Sunday, April 01, 2012

New (to me) blogs on criminal justice topics

Grits wanted to point readers to a couple of sites on Texas criminal justice subjects I learned about this week:
Enjoy.

4 comments:

Peter Houston said...

Of the two blogs, Mark's is the better by far. Greg is a one trick pony, repeatedly focusing on his single negative experience with HPD. Everything Mark offers up in terms of wit, intelligence, and wry humor is lacking on Greg's blog.

Mark Bennett said...

Thanks, Scott. A small correction: TCSOß contains the full text of slip opinions. The trick was in gathering all of the courts' opinions in HTML in one place.

I may find a way to summarize, or at least tag the opinions, but for now it's just the text as the courts wrote it.

Any wit, intelligence, or wry humor you might find on the Texas Criminal Slip Opinions ß blog is attributable entirely to Texas's appellate courts.

Peter Houston said...

Mark, court rulings may provide you with the proverbial soft pitch but you're the one that routinely hits them out of the park. :)

Sharron said...

DO OUR JUSTICES HAVE TOO MUCH POWER


Lady Justice wept today as a killer walks free.. After 38 years we rejoiced in hearing a jury convict and state the conclusive guilt of this man that I now despise with a life sentence..
You think, justice at last!!! Well, you're WRONG! Three judges on an Appeals Court decided the 12 jurors had no right to call this man guilty..Now, this man will never be held accountable for ending a life, he will again go On with his life, like he did with the other 38 free years.
You see, no one said he was an innocent man, they state they cannot put him at the scene of the crime or find the weapon. Scott Peterson is on death row, even though they could not put him at the scene of the crime, and could not find a weapon..
One is free, the other being put to death! Justice?
The North Carolina jury that convicted George Hayden in May of 2010, was clearheaded and correct in its unanimous decision to convict. Victims and families of the victim cannot appeal a verdict, however, criminals are entitled to this freedom. To be a victim is an unforgettable nightmare but to become a victim at the hands of the criminal justice system is an unforgivable!.
The evidence, however circumstantial, was overwhelming and the facts of this cold-blooded killing still bring tears to our family.
Our family is now contending with the highly unusual finding of an appeals court that has overturn the Hayden conviction because it was based on circumstantial evidence. The family of Bill Miller was never given the opportunity to attend the appeals court hearing, while Hayden was allowed to bring support. Mr. Hayden was a former police chief, “favors”??
Justice in this case was delayed by 38 years. Is it now to be totally denied? Can higher-ups on the judicial ladder overrule the jury process? Is circumstantial evidence never valid? Is that what this appeals court is saying? If so, a substantial number of people in jail would be released.
This is a dangerous and wrong-headed conclusion that the appeals court reached.
http://miraclesstillhappen36yearslater.blogspot.com/