Texas Governor Rick Perry has pardoned 35 of the people convicted in the Tulia witch trials drug ring stings. As regular readers know, the primary evidence in their convictions, the testimony of an officer named Tom Coleman, was largely fabricated. The lawsuits will continue:
Blackburn said the Tulia busts began to unravel with a key defense discovery in April 2002 that proved testimony of Tom Coleman, the sole undercover officer and prosecution witness, had lied.
Defendant Tanya White was days from her trial, he said, when documents emerged showing she was banking in Oklahoma on the day Coleman claims she delivered cocaine to him.
"This proved forever that Coleman was a liar and that he was perjuring himself in order to falsely convict black people in Tulia. Once we proved that, frankly, it's all been downhill for them since," Blackburn said.
Will Harrell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, said the federal lawsuit will seek to reform the drug task system throughout Texas.
He said systemic flaws such as police misconduct, abuse of authority and inadequate legal representation for the poor need to be addressed.
Go get 'em!
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Posted by Walter at August 23, 2003 08:29 AMIt is a shame to have racists such as Coleman working for the feds......
Posted by: betty at October 31, 2003 11:31 AM