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August 23, 2011 at 11:57 am 
Ed Brayton Remember that new DNA exoneration in Texas that I mentioned recently? Balko points out a couple of very important related issues to that case. The prosecutor in the case is John Bradley and he’s accused of serious misconduct for hiding exculpatory evidence from defense attorneys. He also fought tooth and nail to prevent the DNA testing that ultimately proved a man innocent after 26 years in prison.
Relevant fact #1: On a message board for prosecutors, Bradley was asked by another prosecutor how they could get a plea deal that eliminated any possibility of DNA testing that could later prove that they convicted the wrong guy. Here’s Bradley’s response:
A better approach might be to get a written agreement that all the evidence can be destroyed after the conviction and sentence. Then, there is nothing to test or retest. Harris County regularly seeks such agreements.
Yes, who cares about the possibility of innocence? The point of the criminal justice system is to make prosecutors feel good about themselves and make sure they never have to face the fact that they made a mistake under any circumstances. You think the point is to make sure you’ve got the right person? Not to Bradly.
Relevant fact #2:
The second reason I bring this up takes us back to Texas Gov. Rick Perry. If you’ll remember, just before the Texas Forensic Science Commission was set to open up an investigation into the Cameron Todd Willingham case, Perry abruptly replaced three of the commissioners with nominees who were more friendly to prosecutors, all of whom opposed reopening the case.
One of the replacements Perry nominated was . . . you guessed it . . . Williamson County, Texas, District Attorney John Bradley.
Because Perry doesn’t give a damn about justice.
Posted in 
I’m glad I voted against him in the last gubernatorial election down here.
Maybe the State of Texas should require the governor, upon taking office, to to take an oath to uphold the US constitution and the Texas Constitution.
Oh, wait …
Any bets on whether the mainstream media, any of the other Republican candidates in the primaries, or even Obama himself will have the courage to actually bring this up? A man who went out of his away to ensure that a possibly innocent man was executed might get to remain governor of Texas and keep it swept under a rug, but if he is going to run for fucking President, than it better be made into the issue that it is. If it isn’t, our country is a lost cause: an amoral wasteland run by a handful of outright criminal sociopathic assholes and the sniveling cowards who enable them.
I hate to be the one to break it to you . . . .
Well, damn.
One could read the request that Ed brings up in point #1 to show that someone was planning to break the law. Really? In Texass?
I don’t understand how a man like Bradley can live with himself, I truly don’t.
That’ll teach folks. How dare you go walking about Texas while innocent?!
I don’t understand how a man like Bradley can live with himself, I truly don’t.
I don’t understand how he isn’t in jail.
Oh, right, the aforementioned “amoral wasteland” bit…
Why would one of Perry’s opponents play to Perry’s advantage?
As the dude in the focus group said, it takes balls to execute an innocent man. Since ordering extrajudicial killing is such an important part of the President’s job, it’s important to know that we’re electing someone who not only can do it, but has experience.
Life is cheap in Texas.
That is so disgusting. Gross. What’s the likelihood of John Bradley being a church-going, god-fearing Christian?
@mishcakes
FIFY. And the answer is near 100% I’d bet.
D.C. Sessions: ” Since ordering extrajudicial killing is such an important part of the President’s job, it’s important to know that we’re electing someone who not only can do it, but has experience.”
Except, by now, Obama has far more experience with that than Perry. So…yay (?).
Yeah, but even if he weren’t guilty of the crime he was convicted of, he’s guilty of something. Perry’s attitude is just making sure that
nig..spi..assholes serve real time or are executed. If he weren’t an asshole, there wouldn’t have been a problem./sarcasm
Tim DeLaney wrote: Maybe the State of Texas should require the governor, upon taking office, to to take an oath to uphold the US constitution and the Texas Constitution.
Or maybe requiring them to read it and pass a test.
This kind of stuff makes every atom in my body vibrate in frustration. I can think of no greater, preventable injustice in society. This is the stuff of my nightmares.
A good reason to never go to Texas: avoid being lynched by crooked county prosecutors.