Open Mic

Since 1973, a staggering 138 people in 26 States have been set free from wrongful convictions because of rogue prosecutors like John Bradley. Outside organizations such as the Innocence Project  and Centurion Ministries have ended thousands of years of wrongful conviction and imprisonment for wrongly accused inmates across America. In Texas,  Michael Morton became the 45th wrongly convicted  prisoner to go free based on DNA exoneration. Morton served over 25 years in prison before walking out on October 4th, 2011. Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley fought tooth and nail to prevent the DNA from being tested in the Michael Morton case. For those of us caught between teh crosshairs of a rogue prosecutor, that methodoloy is just par for the course.

Until America’s Jails and prisons can incarcerate  more than just the guilty and the wrongly accused - - those convicted  only due to prosecutorial misconduct - - the innocent will continue to suffer wrongful arrest, trial, indictment,  conviction, and long prison stays.  Until we can agree to hold police and prosecutors to the same legal standard those suspected of committing crimes are subjected to, the innocent will suffer. Prosecutors such as John Bradley in Williamson County are just as much criminal as the people they assume guilt and prosecute. The only difference is, they an do whatever it takes to make someone appear guilty and when caught breaking the law to do it, there are no consequences. 

These sacred words are found in the Texas Penal Code, and they read, in part:

"....It shall be the primary duty of all prosecuting attorneys, including any special prosecutors, not to convict, but to see that justice is done.  They shall not suppress facts or secrete witnesses capable of establishing the innocence of the accused  Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 2.01)...."

Until we hold corrupt Texas prosecutors by the same legal standard we hold other criminals, these words will continue to be as worth only as much as the paper they are written on....