Michael Morton was sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He was charged with killing his wife and served 25 years before being exonerated and released. Morton’s defense attorneys have reason to believe the prosecutor in the case had knowledge of Morton’s innocence, knowledge he didn’t disclose. Now, the prosecutor, Ken Anderson, is under a microscope as the defense lawyers dig into court records and files in an effort to uncover the truth. [Read more…]
“No Refusal” DWI Blood-Draw Programs Commonplace
Last year, 801 people died in alcohol related traffic fatalities in the state of Texas. This number has climbed over the past several years. In 2009, Texas had the most alcohol related fatalities of any state in the country. These numbers have pushed lawmakers to take more aggressive steps in getting drunk drivers off the road, including mandatory blood draws. [Read more…]
State Commission To Investigate Old Arson Convictions
If you haven’t heard of Cameron Todd Willingham, you haven’t heard of the one man who is believed to have been executed by the state of Texas when he was actually innocent of the charges against him. Why was the death penalty doled out in a case where the guilt of the defendant was questionable, at best? Because he was convicted using flawed scientific practices and the system did nothing, at the time, to discredit such practices. [Read more…]
Former Dallas Crime Lab Worker Campaigns for an Audit
Dr. Chris Nulf worked for the Dallas County Crime lab for a little over a year. In that time, he says he saw inconsistent practices and poor evidence handling procedures. He sent anonymous complaints to the Texas Forensic Sciences Commission while he was employed there and continues to speak out today. But nothing has been done and the Dallas lab remains one that hasn’t come under review by the commission to date. [Read more…]
Former Texas Convict Shares Story of Mistaken Eyewitness Testimony
Although the woman who was raped in 1983 initially told police Michael Anthony Green wasn’t one of the four who hurt her, she later changed her tune when Green was in a lineup. This changed account would end up sending Green, then 18, to prison for 27 years. [Read more…]
Greenville, TX Gets Police License Plate Scanners
Greenville, a northeast suburb of Dallas is the latest city to acquire a new automatic license plate scanning systems for their police department. This system will be used by the police department to search for stolen cars, and identify drivers and cars flagged in the database as wanted by the police. [Read more…]
Flawed Eyewitness Identification At Fault In Two Recent High Profile Cases
Two cases of DNA exoneration in the Houston area is bringing the issue of eyewitness identification into the light. Two men who served a combined total of 46 years behind bars for offenses they didn’t commit can largely blame eyewitness identification for their convictions. [Read more…]
New Woodlands Crime Lab Ready for Evidence
A new toxicology lab in Montgomery County has law enforcement and many in the legal community looking forward to faster turnaround when it comes to processing criminal evidence. The Sam Houston State University Regional Crime Lab opened this year, though it hasn’t begun receiving cases yet. It is estimated, by The Courier, that the new lab will be able to handle about 6,000 cases each year. [Read more…]
