Monday, August 23, 2010

Justice can't be quantified through conviction rates

In Dallas, District Attorney candidates are debating the proper method for calculating "conviction rates," but personally I agree with Harris County DA Pat Lykos who told the Dallas News:  "she doesn't even calculate the rates. 'We seek justice,' Lykos said. "Justice cannot be quantified in terms of wins and losses or batting averages.'"

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

That ain't so in Smith County. Here Skeen and Bingham want to WIN!
And it doesn't matter how.

Anonymous said...

And if Lykos and the folks at the Harris County DA's office are prosecuting defendants that they aren't convinced are guilty, they should all be in another line of work! Kudos to Messrs. Skeen and Bingham for doing the job that Smith County voters elected them to do!

Anonymous said...

The public loses faith in the justice system when the innocent go to jail and known criminals are allowed to beat the system. As detailed in the book..."Raped by The State", the CJ system is corrupt and needs a major overhaul.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

1:50, you need to familiarize yourself with the Mineola Swingers Club case before making such claims. Bingham and Skeen are turning Smith County justice into a statewide laughingstock, even if the locals haven't noticed yet.

Anonymous said...

The problem is that Lykos is lying. I know for a fact that she parades all around and cites one thing--statistics. Now DAs can't abandon enhancements paragraphs in Harris County---so a guy with .1 grams of crack can get 20 years. Justice? Hell no.

Anonymous said...

What a change in the view of the role of the DA in Harris County, TX. I recall a judge that had a billboard when running for re-election that touted something like "Crime on Sunday, Court on Monday, Prison on Thursday". That incumbent judge was the Honorable Ted Poe, a former prosecutor in the Harris County DA's Office, who is now a member of the US House of Representatives. The previous DA's administration in Harris County was known to keep a scorecard based regarding conviction rate for prosecutor staff that was in part a basis for rewarding staff for their "success". In the past, convictions were the focus of the Harris County DA's Office and the basis of success within. Thankfully, we have a District Attorney in Harris County who understands that "...the primary duty of of all prosecuting attorneys, including any special prosecutors, (is) not to convict, but to see that justice is done." (TX Code of Criminal Procedure, Title 1, Chapter 2, Article 2.01). I suspect Pat Lykos has read what her role and duties are, whereas others have not. Kudos for Pat Lykos and the Harris County District Attorney's Office for performing their duties honorably and professionally.

Anonymous said...

"I suspect Pat Lykos has read what her role and duties are, whereas others have not. Kudos for Pat Lykos and the Harris County District Attorney's Office for performing their duties honorably and professionally."

You are insane if you think anything you typed is true. You ahve no idea what goes on at the court house in that county, but it is certainly scorekeeping.

Anonymous said...

Now a D.A.'s job is really easy. Convict a criminal one day and then immediately begin pursuing exoneration proceedings based on evidence that was strangely unavailable during the trial phase. It's a win-win for both conservatives and liberals. We could probably whittle down the wrongful conviction compensation amount to a level below the costs for operating a prison system and end up saving some bling bling.

Hook Em Horns said...

Round your partner doe see doe...Smith County...yada yada yada. Smith County DA's office must not be too busy as they have time to post crap on here! As for Pat Lykos, her actions speak louder than the words of some anonymous troll on a message board.

FYI when Lykos talks stat's you can bet your ass that she's talking JUSTICE stats and not some win-lose ratio based on BAD convictions.

Anonymous said...

Pat Lykos is lying. Do an open records request. Every ADA's record is duly recorded and maintained daily. Her whole administration is based on politics and that statement is calculated for its political impact. She has a lot of people absolutely buffaloed with her BS.

Anonymous said...

The real shame of all of this, using a conviction 'rate' to attempt an election campaign. How about a "I stuck to the Constitution" rate, or better, "I didn't railroad" rate. You wanna talk about honor or integrity, That is what we are talking about!