tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post729317130201204558..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: ACLU: CCA ignored evidence of false confession in capital caseGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-38733464594530370672009-11-29T12:52:27.625-06:002009-11-29T12:52:27.625-06:00It took 2 years of waiting before they issued this...It took 2 years of waiting before they issued this opinion. It is just unbelievable what they have said. All of Texas knew about what had happened at the bowling alley and yet they want to claim that Max knew about details. The witness who has stated who had actually confessed to the murder could not make his statement. If justice were interested in true justice, then they would have done everything possible to hear each side of this case. It is so obvious that this man has made a false confession. School classes who are learning about his case are upset since this man is still in prison. Hopefully he will find justice on his way through the courts. And it can be hoped for that it won't take too long. Almost 30 years and more stolen from this man's life, his whole childhood actually. When will someone show him that there can be justice after all. I hope that he will live to see that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-38050302851035246482009-11-20T15:05:32.952-06:002009-11-20T15:05:32.952-06:00A little off topic here, but I see in today's ...A little off topic here, but I see in today's paper (AGN) that Gov. Perry rejected his parole board's recommendation for clemency (5-2 vote) and Texas executed a man yesterday--an accomplice to a 1996 murder. The shooter got life. Go figure.ckikerintuliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02670661043872744115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-64576801315364008912009-11-19T09:55:56.906-06:002009-11-19T09:55:56.906-06:00I haven't read the Soffar briefs or transcript...I haven't read the Soffar briefs or transcripts, but the opinion is unusually unpleasant and vindictive in tone toward appellate counsel - I got 3/4 of the way through before I checked the CCA's website to find out who counsel might be, since they don't give that information on the slip opinions. Ahh! David Dow. That explained it, I thought. <br /><br />It might have been a better idea to have Dow write the brief and then have one of the suck-ups that the CCA likes sign off on it. It looks very much as though the court was taking out on the client its animosity towards his counsel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-7757386729829468162009-11-19T09:34:16.947-06:002009-11-19T09:34:16.947-06:00Any evidence against a suspect is suspect. We can&...Any evidence against a suspect is suspect. We can't believe confession or any other "evidence" presented by the prosecution.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73493636990237798652009-11-19T08:05:29.780-06:002009-11-19T08:05:29.780-06:00It is obvious that the CCA, and most other courts,...It is obvious that the CCA, and most other courts, simply don't agree with the concept of "false confessions." Judges, juries too, just can't accept that the police play a part in defendants giving false confessions. "Why would a person confess to something they didn't do?" The science is there but our judicial system will not give credence to the false confession concept. Pity, truly a pity. There is caselaw that states that a defendant can't be convicted solely on his extrajudicial confession, but courts don't give this theory any teeth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-74539285927884308062009-11-19T05:14:09.188-06:002009-11-19T05:14:09.188-06:00Soronel, I'm sure you think you were being cut...Soronel, I'm sure you think you were being cute, but "if we had such a policy" it wouldn't lead to fewer false confessions, just more executed innocent people. More than 50 people falsely confessed to Austin's Yogurt Shop murders. This is a much more common phenomenon in high-profile cases than people realize.<br /><br />Besides, the execution of the fellow from the Great Fire didn't stop false confessions, did it? The problem is still with us.<br /><br />Halides, speaking for myself, the CCA has been a disgrace. There is a (still very conservative) minority on the court that wants to improve things and lots more decisions these days are 5-4 instead of the whole court climbing on Judge Keller's bandwagon automatically. But it's still Judge Keller's court. I've described them as having no liberal wing, but instead a conservative and a totalitarian wing, the latter of which presently rules the roost.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-57454810718611166092009-11-19T05:04:17.870-06:002009-11-19T05:04:17.870-06:00Ass I read this Im in. Budapest. I'm told by m...Ass I read this Im in. Budapest. I'm told by my freinds here that the former regime here would approve of the CCAs logicAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-77737246894505884132009-11-18T22:25:34.606-06:002009-11-18T22:25:34.606-06:00Interesting comment 10:05. According to Wikipedia...Interesting comment 10:05. According to Wikipedia the Great Fire of London occurred on September 2, 1666. It would seem the criminal justice system in Texas hasn't progressed at all since that time. (I know, technically it didn't exist at the time, but you get my point).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-71921555080582515062009-11-18T22:05:13.156-06:002009-11-18T22:05:13.156-06:00A guy falsely confessed to setting the Great Fire ...A guy falsely confessed to setting the Great Fire of London, it was shown that he was in fact not in the country at the time of the fire, that he arrived by ship a few weeks afterward.<br /><br />He was executed anyway, despite the crown and court being in agreement that he played no part in the blaze.<br /><br />Perhaps if we had such a policy there would be fewer false confessions.Soronel Haetirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11639906179427371695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-11745250616942152522009-11-18T20:11:58.338-06:002009-11-18T20:11:58.338-06:00Is there a consensus here about whether the TCCA i...Is there a consensus here about whether the TCCA is doing a good job?<br /><br />ChrisChris Halkideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14933976220776524122noreply@blogger.com