NYTimes.com
HOUSTON — The highest criminal court in Texas ruled Wednesday that a man facing the death penalty for murder could not have a new trial despite a love affair between the prosecutor and the judge who tried his case.In a 6-to-3 decision, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals said the convicted man, Charles D. Hood, should have raised in earlier appeals the argument that the love affair had tainted his trial.
The affair had been rumored for years in Collin County, just north of Dallas, but was confirmed only a year ago when Mr. Hood’s lawyers compelled the judge, Verla Sue Holland, and the prosecutor, Thomas S. O’Connell Jr., to give depositions under oath. Both officials had since retired.
Let me get this straight. Hood should have raised an unconfirmed rumor that the judge and the prosecutor were having an affair, a rumor that wasn't confirmed till 2008, in an appeal way the hell back in 1990? Do I have this right?
It's like Bill Crider always says: once again, Texas leads the way....
5 comments:
Amen, brother. You beat me to this one.
What can anyone say? It's Texas justice: from sleeping court appointed attorneys to Bush's Carla Fay Tucker smirk...some people are actually happy with this crap.
Can you think of any reason – other than that it's Texas – that this won't eventually get overturned? With a biiiiiiig payout and pardon to the convicted man?
Say, whatever happened to the "threat" of secession? The U.S. can always have Guam for a 50th state. Just putting that out there.
Love conquers all?
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