Justice for Judges?

Holy Shit. Someone is actually calling for a former prosecutor to be punished for hiding evidence and allowing an innocent man to serve 25 years in prison. Now granted this is Williamson County, not Harris County, but still; it’s fucking PROGRESS.

Have you been following the Michael Morton case? Morton was convicted of the 1986 murder of his wife. A prosecutor and the police department apparently sat on evidence that could have proved his innocence during the trial.

It appears that this evidence was not only concealed from the defense, but was not even submitted to the judge in this case. Now, on top of this, the Williamson County DA’s office has been fighting for six years to prevent DNA testing of a bloody bandana found near the house. Finally they lost, the bandana was tested and…Hang on now, I don’t want to give anyone a heart attack when I reveal the startling fact that…the DNA on the bandana was not a match for Michael Morton. It was covered in his wife’s blood, and some as-yet-unrevealed felon/murder suspect’s DNA. This guy is also suspected of a similar killing. From 1988.

If this prosecutor had not sat on these documents, they might have been able to clear Michael Morton and actually FIND the guy who murdered Christine Morton. Instead, they imprisoned the wrong guy and allowed a vicious killer to roam free, and possibly kill again. Way to fucking go! Just remember, it’s for the children.

Will they go through with the punishment? Will someone in Williamson County stroll down to the Ball-Mart and get a pair? Will this former prosecutor be required to answer for his actions? I don’t know, we’ll have to keep an eye on it. This is very encouraging though, because if someone in Texas is willing to point out that a judge should be held responsible for his actions, maybe it's not too far a stretch to hold less-than-judges accountable, too. Maybe we're about to see an avalanche of cases examined. Maybe this will usher in a new era of responsibility in government. Maybe...hang on, I don't think I can maintain this level of optimism without a stiffer drink.

Anyway. Those involved in Coy’s conviction have not stood still during his incarceration. While Judge Ellis remains at the 351^st court, prosecutor Lisa Andrews now works with Coy’s former defense lawyer, Chip Lewis. Prosecutor Denise Oncken now appears to be Chief of the Crimes Against Children Division of the Harris County DA’s office.

They can fuck someone up big time whenever they wanted to, which is why we must continue the fight for justice; they could pick any one of us, at any time, strip away everything we love, stomp our names into the dirt, and there isn’t a damn thing most of us could do about it. You can be rich, you can be famous, but if you’re on their list, you’re going down.

Making this judge answer for what he did 25 years ago will not bring back the lost years Morton spent in prison. It will not provide his now adult son with a new childhood. But it will give faith to people like us that there may, someday, be some justice for the  judicial system.

http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2011/10/state-bar-should-sanction-prosecutor.html

http://stclguns.homestead.com/HarrisCountyCourts.html

http://www.statesman.com/opinion/morton-free-now-state-bar-must-act-1902944.html