D.A. drops grand jury indictment against judge

Wisner said the investigation of the Medina case would continue.

"To give you an analogy, we're only about six months into a 10-year statute of limitations on the arson, which is like about three minutes into a football game," he said.

The justice and his wife have denied any wrongdoing. Neither was at the brief hearing Friday.

"I can't speak for the actions of the grand jury, but I'm very disappointed by their decision," he said later in the day. "I do not know Mr. Rosenthal personally, and I have no other connection with him on any professional level."

Medina spared scrutiny by commission
The Supreme Court is Texas' highest civil court. The last stop for criminal cases is the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Medina's lawyer, Terry Yates, said the only possible improprieties are by Ryan and another grand juror who also publicly blasted the district attorney's office.

"They're acting way out of bounds," said Yates, who was seeking contempt of court charges against the pair for violating grand jury secrecy laws. "There's no politics. That's what the grand jury is trying to imply."

The dismissal spares Medina scrutiny by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which can suspend a judge who is under indictment.

The fire marshal's office has said the fire at the Medinas' home in Spring, north of Houston, was not electrical or accidental. A dog detected an accelerant at the scene.

Investigators became suspicious after discovering a mortgage company sued in June 2006 to foreclose on the $300,000 home. The lawsuit, filed after the family missed payments for five months, was settled in December 2006.

Yates has acknowledged the family had financial problems. They owed nearly $1,900 in fees to a homeowners association and also let the insurance policy on the house lapse, meaning losses from the fire were not covered.

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