DA's closed file policy protested in Abilene

Critics of Texas prosecutors' closed file policies are taking their complaints to the street.

The good folks at West Texas Beat let us know in the comments that the Southeastern Christian Association is planning a protest in Abilene, TX on February 5 to express disapprobation at their local District Attorney's closed file policy disallowing defendants from viewing the evidence prosecutors have against them until they go to trial. (In Texas DAs make the decision whether to let defense counsel have such information on a county by county basis.)

The group will march from the federal courthouse to the Taylor County criminal courthouse to demand that local prosecutors allow defendants pretrial access to evidence collected against them like DAs do in Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, and after the last elections, now Dallas.

Good luck to the Southeast Christian Association, and bully for you for focusing on this problem. If you don't think it takes courage to stand up to the local DA over this issue in a conservative town like Abilene, folks, you've got another think coming. For more on the subject, read prior Grits coverage here, here, and here, and this discussion from Jamie Spencer at the Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer.