Texas judge faces "court of inquiry" in wrongful conviction. Back in 1986, Michael Morton was convicted of beating his wife to death, and he spent 25 years in prison until DNA evidence finally freed him. Now Mr. Morton is going after Judge Ken Anderson, who prosecuted him at the time, for withholding evidence that should have been turned over to his attorney. Amazingly, Texas has now convened a "court of inquiry" to determine to determine of Judge Anderson should be punished, and perhaps even prosecuted.
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A “court of inquiry,” part of Texas law since 1965, has usually been used to examine allegations against elected officials, never to address suspected misconduct by a prosecutor. Some hope this week’s hearings lead to a greater examination of alleged prosecutorial misconduct that has led to wrongful convictions not just in Texas, but nationwide.
“There is no doubt that the eyes of Texas are going to be on this proceeding,” said Kathryn Kase, executive director of Texas Defender Service, a nonprofit that trains and assists lawyers who represent death row inmates. “Bad forensic science is not the only reason people get wrongfully imprisoned, and we have to be dedicated to trying to stop that.” (...)
The State Bar of Texas has also begun proceedings that could end with Anderson being disbarred. It's good to see prosecutors finally being held responsible for their misbehavior.
Onward and upward,
airforce
