Texas
Related: About this forumCourt to investigate Anderson - Judge faces court of inquiry over Morton case
(Williamson County) Judge Ken Anderson could now face a trial over accusations that he withheld evidence from defense attorneys during the 1987 trial of Michael Morton, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 25 years in prison.
In a Friday hearing, Judge Sid Harle announced he would sign an affidavit finding probable cause to believe that Judge Anderson, as the countys district attorney, may have willfully concealed key evidence that could have proved Mr. Mortons innocence.
This has probably been one of the most tragic cases Ive ever witnessed, Judge Harle said. Ive never encountered anything close to everything involved in this case. A court of inquiry, the legal method Mr. Mortons attorneys requested for further investigating Judge Andersons actions, will give the judge and former prosecutor a chance to clear his name, Judge Harle said.
The only venue and the only method that I know of for that to occur, as well as Mr. Mortons interests to be served and for the publics interests to be served is by signing an affidavit and referring the matter to Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, Judge Harle said. Justice Jefferson must now approve the court of inquiry.
http://wilcosun.com/
TexasTowelie
(111,313 posts)After a 75-minute hearing, District Judge Sid Harle ruled that there is probable cause to believe that Anderson may have broken state law in the Morton case.
Noting that the allegations to date have been spurred by Mortons lawyers, Harle said a court of inquiry would give Anderson a chance to clear his name and Morton a chance to seek a greater measure of justice.
Harle will put his request in writing he gave no timeline to Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, who will determine whether to convene a court of inquiry to examine the allegations.
If Jefferson agrees, the Supreme Court would assign a state district judge to oversee the court of inquiry, which is a fact-finding body that would determine whether any state laws were violated. The court would not issue a punishment or criminal conviction.
After the hearing, Morton choked up briefly when facing reporters. When you do the right thing, like the judge did today, everything falls into place, said Morton, now sporting a gray goatee.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)That bastard bragged about how many people he locked up as Williamson County DA.