Search Results for: john bradley

Texas blog roundup for the week of May 14

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds everyone that early voting has begun as it brings you this week’s blog roundup.

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“Open letter to Williamson County”

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

John Raley is the attorney who worked for years to exonerate Michael Morton on the charge of murdering his wife in 1987. The key to the case was a bloody bandana, which DNA testing showed belonged to the real killer. … Continue reading →

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The battle for Williamson County DA

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Outside of the Congressional races, the hottest primaries this year are District Attorney races. We’ve got them in Harris County, in Travis County, and of course in Williamson County. An 11-year Republican incumbent who hasn’t faced an opponent since 2002, … Continue reading →

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Grievances filed over Morton case

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The Texas Coalition on Lawyer Accountability (TCLA) announced that its Executive Director, Julie Oliver, is today filing disciplinary grievances against prosecutors in the Michael Morton case: current Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley; former Williamson County District Attorney (and … Continue reading →

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It’s a long way to Damascus

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a good story about Williamson County DA John Bradley, whom you may recall as Rick Perry’s chief hatchet man on the Forensic Science Commission, and his apparent conversion to open-mindedness in the wake of the DNA exoneration … Continue reading →

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Investigating the DA

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There may be something interesting going on in the grand jury room. A Houston grand jury apparently investigating recent allegations about the Houston Police Department’s troubled mobile alcohol-testing vehicles may now be setting its sights on the Harris County District … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 22

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance believes that all visitors are welcome in Texas as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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AG rules Willingham case off limits for Forensic Science Commission

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The last shovelful of dirt is thrown. The Texas Forensic Science Commission’s investigation of the science used to convict Cameron Todd Willingham — executed in 2004 for an arson that killed his three children — may be at an end … Continue reading →

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Dr. Peerwani and the Willingham case

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Dr. Nizam Peerwani, the newly appointed Chair of the Forensic Science Commission, gets profiled in the Trib. Most of the story is about the history of the Willingham case, which the Commission finally sort of dealt with last year. With … Continue reading →

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Perry appoints Forensic, SBOE Chairs

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The new SBOE Chair is not who I expected. State Board of Education member Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands, will take the helm as the board’s new chairwoman, Gov. Rick Perry announced Friday. She will follow Gail Lowe, who was appointed … Continue reading →

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The end of the Willingham case for the Forensic Science Commission

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Dave Mann reads the Willingham report from the Forensic Science Commission so you don’t have to. The commission’s nearly 50-page report—the product of a high-profile, frequently stalled investigation—is an odd mix. It documents at length the flawed state of fire … Continue reading →

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Draft Willingham report is out

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Postcards: A draft report issued today by the Texas Forensic Science Commission on the evidence used to convict and execute Cameron Todd Willingham focuses on training and education initiatives for fire investigators and makes several suggestions for continued improvement for … Continue reading →

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The Willingham arson investigator

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman has a good story about former Deputy State Fire Marshal Manuel Vasquez, whose testimony helped convict Cameron Todd Willingham, and the status of the Willingham case with the Forensic Science Commission. Spurred by John Bradley, the Williamson County … Continue reading →

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Lowe has confirmation issues, too

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

John Bradley isn’t the only Rick Perry appointee who is having trouble getting confirmed by the Senate. State Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, who chairs the Senate Nominations committee, says Gail Lowe has not been scheduled for a hearing as chairwoman … Continue reading →

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Willingham documentary

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: As you’re reading this, Steve Mims and Joe Bailey Jr. are putting the finishing touches onIncendiary, a new documentary about theCameron Todd Willingham case that focuses almost entirely on forensics — on the science behind arson investigations … Continue reading →

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Appeals court suspends Willingham court inquiry

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This happened late last week. An Austin appeals court has ordered Judge Charlie Baird to halt his inquiry into whether Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully executed in 2004 and whether there is probable cause that state officials committed a crime … Continue reading →

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So what did the Forensic Science Commission do?

