In the wake of Michael Morton’s high-profile exoneration, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, filed a bill Tuesday that aims to ensure more accountability for prosecutors who are accused of withholding evidence.
Brandi Grissom
Brandi Grissom worked at the Tribune from its launch in 2009 until 2014, rising to the rank of managing editor. In addition to editing duties, Grissom led the Tribune's coverage of criminal justice issues. During her tenure at the Tribune, she was chosen as a 2012 City University of New York Center on Media, Crime and Justice/H.F. Guggenheim Journalism Fellow and was a fellow at the 2012 Journalist Law School at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Grissom, along with Tribune multimedia producer Justin Dehn, received a 2012 regional Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting for work on the case of Megan Winfrey, who was acquitted of murder in February 2013 after the Trib’s coverage brought statewide attention the case. Grissom joined the Tribune after four years at the El Paso Times, where she acted as a one-woman Capitol bureau. Grissom won the Associated Press Managing Editors First-Place Award in 2007 for using the Freedom of Information Act to report stories on a variety of government programs and entities, and the ACLU of Texas named her legislative reporter of the year in 2007 for her immigration reporting. She previously served as managing editor at The Daily Texan and has worked for the Alliance Times-Herald, the Taylor Daily Press, the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung and The Associated Press. A native of Alliance, Neb., she has a degree in history from the University of Texas.
Posted in
Trouble in Mind
Andre Thomas: Questions of Competence, Justice
Andre Thomas’ case raises critical questions about how the justice system deals with mentally ill defendants who commit heinous crimes and whether they should be exempt from the death penalty.
Posted in
Trouble in Mind
Andre Thomas: Gaps in the Mental Health Code
Hospitals don’t have authority to detain people in mental crisis who voluntarily enter their facilities. Advocates for reform say that is one of many holes in the state’s nearly 30-year-old mental health code.
Posted in
Trouble in Mind
Andre Thomas: The Mentally Ill, From Asylums to Jails
Texas has a long and unhappy history when it comes to mental health care. From the days of state-run asylums to underfunded local mental health services, those who have mental illness have faced daunting challenges finding care.
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
Trouble In Mind: A Timeline
This timeline provides an in-depth look at some of the key moments in the case of Andre Thomas, a mentally ill death row inmate who began exhibiting signs of mental illness as a boy and committed a brutal triple murder in 2004. Blind because he pulled out both of his eyes while behind bars, Thomas awaits a federal court’s decision on whether he is sane enough to be executed.
Posted in
Trouble in Mind
Andre Thomas: Where Mental Health and Criminal Justice Collide
The case of death row inmate Andre Thomas offers a lens through which to examine the effects of a long underfunded mental health system and raises important questions about how Texas punishes the mentally ill.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Moody Files Open Discovery Bill
A bill filed by state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, on Monday would require prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases to open their files to their opponents. It could have momentum in the wake of Michael Morton’s exoneration.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Ex-DA’s Indignant Testimony Closes Dramatic Inquiry
An indignant and defensive Ken Anderson brought a dramatic end to a week of emotional testimony in the unusual court examination of whether he should face criminal charges for his 1987 prosecution of Michael Morton.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Drama Erupts as Anderson Court of Inquiry Nears Its End
A day of legal theater in the Ken Anderson court of inquiry ended with a reversal-of-course by John Bradley. The firebrand ex-prosecutor backed away from previous damning statements he made about his former boss.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Michael Morton: The TT Interview
On Wednesday, Michael Morton sat down with the Tribune to talk about the pain and anger the court of inquiry for Ken Anderson is bringing up for him and his hopes for accountability in the wake of his wrongful conviction.
