Texas to Free 13 Jailed on Agent's Word

[jps]

TULIA, Texas (AP) - Thirteen people imprisoned on the testimony of a discredited undercover officer were to be released Monday, nearly four years after they and dozens of other mostly black residents were arrested on drug charges.

http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=1&cat=0100&id=03061515223497941

The assumption that the police are always more credible than normal people is obviously incorrect. Police should not be assumed more credible than anyone else....if I accused a cop of dealing drugs and claimed that I witnessed him selling them it would not even get a hearing, let alone yield a conviction.

 

[Mystech]

A world where we abandon due process in favor of my word over yours is truly one of terror.

 

[Tiassa]

The tragedy of Tulia

The tragedy of Tulia is beyond being simply ridiculous. Unfortunately, people don't seem to care. You'll note that this topic from October, 2000 didn't interest anybody.

Tulia is one of the most dramatic failures of law and order, one of the most poignant revocations of justice in American history.

It's a better scale: Justice is only starting to get around to the infamous Central Park "Wilding" case; that took fourteen years. Tulia is turning after four. Despite the bleak nature of this most offensive assault on American justice, I'm encouraged to see Justice starting to intervene in Tulia this (relatively; comparatively) early.

:m:,
Tiassa

 

[prozak]

The "wilding" case is still suspicious to me - I suspect multiple rapists were involved.

The Tulia case is what happens when paid informers are trusted; this is a common American mistake.

I think much of this would be avoided if people in towns could say "No" to certain people or groups moving there.