Criminal Justice News Roundup

I've been writing a lot this week and still need to work up my notes from this morning's TYC State of the Agency briefing in Austin, but here are a few criminal justice stories that may interest Grits readers:

Not every time
Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins has supported more innocence claims than any other DA in the country, but he's opposing a new trial for a defendant where he disagrees the man was innocent.

Lege encourage incarceration alternatives
See the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Marc Levin writing on the subject of prison alternatives in the Amarillo Globe News.

And who will guard them?
Charles Kuffner analyzes Harris County's jail bond proposal on the November ballot and wonders how they'll staff the facility when they can't find enough guards now.

Truce may reduce violence in Mexico
I've argued before that Mexican drug cartels themselves are the only entities powerful enough to stop drug-related violence in Mexico and on the border. MSM reports that the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels, who've been feuding for control of I-35, are attempting to negotiate terms of a truce. The wildcard: The Zetas, deserters from the Mexican military many of whom were trained by US Special Forces at Fort Benning, GA. (See this YouTube video with background on Los Zetas featuring a narcorrido about them.) They've broken away from the Gulf Cartel to become an independent, freelance force that may wind up controlling the Nuevo Laredo "plaza" as part of the rumored deal.

Whatever happens, I'll guarantee one thing: If fewer killings result from a cartel truce, every politician from Washington, D.C. to Panama will take credit for it, even though it's the thugs, not the pols, responsible for any decline in violence.

Corrupt police thwart justice for drug cartels
Meanwhile, in an effort to stifle drug-related corruption, President Calderon removed an eyepopping 284 federal police chiefs from their posts. Meanwhile, the San Jose Mercury News identified inept and corrupt local police as a "flaw" in Mexico's drug battle.

Another high-speed chase victim
This time a 31-year old police officer in Plano. I continue to question whether policies allowing high speed chases solely for a traffic violations are worth this kind of risk.