tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post8754954206720136112..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Presumptive Travis DA Jose Garza on death penalty, women's jail, and membership in TX state prosecutors associationGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-52685284583371286102020-11-05T17:13:00.028-06:002020-11-05T17:13:00.028-06:00I'm not sure whether his death penalty answer ...I'm not sure whether his death penalty answer really means anything. Technically, the State Prosecuting Attorney has the authority to represent the State before the Court of Criminal Appeals. (That includes writs of habeas corpus, by the way.) If a D.A. chose not to defend a death penalty conviction, I think the SPA would take over the case pretty fast. I think that same thing might result if he tried to concede in what looked like an otherwise solid conviction. And, of course, only the AG represents the State in federal death penalty habeas actions. <br /><br />So it sounds like fairly empty rhetoric. And where is he getting this actual innocence stuff? These cases aren't normally whodunnits. I would be shocked if out of the six or so pending post-conviction Travis Co death penalty cases, there was even one where there was a serious question about guilt. (Yeah, I know --- yogurt shop, Alfred Brown, etc ---- but I would just be surprised if there was one out of these six, that's all I'm saying.)<br /><br />James S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-13580076442849606712020-11-03T12:12:27.930-06:002020-11-03T12:12:27.930-06:00I'm actually quite optimistic. I like Jose. I ...I'm actually quite optimistic. I like Jose. I just think there was more to this issue than he'd considered when he took a position during the primary campaign. Fine as campaign signaling (for an Austin Dem primary in 2020, at least), but the devil's in the implementation. I won't complain if he can't do this one in the first year. By year four ...?Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-65205733147737784472020-11-03T06:32:16.353-06:002020-11-03T06:32:16.353-06:00As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in...As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Politicians and lawyers talk for a living. Statesmen act. In the first year of Jose's term we will see what cloth he's made of. Steven Michael Seyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07809935502307219692noreply@blogger.com