Rick Perry announced this afternoon that he will not run for re-election as Texas Governor, meaning someone else (odds-on favorite is Greg Abbott) will be wielding the veto pen in 2015. Time to go back through Perry's vetoes on criminal-justice reform over the years to see what might be revived under a different chief executive.
For me, the biggest one that jumps out was Perry's veto of two different legislative fixes to the US Supreme Court's ruling in Atwater v. Lago Vista, which held that law enforcement can arrest people for Class C misdemeanors for which the maximum penalty includes no jail time. After that ruling, the Legislature in 2001 passed a ban on the practice in most instances, which Perry vetoed at the behest of the police unions. (See an op ed from Michelle Deitch criticizing that action.) Then in 2003 the Lege passed a compromise bill requiring only that departments have a written policy saying when such arrests are allowed. The governor vetoed that, too. Between Perry's departure and the arrival of a new, more libertarian Tea Party contingent at the Legislature, perhaps 2015 would be a good time to revisit that topic.
Nice bit of analysis; linked to my Adios, Mofo piece at my blog. Given his personal background, do you think Abbott will turn any sort of an eye to disabilities issues law?
ReplyDeleteGood Riddance!!
ReplyDeleteI was beginning to doubt I'd see Texas rid of the Perry menace in my lifetime. Yay! The wicked witch is dead! (Well not dead, just not governor).
ReplyDeleteGrits, (of course you didn't ask) I'm anti-gang to the bone, which prevents me from being 'jumped-in' and that includes political gangs.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the latter, after watching the Rs'. & Ds'. run Texas (and the nation) into the ground for decades, it's opened my eyes to the fact that they are nothing more than well dressed gangs doing the footwork that benefits the wealthier gangs. Ex. Allow the wealthy to utilize tresspassers as day workers & maids and scheme to turn them in to potential voters.
Only as an outsider, is it possible to witness this and clearly see it's an Us vs. Them Game of Thrones, where we the public at large are either fools, simpletons or sheep in human skin. Non comformists are seen as non-patriotic, bigots and 'Them'.
Both parties (gangs) have blood on their hands (wrongful executions and preventable jail / prison related violence) due to supporting a criminal justice system that allows / encourages law enforcement to arrest at will and let the court appointed and hired a like play plea bargain games with both the Guilty & Not Guilty.
Only the political minded would have no problem with: *criminal defendants 'not' being recorded while being questioned during an investigation, *allowing a CDL to advise someone to change their initial Not Guilty plea to No Contest simply for being on probation at time of arrest on a new unrelated charge and / or tricking him / her in to avoiding a jury trial (guilty or not), *allowing the unqualified (Fake CDLs) to represent criminal defedants in felony jury trials resulting in jail / overcrowding *Mass plea bargaining events (side-by-side) and *allowing / instructing the Texas Board of Pardons & Paroles (Clemency Section) to ignore Applicants' filing for Full Pardons - for / based on innocence.
This gamemanship has created two camps of Texans'. One camp that is for locking up everyone that even looks like a criminal or cited for a misd. One camp that knows better to beleive that just because a cop arrested you, you are guilty. With 97% criminal case being disposed of via plea bargain, you can be assured that there are more folks being made aware of this fiasco and the lifelong consequences placed on the target and the taxpayers'. At some point the camel's back will break.
Perry had over a decade to do the right thing regarding allowing false arrests to morph into wrongful convictions but sadly he went down in history as to have sided with the US crowd like Bush Wacker 2 and Battle axe Richardson.
We have had our fill of gangs in Austin.
If you vote R. or D., you are basically a gangster.
I challenge you all to stop being in a gang (your parents will understand as for most have not recovered from Bush's BS.) and refuse to vote straight party tickets from this day on. Stop voting just to be voting and instead consider vetting any & all candidates on what they will do vs. want to do. As of now, it's Us vs. Them and no one knows who Us is other than the Us crowd. You can be a Texan without being a follower or having gang ties.
*Abbott? Dewhurst? don't think so.
Perry, if you or one of your lil freaky followers stumble on this - this is for you. Adios Mofo! Please move the fock out of Texas and take your gang with you. Might as well take that multimillion dollar doublewide with you on your going no where presidential edeavor tour.
Can anyone tell us the positive things he's done for Texas and Texans'?
ReplyDeleteIf someone from Texas was to run for Governor, (having been falsely arrested and wrongfully convicted) would you consider voting for that person?
ReplyDeleteDon't think it's possible? Mandella ended up President.
Hint. the next election will allow you to make that decision.
12:11, when he ran for president I published this post listing good things he's done on criminal justice stuff.
ReplyDeleteKerry Max Cook - for Prez!
ReplyDeleteNow, all we have to do is convince him to run. What say you sir?
Appriciate that link Grits. I re-read it & now remember it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBEST NEWS I HAVE HEARDIN A LONG TIME, HOPE SOME GOOD CHANGES WILL COME TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, THEY NEED TO CLEAN HOUSE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
ReplyDelete