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I wasn’t expecting this. A majority of the Texas Forensic Science Commission has tentatively concluded that there was no professional negligence or misconduct by arson investigators whose flawed work in a fatal Corsicana fire contributed to the conviction … Continue reading →

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Keller may yet face criminal charges

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Grits read through the TEC ruling against Sharon Keller, who was hit with a record $100K fine for various failures to disclose financial information, and notes that the system isn’t done with Keller yet, as there is still the matter … Continue reading →

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Defense attorneys criticize Forensic Science Commission

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Texas defense lawyers took aim at the state’s Forensic Science Commission Monday, charging that the group — now probing the possibly botched arson investigations that sent an East Texas man to his execution — is in danger … Continue reading →

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Forensic Science Commission finally gets back to Willingham case

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start, but it’s not much more than that. Meeting for the first time since January, the nine-member Texas Forensic Science Commission voted to obtain and review the complete transcript of the capital murder trial of Cameron Todd Willingham, … Continue reading →

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Forensic Science Commission to finally get back to Willingham case

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s sure taken them long enough. After months of delay and internal upheaval, the revamped Texas Forensic Science Commission is poised to reopen discussion of the Cameron Todd Willingham case when it meets April 23 in Irving. Tarrant County Medical … Continue reading →

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No mention of Willingham

Posted on January 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Forensic Science Commission had its first meeting since Williamson County DA John Bradley was named Chair by Governor Perry. Bradley did the job Perry picked him for by preventing any official discussion of the Cameron Todd Willingham case … Continue reading →

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Recommendations for the Forensic Sciences Commission

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Keith Hampton, who is a Democratic candidate for the Court of Criminal Appeals, has some recommendations for what to do with the Texas Forensic Science Commission. I don’t expect Rick Perry or John Bradley to pay any attention to what … Continue reading →

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Where’s Willingham?

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Forensic Science Commission will meet on January 29. You will be shocked to hear that Cameron Todd Willingham is not on their agenda. Instead, the meeting will focus on formalizing procedures explaining how the group will conduct business, … Continue reading →

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The Willingham jury

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You know, I don’t blame any of the jurors in the Cameron Todd Willingham trial for the verdict they rendered. Based on the evidence that was presented to them, a guilty verdict was to be expected. They had no way … Continue reading →

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Perry fills out rest of Forensic Science commission

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sam Bassett, the now-former Chair of the Texas Forensic Science Commission whom Rick Perry abruptly replaced with Williamson County DA John Bradley, wasn’t the only member of the Commission that got the ax, but his was the only slot that … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 5

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Political Alliance hopes that everyone reading this today has ensured they are registered to vote in the November election, as the deadline for doing so was yesterday. Whether you have or you haven’t, you can still click on … Continue reading →

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It’s not too early to reschedule that meeting

Posted on October 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Casey talks to State Sen. John Whitmire about Rick Perry’s choice of Williamson County DA John Bradley as the replacement chair of the Texas Forensic Sciences Commission, and how we can tell if the intent was as sinister as … Continue reading →

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Reschedule the meeting

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve read a bunch of coverage of Governor Perry’s conveniently-timed decision to replace members of the Texas Forensic Science Commission just before they were scheduled to review the Beyler report on the Cameron Todd Willingham arson investigation, and one thing … Continue reading →

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Perry attempts to gut Forensic Science Commission

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is an outrage. Gov. Rick Perry today replaced the chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, which is conducting a politically sensitive investigation into whether the state executed a man based on a fatally flawed arson investigation. The commission’s … Continue reading →

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Report: Most elected officials refuse to contribute to their own prosecution

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

That’s what the headline to this story should read. Public records examined by the Austin American-Statesman show that most elected officials who have been stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in recent years have declined to consent to a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Report: Most elected officials refuse to contribute to their own prosecution

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

That’s what the headline to this story should read. Public records examined by the Austin American-Statesman show that most elected officials who have been stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in recent years have declined to consent to a … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS to review “Jessica’s Law”

Posted on January 6, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

We knew this was coming at the time the Lege was debating this awful bill, and now here it is. The U.S. Supreme Court’s review of whether the death penalty can be imposed against a Louisiana man convicted of raping … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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More voices against “Jessica’s Law”

Posted on March 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Via Eye on Williamson cites the Taylor Daily Press quoting notoriously tuff-on-crime Williamson County DA John Bradley as follows regarding HB8, aka “Jessica’s Law”: “There are some bills known as ‘Jessica’s Law’ that tend to focus on increasing punishment that, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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