Fossett was not hurt.
Tesi is on trial in state District Court for aggravated assault on a public servant. The maximum penalty is life in prison.
This morning, Tesi's attorney, Ronald Hardin, questioned municipal court Judge Ames on whether or not an appeal to the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals would suspend the validity of the city's arrest warrants.
Tesi, skipping the state court, had attempted to get the federal District Court to take up his dispute with the city. Instead, the federal court sent it back to the city.
Ames said that making an appeal to an appellate court is not the same as having a judgment on that appeal.
"Until notice of action by the appellate court, I will work under the [federal] judge's remanded ruling," Ames said.
Tesi first appeared in Ames' courtroom on Feb. 3 to make pleas on two traffic citations. In December, he had been stopped by Colleyville police for speeding. He also was cited for not having a driver's license.
When Tesi refused to enter a plea, Ames entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. When Ames asked Test to sign the pleading, he also wrote "under duress."
Ames had set Feb. 25 for an pre-trial hearing. However, Tesi failed to appear. Ames then issued the warrants. - Steve Norder
In testimony this morning in the trial of "sovereign citizen" James Tesi, more details came out about how a speeding ticket issued to him in Colleyville may have led to July's shootout. Tesi was supposed to show up for a pre-trial hearing last February on the speeding ticket. Instead, Tesi went to Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 for a judgment against the city, according to documents presented in court this morning. Because Tesi did not show up in municipal court for his scheduled hearing, Municipal Judge James Ames issued warrants for Tesi's arrest. Those warrants eventually led to a shootout between Tesi and Colleyville warrant officer John Fossett on July 21, when Fossett tried to arrest Tesi.
Tesi's attorney, Ronald Hardin, introduced a document from JP court 3 stating a finding against Colleyville and a wrecker service for towing and booting Tesi's car after the traffic stop.
However, Judge Ames said from the stand this morning that he was unaware of that judgement at the time he issued the warrants. - Steve Norder
Sounds like he is saying that because he has a order from the Jp's office he has the right to have a shoot out with the warrant officer.. OMG What has this world come to, that instead of showing the paper work, and going through the proper channesl, a man can shoot at an officer.
Posted by: A Facebook User | January 30, 2012 at 01:05 PM
I knew doctor tesi, he was in a wedding in our family. A genius and a man of traditional character, no nonsense. Of course you would question the escalation of a contention over a seat belt violation to shooting down a Doctor and professor, a clinician sworn to help others and comming home from work in his surgical scrubs. Knowing the doctor, he frustrated someone well. He is an intellect and can frustrate those below him, maybe someone short tempered to the level they would chase him beyond their lines and beyond reason to within his very own home. Anytime a seatbelt violation, of a person of this calibre leads to their being shot, when noone else is - questioning it really isnt even enough. This is the kind of crazy stuff that ends with corrupt individuals trying to eliminate someone while they are behind bars - if it were no so insane a situation with so much he said she said speculation I would not believe that.
Posted by: Yul Grant | February 01, 2012 at 09:41 PM