Letter to Pat Lykos 11

 

I took the last week of the year off, which means I have a ton of new things to cover. Among them are a slight shift in the direction of the blog, the changing politics of prisoner exonerations, and of course, more from SPM. But it wouldn’t be the first post of the month if I didn’t write a new letter to DA Pat Lykos.

Now, Lykos is up for re-election this year. She does not have the support of Houston PD, and she’s being challenged for the Republican nomination by a member of her own party, Mike Anderson. She is going to be as busy as fuck this year, which is why we need to make ourselves heard.

She can’t rely on the traditional supporters of Republican candidates; we need to show her that there are others out here who will gladly help her continue her campaign to bring integrity back to the Harris County DA’s office. We see that she is willing, even eager to exonerate those who have been convicted wrongfully. Please, drop her a line and let her know that you want one more case looked at.

Remember, you are welcome to print out my letter and send her a copy; you can change it around a little bit, or start from scratch and write your own. A few lines with Carlos Coy’s name and case number is all that is required. If you don’t feel comfortable writing, why not print off one of the flyers to your right and sending that in? It only costs .44 for a stamp, and it could give a man a second shot at justice.

The Honorable Patricia R. Lykos

1201 Franklin, Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77002-1923

Ma’am,

I’m writing today about the case of Carlos Coy, case #908426.

In May of this year, Mr. Coy will have served ten years of a 45 year sentence he received in a trial in which there was no evidence presented. The supposed victim in this case was unsure if the crime had actually happened; No effort to gather physical evidence was made by HPD investigators.

Many of those who helped put together this conviction have had what appear to be ethical questions raised against them; Denise Oncken, a prosecutor, was investigated for withholding Brady Material in the case of Glen Kahlden. Fiona Stephenson, the interviewer, had at least one case where she allowed irrelevant information to become inextricably intertwined with exculpatory evidence, rendering it useless to the defense.

Heidi Ruiz, the investigating officer, was so biased against Coy that a special mention was made by one of the appeals courts; serious questions were raised about her conduct during an unrecorded interview in the case of Aldo Pena Penaflor v. The State of Texas, another emotionally charged case with a very young victim. With Officer’s Ruiz assertion in Coy’s trial that her feelings were her proof, it is not out of the realm of possibility that her emotions may affect her judgement.

You will be extremely busy this year, but as you pursue another term as DA please do not let the work of justice fall by the wayside. Please review the case of Coy vs. Texas, examine the police reports and the evidence lists. I believe it is only a matter of time before Mr. Coy receives a new trial; why not make it happen in an election year? You will be able to demonstrate your perpetual fight for justice while appealing to a voting bloc that may never have considered heading to the polls.

Please, give us justice.

Me, My address, blah blah blah.