A man detained outside of former President George W. Bush’ s Preston Hollow home was released last night after being questioned by the U.S. Secret Service.

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan spoke with People Newspapers and confirmed the man did have a gun in his car but was not arrested thus could not release information detailing the incident.

Many news outlets reported the man was mentally deranged and was “spiritually told to pick up a package at the Bush home,”  but Donovan said he could not confirm that information since there was no official arrest report made.

When asked how the man got past the gate, what kind of gun he had and if the man was completely delusional, Donovan said he could not release any further details.

18 WEDNESDAY

At 2 p.m., the rear driver’s side window of a silver 2012 Dodge sedan inexplicably shattered as the car traveled in the 7800 block of Park Lane.

At 6 p.m., two pellet guns were found in a department store at NorthPark Center.

Between 10 and 11 p.m., a gunman fired a shot into the window of an unoccupied office in the 9200 block of North Central Expressway. The bullet went through an interior wall and into a hallway, causing $3,000 worth of damage.

21 SATURDAY

At 8 p.m., police were alerted that a young man was seen carrying a gun at NorthPark Center. Officers found a suspect matching the witness’s description in the food court and discovered that he was carrying a BB gun. The young man was issued a citation for disorderly conduct and released to the custody of his 27-year-old mother.

The email alleges that a gang beat up a Dallas Academy student near NorthPark last week, and that the manager of Macy’s refused to provide help when the bloodied teen’s friends brought him to the store to clean him up.

Here’s what we know:

• There was an assault on Jan. 2. According to Dallas police, “20 to 40″ people beat up a 17-year-old boy and two others in a parking lot in the 9100 block of North Central Expressway.
• The 17-year-old boy is a student at Dallas Academy, a school spokeswoman confirmed, and “a great kid.”
• NorthPark issued a statement through Androvett Media acknowledging the incident, but defending the actions of Macy’s employees. “Macy’s staff responded professionally and compassionately in assisting this young man by calling 911 and contacting the Dallas Police Department.”

We’ve tried to reach out to the 17-year-old’s parents. Look for more details in this week’s paper.

Between 5:20 and 7:10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, a burglar broke into a silver 2008 Mercury in the 5500 block of Lindershire Lane and stole a $225 Falchi purse that contained a $50 red wallet.

Between 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 8:30 a.m. on Christmas Day, a burglar broke into a white 1999 Ford pickup in the 8600 block of Labron Avenue and stole a $200 GPS, $50 worth of tools, two pairs of gloves valued at $30, a $20 flashlight, and $20 cash.

Between 3 and 3:20 a.m. on Christmas Day, a burglar broke into a storage unit at Celebration restaurant in 4500 block of West Lovers Lane and stole a $200 Echo leaf blower. The thievery was captured on video.

Between 6:30 and 10:15 a.m. on Christmas Day, a burglar broke into a yellow 2009 Chevy pickup in the 6100 block of Boca Raton Drive and stole a $250 GPS.

Between 5 and 9 p.m. on Christmas Day, a vandal keyed a yellow 2005 Toyota in the 4400 block of College Park Drive, causing $1,200 worth of damage.

Between 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve and 8 a.m. on Tuesday, a burglar broke into a silver 2006 Ford pickup in the 7000 block of Mason Dells Drive. Nothing was reported stolen.

In addition to two gunpoint robberies, there have been eleven home burglaries, three of which occurred during the day while the owners were home.

Most commonly, the robbers rang the doorbell repeatedly with no answer before entering a home, presumably (and incorrectly) thinking the owners were away. But on Dec. 6 there was a home invasion at 11:30 a.m., where armed robbers forced their way into a home in the 7100 block of Brookshire Circle and stole $5,000 worth of jewelry.

For comparison, there were only four home burglaries in Dec. 1 through 20 in 2010, and none of them occurred while the owners were present.

My holiday message to you, faithful PHP readers, is to lock your doors, set the alarm, get a dog, and have a very merry— and safe— Christmas.

According to police, the robber fled in a gray two-door vehicle.  The woman, who lives on Thackery Street, was not harmed.

This is the second round of sanctions hearings against lead ESD counsel Chrysta Castañeda as well as her firm, Locke Lord. After landing on the losing end of a $9.2 million jury verdict in September, ESD hired a multitude of attorneys from Haynes & Boone, who have been handling post-trial matters.

Judge D’Metria Benson heard a variety of motions related to the final judgment and sanctions against ESD on Nov. 10. She heard the remainder of sanctions charges, or as many as the plaintiffs could get through in the 20-minute allotment, this afternoon.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Brent Walker alleged that ESD knowingly hid important documents by falsely claiming attorney-client privilege. Walker said the “sad story” email, a key document in the case, was not turned over until the night before the trial began.

In the email, Upper School head Erin Mayo wrote that she didn’t “want the girl haunting the halls with her sad story.” The email was sent to chief academic officer Rebecca Royall’s assistant. Former CFO Chris Burrow submitted a sworn statement that the document was attorney-client communication.

“That is simply an attempt to hide relevant information by falsely asserting privilege,” Walker said, adding that ESD also claimed privilege on other internal communications. “This is a pattern of behavior, not a bunch of discreet instances.”

Walker also took issue with Castañeda’s individual conduct. Despite Benson directing Castañeda to accept subpoena service for Burrow, Walker said she failed to on five separate occasions.

“She refuses to comply with the court’s order,” he said.

