Forensic Commissioners Push Back Against Bradley
Under the leadership of Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley, the Texas Forensic Science Commission has waged a masterful war of attrition in the Cameron Todd Willingham matter: Stall long enough, and public interest in the internationally controversial capital punishment case — along with the political liability for any missteps — will fade away. But the commission’s latest delay, while pushing the resolution of the Willingham investigation securely after the general election, comes against Bradley’s wishes and could represent a sea change on the board that until now has resisted making any broader inquiries into the state’s arson convictions ...
Comments (4)
PubliusTX
** Under the leadership of Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley, the Texas Forensic Science Commission has waged a masterful war of attrition in the Cameron Todd Willingham matter: Stall long enough, and public interest in the internationally controversial capital punishment case — along with the political liability for any missteps — will fade away. **
Is this supposed to be an editorial or straight news story?
Because that lede seems to be more opinion than news.
Further, if that IS the strategy, it seems to have backfired -- media, and by extension "public", interest in this story seems as high as ever. Perhaps higher. So calling the alleged strategy "masterful" doesn't even seem quite right (in terms of editorializing).
Bob Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The following excerpt from Morgan's report says everything you need to know about Perry and the Republican stranglehold on State government. They don't want us to know or be involved.
“The number one problem is that absolutely everything the commission does, from beginning to end, is subject to immediate public release and observation,” he wrote. “No other agency, executive, legislative or judicial, conducts its work in that manner.”
He is forgetting he works for us and as his empolyer I have the right to know what he is doing on our dime and in our name!
So now lets see the reports on all these others agencies he refers to.
Thank you Tribune for keeping us informed against Mr.Bradley's wishes.
Truth Hurts
I can't wrap my head around a state DA from one of the most law-and-order counties actively working AGAINST the pursuit of justice. I know, of course, it's this way, because that's politics. But this is exactly the kind of case that clearly shows how politics can corrupt a process.
BTW, regarding editorial v. straight news -- every (and I mean every) news story has an opinion in it, beginning with the editorial decision what to cover in the first place. The question is whether those opinions are intelligent, reasonable, made in good faith, and substantiated by the evidence within and outside the story.
That the commission has been pursuing a strategy of delay ever since the moment Mr. Perry appointed Mr. Bradley is hardly a matter of debate. But then, some of us could debate all day whether the sun is yellow (or merely the human eye's reading of light with a wavelength of 570–580 nm).
Deborah Dalton
I remember reading the "New Yorker" article - all 16,000 words - and feeling devastated at Willingham's fate. There seemed to be real flaws in the investigation.
But I could not get one thing out of my head. It kept tickling my brain. The article read that Willingham's daughter woke Todd up, standing next to his bed, and made him aware of the fire. And yet when she was found, she was dead in Willingham's bed. I just could not imagine a young girl climbing back into bed at that point-in-time. I could imagine her running after her dad, perhaps. Or trying to get out of the house. It just struck me as odd.
I wrote e-mails to both the writer and the arson expert, but I never received a response. I really wanted to know what their hypothesis was on how she had ended up where she did (and if I remember correctly, there were no burns on the soles of her feet).
I don't know what to think; I really don't.
And I know this article is about shenanigans at a political level, and not about the innocence or guilt of Willingham. But I thought I would put my concerns out there in the event there is information I am missing on this very troubling point in the investigation.