Michael T. Shelby
Encyclopedia
Michael Taylor "Mike" Shelby (November 5, 1958 – July 18, 2006) was a prominent Houston
lawyer who served as the United States attorney
for the Southern District of Texas from 2002–2005. He was appointed U.S. attorney by President George W. Bush
, on the recommendation of Republican
U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
.
Shelby resigned as U.S. attorney in 2005 for personal financial reasons and became a full partner in the Houston firm of Fulbright & Jaworski
, named in part for the late Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski
. He headed the firm's white-collar
defense practice. Thereafter, he was stricken with cancer
, which had reached into his spine. According to the Harris County
coroner, an autopsy revealed that Shelby ended his life by firing a handgun to his chest.
in Caldwell County
near San Marcos
to Dr. David Martin Shelby (1914–1996), who resided in Gonzales
at the time of his death, and the former Marilyn Seay. Shelby grew up in Houston.
He attended Texas A&M University
in College Station
on a debate scholarship and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1981. He attended the University of Texas School of Law
in Austin
, where he was the chairman of the Board of Advocates. He was active in Moot Court and, as of 2006, was the only student to have twice won the prestigious Hildebrand Moot Court competition.
In law school, he met and married the former Diana Jane Van Hooser. The couple made their home in Houston, where their two daughters, Elizabeth Jane Shelby and Sarah Seay Shelby, were born.
, and environmental law.
In 1997, the Shelbys moved to Phoenix
, where he continued his work as an assistant U.S. attorney, with specialization in the prosecution of corrupt public officials and international narcotics trafficking. The Shelbys returned to Houston in 2002, when he became full U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
Shelby received many commendations for his work from the Department of Justice
, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
, the U.S. Customs Service, the United States Environmental Protection Agency
, the Internal Revenue Service
, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He received personal letters of commendation from former Attorney General Janet Reno
and former FBI directors Louis Freeh
and William Sessions
.
Shelby was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and held the rank of commander. He was a decorated veteran with active-duty service in the Middle East
during Operation Desert Storm and later in Bosnia
.
. In a three-man field, he ran second to Kyle Janek
, with Tim Turner finishing in a strong third place. Janek led with 2,242 (34.8 percent) to Shelby's 2,172 (33.7 percent) and Turner's 2,032 (31.5 percent). In the GOP
runoff the following month, which had a low turnout of voters, Janek was a narrow winner over Shelby, 1,756 (51.2 percent) to 1,675 (48.8 percent). Janek lost the seat in the general election
but won it in 1994 and was then elected to the Texas State Senate in 2002.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
lawyer who served as the United States attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Southern District of Texas from 2002–2005. He was appointed U.S. attorney by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, on the recommendation of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
.
Shelby resigned as U.S. attorney in 2005 for personal financial reasons and became a full partner in the Houston firm of Fulbright & Jaworski
Fulbright & Jaworski
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the largest law firms in the United States with nearly 1,000 attorneys in over 50 practice areas. The firm was founded in Houston in 1919 by R. C. Fulbright, an attorney working in railway regulation, and J.H. Crooker, a litigator...
, named in part for the late Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski
Leon Jaworski
Leonidas "Leon" Jaworski was the second Special Prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal...
. He headed the firm's white-collar
White-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
defense practice. Thereafter, he was stricken with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, which had reached into his spine. According to the Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
coroner, an autopsy revealed that Shelby ended his life by firing a handgun to his chest.
Early years, education, family
Shelby was born in LulingLuling, Texas
Luling is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States, along the San Marcos River. The population was 5,080 at the 2000 census. There is some debate as to how Luling got its name. Some say it was named for a Chinese railroad worker, others for a judge named Luling, or that it was the maiden...
in Caldwell County
Caldwell County, Texas
Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. In 2000, the population was 32,194. Its county seat is Lockhart...
near San Marcos
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
to Dr. David Martin Shelby (1914–1996), who resided in Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
at the time of his death, and the former Marilyn Seay. Shelby grew up in Houston.
He attended Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
on a debate scholarship and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1981. He attended the University of Texas School of Law
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, where he was the chairman of the Board of Advocates. He was active in Moot Court and, as of 2006, was the only student to have twice won the prestigious Hildebrand Moot Court competition.
In law school, he met and married the former Diana Jane Van Hooser. The couple made their home in Houston, where their two daughters, Elizabeth Jane Shelby and Sarah Seay Shelby, were born.
Meteoric legal career
Shelby worked for five years as an assistant district attorney in Harris County. He served primarily in the Special Prosecutions Division. In 1989, he joined the U.S. attorney's office in Houston as an assistant U.S. attorney, with specialization in the investigation and prosecution of cases involviing public corruption, organized crimeOrganized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
, and environmental law.
In 1997, the Shelbys moved to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, where he continued his work as an assistant U.S. attorney, with specialization in the prosecution of corrupt public officials and international narcotics trafficking. The Shelbys returned to Houston in 2002, when he became full U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas.
Shelby received many commendations for his work from the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
, the U.S. Customs Service, the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
, the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He received personal letters of commendation from former Attorney General Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
and former FBI directors Louis Freeh
Louis Freeh
Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....
and William Sessions
William Sessions
William Sessions may refer to:*William K. Sessions III, U.S. District Court Judge*William S. Sessions, former director of the FBI...
.
Shelby was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and held the rank of commander. He was a decorated veteran with active-duty service in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
during Operation Desert Storm and later in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
A political campaign too
In March 1992, Shelby entered the Republican primary for the District 134 seat in the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. In a three-man field, he ran second to Kyle Janek
Kyle Janek
Kyle Janek, M.D. ,is a former Republican member of the Texas Senate, having represented District 17 from 2003 until June 2, 2008. The district includes portions of Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Jefferson counties...
, with Tim Turner finishing in a strong third place. Janek led with 2,242 (34.8 percent) to Shelby's 2,172 (33.7 percent) and Turner's 2,032 (31.5 percent). In the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
runoff the following month, which had a low turnout of voters, Janek was a narrow winner over Shelby, 1,756 (51.2 percent) to 1,675 (48.8 percent). Janek lost the seat in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
but won it in 1994 and was then elected to the Texas State Senate in 2002.