- Assistant District Attorney takes stand during Villegas hearing
- Man Villegas claimed coerced false confession to testify
- Man who helped put Villegas in prison now supporting him
- Surprise witness comes forward; Villegas hearing in recess
- Witness claims detective forced him to sign false statement
- Defense claims former detective forced false confessions
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Alleged coerced confession interrogated in El Paso habeas hearing
An ongoing habeas hearing in an El Paso district court seeks to overturn the 1995 homicide conviction of Daniel Villegas based on what the defense claims was a coerced, false confession. Testimony resumes today. The case has received widespread local attention and is even the subject of a corrido (ballad) by a band in northern Mexico. See coverage from a local TV station:
Come to Smith County. That's all they do up here. The judges set high bail asked for by the prosecutor and they hold folks in jail until they plead guilty. We're tuff on crime!
ReplyDeleteas far as i'm concered ANY confession or any other testimony not recorded in unalterable media at the time...is coerced! and should be disgarded!
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