Attorney Mina Brees’ death under investigation

The Grand County Coroner’s Office in Kremmling, Colo., is investigating the death of Austin solo Mina Brees, mother of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Jennie Eisenbart, a records clerk in the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, confirms that Brees’ Aug. 7 death is under investigation by the coroner but says she cannot provide additional information. On Aug. 4, the Texas Attorney General’s Office issued a civil investigative demand -- the civil version of a subpoena -- for the business records of Chicksports Inc., in connection with an investigation into possible violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act. The demand is addressed to Brees, who the Austin American-Statesman reports was the president of Chicksports. Among other things, the OAG demanded any letters in which Brees had offered to sell any rights related to an assumed name, trade name, business name and/or trademark. The Statesman reported Aug. 7 that Brees had sent letters to a number of Austin and Houston restaurants for which Chicksports had assumed ownership of the restaurants’ names. According to the Statesman, Chicksports offered each restaurant an opportunity to buy its name for $20,000 or $25,000. OAG spokesman Jerry Strickland says the OAG is continuing conversations with lawyers representing Chicksports, but he declines further comment. Brees, a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully for a seat on Austin’s 3rd Court of Appeals in 2006, losing to Republican Justice David Puryear.
-- Mary Alice Robbins