single-handedly opened a whole new
genre of fiction. commit felony offenses has contrib-
uted to that.
PCT: What do you do to decompress?
RD: Here are words that I thought
I would never say: “Go to the gym
and work out”. My wife and I are at
the gym six days a week. It’s funny
because I remember telling Parker
County District Attorney Don Schne-
bly “Why would I work out? What
am I going to gain for all that time
and exercise—a year, maybe two?”
He’s reminded me of that several
times. PCT: What is your definition of the
best day ever?
RD: As my kids get older-- one is
finishing college and the other is
starting college—my wife and I have
talked about that a lot lately. My idea
of the best day ever is a day when
my wife and I can spend the entire
day with both of our boys at home
and finish up the day grilling ribeye
steaks for dinner.
PCT: What is something people don’t
know about you?
RD: I was born in Holland while
my father, an Air Force pilot, was
stationed there. For the longest time I
kept my wooden shoes.
PCT: What would you most like to be
remembered for?
RD: I would most like to be remem-
bered as someone who did the right
thing. Only one group of lawyers in
Texas, prosecutors, has a mandate
that their job is not to convict, but to
see that justice is done.
PCT: If you could have lunch with
any one, either living or dead from
history, who would it be?
RD: I think I would have to take
the opportunity to break bread with
Jesus. Everyone in my Sunday School
class has heard me say a thousand
times how much I envy Paul on the
road to Damascus. Sometimes faith is
hard as you go through life and you
see, as I do every day, what people
do to each other. To move from the
realm of faith to certainty holds a lot
of appeal.
78
PCT: If you had to do another job
than what you’re doing, what would
you do?
RD: I’m guessing that I would either
be a teacher or a financial services
representative
PCT: What is your impact to Parker
County?
RD: Parker County is a great place to
live. A large part of that is because
families feel safe. I hope my work
aggressively prosecuting persons who
PCT: What’s the best piece of advice
you would give?
RD: It would be something my dad
told me while I was still in junior
high. He said “You are going to get
beat. That’s okay. There is always
going to be someone stronger,
smarter, and faster at some point in
your life. Just make sure you never
get beat because you got outworked”.
That has stuck with me. I’ve faced a
lot of really good defense lawyers—
and been beaten by some of them.
But I don’t think I ever lost a case
because I was outworked.
PCT: What is the most interesting
thing you have ever done in your
life?
RD: I think one of the most unusual
is that I can remember that my wife
and I had planned to get married in
November of 2006. We picked a date
and had invited family and few close
friends. We decided to have then
District Judge Don Chrestman marry
us in his courtroom. As it turns out, I
got stuck in trial that week. I remem-
ber remarking to the jury that “Hang
on—I’ve got to run across the hall
and get married really quick and I’ll
be right back with you.” My wife and
I still laugh about that.
Laurie Jones
Laurie is a retired educator of
almost seven years having taught
kindergarten and second grade for
33 years, 32 in Weatherford ISD.
For the past five years she has
been in a volunteer position as
President of the Board of Direc-
tors for Parker County Fine Arts
Association/Theatre Off The
Square, Weatherford’s community
live theatre.
PCT: How did you get into your
occupation?
LJ: Regarding my present position,
having been involved with vocal
performance in high school and
college, anything pertaining to the
fine arts had always been appeal-
ing to me. I auditioned for a play
at Theatre Off The Square just on a
whim and landed a leading role. The
rest is history, so they say. In the past
14 years, I have acted, have been
an assistant director, a co-director
of our Summer Kid’s Theatre Camp,
a member of the Board of Directors
and now the President.
PCT: What is your favorite novel?
LJ: I took Black Literature for one
of my classes at the University of
Texas years ago, and we read Maya
Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged
Bird Sings. The novel touched my
heart then and continues to be one
that opens the mind with powerful
messages.
PCT: What do you do to decompress?
LJ: One of my favorite ventures is to
attend a musical. Sitting in a lovely
theatre with superb acting and fabu-
lous music takes me to a happy
place. If I need to decompress and
am not able to go to a musical, savor-
ing a little chocolate while sitting in a
park will do.