Castañeda, sitting a few feet away, did not speak during the hearing. George Bramblett and Chip Brooker of Haynes & Boone argued against the charges on behalf of Castañeda and Locke Lord.

“As we all know, there are two sides to every story,” Bramblett said. “This case has not been easy on anyone.”

Bramblett asserted that the plaintiffs’ “pre-ordained” this hearing before the trial ever began and established a record that shows “a cry for sanctions.”

“They complained about everything,” he said. “It was a litigation strategy.”

Bramblett called the sanctions hearing unprecedented and said with the verdict already delivered in favor of the plaintiffs, there was “nothing left to remedy.” He even went as far as to say that collecting on sanctions after winning the verdict would amount to “a double recovery.”

“The case is over,” Bramblett said. “Their complaints were resolved by the trial. These issues are moot.”

The plaintiffs are asking for around $90,000 in attorneys fees related to the alleged misconduct. Benson has deferred ruling on sanctions and the final judgement until a later date.

1. Judge D’Metria Benson has not ruled on the final judgment, and based on arguments last month, it appears the award will be somewhere between $3 and 7 million.

2. In January and again in November, the plaintiffs filed some pretty serious sanctions against ESD. Benson heard the first part of those last month, and will hear the more recent accusations next week.

There’s no mention of a ruling in the court docket for Dec. 15, and cordial Court Coordinator Seth Little tells me the only guarantee for next week’s hearing is sanctions arguments. So don’t get your hopes up (like I did) for this case to wrap up before 2012.

As always, the court is open to the public. If you’d like to see the (dare I say final?) latest round of arguments, leave your weapons, recording devices, and digital cameras at home and head to County Court at Law No. 1, located on the fifth floor of the George Allen Courts Building, 600 Commerce Street. The hearing begins at 3 p.m.

But this week, all but one reported instance of shoplifting occurred at Macy’s. In most of the reports, the culprit was seen on video surveillance and apprehended as he exited the store. Looks like Big Brother has a new gig.

To check out all the week’s crimes, pick up a copy of Preston Hollow People at any of these fine locations.

“Rarely do you get a judgment for the entire amount of the verdict,” said attorney Charla Aldous, who represents the Doe family.

The Does sued ESD for damages related to history teacher John Nathan Campbell’s sexual relationship with their daughter and her subsequent separation from the school.

Judge D’Metria Benson heard a variety of motions related to the final judgment and sanctions against ESD this afternoon, but deferred ruling on any of them until a later date.

Fifteen attorneys, including a handful of newly acquired appellate counsel from Haynes & Boone, attended the hearing on behalf of ESD. The school sought to have the judgment thrown out entirely, but offered an award around $3 million should its first request fail.

Attorney George Bramblett urged Benson to delay ruling on the plaintiffs’ proposed sanctions against Locke, Lord, Bissell & Liddell.

“There’s no reason, your honor, to rush to judgment on such an important thing,” said Bramblett, who was named the 2011 Malpractice Lawyer of the Year by the organization Best Lawyers in America.

On Nov. 2, the plaintiffs filed additional sanctions against lead counsel Chrysta Castaneda as well as Locke Lord for witness tampering, intimidation, obstruction of justice, and perjury. The plaintiffs’ original motion for sanctions was filed in January. Taking into account the sanctions’ wide scope (they covered issues from the entire length of the trial), as well as Castaneda’s recent abdominal surgery, Benson acquiesced to Bramlett’s request and postponed the hearing on the Nov. 2 sanctions until “a later date.”

In a move that seemed to surprise ESD’s gaggle of legal representatives, Benson bifurcated the hearing on sanctions and heard arguments contained in the plaintiffs’ initial filing.

Brent Walker, a lawyer representing the family, acknowledged that it was unusual to seek sanctions against a firm after prevailing with a multi-million dollar verdict. But Walker asserted that Lock Lorde’s “unconscionable” behavior merits legal action. Some of the charges heard against the firm included withholding tax documents and other evidence, and misconduct during witness depositions.

“A business open since 1974 should have more than five IRS documents,” Walker said. “I think that’s self-evident.”

Walker alleged that ESD displayed “a pattern of abuse throughout the entire discovery process” before asking for 50 percent of the total monetary sanctions listed in the Nov. 2 filing, which came to about $45,000.

Defense attorney Chip Brooker of Haynes & Boone argued that awarding legal fees was not an “appropriate response” to discourage this type of behavior.

“They’re asking simply for money, again,” Brooker said.

Walker also took issue with ESD’s conduct during Father Stephen Swann’s deposition, which occurred last year. Walker said Castaneda purposefully spread the deposition over multiple days and improperly restricted Swann from answering questions.

Attorney Shonn Brown defended Castaneda and attacked Aldous’ conduct, calling her questioning style “extremely abusive” with the purpose of “beating [Swann] into submission.”

Regarding the accusation that ESD withheld tax documents, Brown said they produced documents “as they became aware of them” and always acted “in good faith.”

During the motion for judgment, attorney Cynthia Timms asked Benson to take judicial notice of ESD’s settlement offer to Jane Doe II on Feb. 23, 2011. The $626,000 offer was extended only to Jane and would not have settled the entire case. The plaintiffs rejected the offer. Under Rule 167, Timms said should the court award an ultimate verdict less than 80 percent of the settlement offer, the plaintiffs would be responsible for ESD’s legal fees since March, which total $1.5 million.

Walker argued that figure seemed a bit high.

“My guess is it’s not reasonable to have 15 attorneys billing for this hearing,” he said.