Fourth member replaced on Texas panel probing execution

[47of74]

Source: CNN

(CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has removed a fourth member of a state commission charged with investigating claims that an innocent man may have been executed, his office said.

The Texas governor has now replaced all of the four members that, under law, he is allowed to appoint to the commission. The remaining five members are appointed by the state's lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Perry's critics say his actions are politically motivated, a charge he denies.

The investigation into claims that faulty evidence led Texas to execute an innocent man in 2004 was at a "crucial point" when the shakeup occurred, one of the replaced members said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/11/texas.execution.probe/index.html

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Perry is just as bad as the guy who had the office before him. He's flushing the honor of his state down the toilet by getting in the way of an investigation.

[RedCloud]

1. If he is covering up something, I hope they nail him.

[struggle4progress]

5. Perry's office quiet on expert's arson report

By LISE OLSEN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 11, 2009, 12:14AM

Just 88 minutes before the February 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, Gov. Rick Perry's office received by fax a crucial arson expert's opinion that later ignited a political firestorm over whether Texas, on Perry's watch, used botched forensic evidence to send a man to his death.

In a letter sent Feb. 14, three days before Willingham was scheduled to die, Perry had been asked to postpone the execution. The condemned man's attorney argued that the newly obtained expert evidence showed Willingham had not set the house fire that killed his daughters, 2-year-old Amber and 1-year-old twins Karmon and Kameron, two days before Christmas in 1991.

On Feb. 17, the day of the execution, Perry's office got the five-page faxed report at 4:52 p.m., according to documents the Houston Chronicle obtained in response to a public records request ...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6662113.html

[Enthusiast]

6. Bush did the same or worse.

It's a tradition in Texas. Sorry, but it's true. In their zeal for 'justice' they would rather at least execute someone.

[bertman]

2. Probably trying to cover up his culpability.

Recommend.

[Number_Six]

3. Dick Nixon, Jr...

...may we presume?

[The Hope Mobile]

4. Wouldn't we all like to pick our own jury? sheesh! nt

[Mr. Sparkle]

7. Is there any info on the members been replaced and who they are been replaced with?

At the moment their only is an assertion that he is playing dirty politics, but if we had some info about the personalities involved, we may have some proof.

[damntexdem]

8. Flushing the honor of the State of Texas down the toilet?

Oh, I thought he was doing something bad. ;-)

After all, after Dubya and Perry, what honor is there left?

[Scott Cobb]

9. Urge Perry to Release Public Information

Rick Perry is continuing to hide information and cover up whether Texas executed an innocent person. The same information that Perry is now refusing to release has been released before. In 2003, there was an article by Alan Berlow in The Atlantic http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200307/berlow "Texas Clemency Memos" that discussed and contained copies of execution day memos sent to Governor George W Bush from his staff, including many written by his legal counsel Alberto Gonzales.

According to Berlow: "Gonzales never intended his summaries to be made public. Almost all are marked CONFIDENTIAL and state, "The privileges claimed include, but are not limited to, claims of Attorney-Client Privilege, Attorney Work-Product Privilege, and the Internal Memorandum exception to the Texas Public Information Act." I obtained the summaries and related documents, which have never been published, after the Texas attorney general ruled that they were not exempt from the disclosure requirements of the Public Information Act."

Call Perry's office at 512 463 1782 and demand that he release all information.

http://governor.state.tx.us/contact
Send Perry an email through his website here.

http://camerontoddwillingham.com/?page_id=6
Sign the petition to Governor Rick Perry and the State of Texas to acknowledge that the fire in the Cameron Todd Willingham case was not arson, therefore no crime was committed and on February 17, 2004, Texas executed an innocent man.

[No Elephants]

10. Nonsense. Four members of the panel simply decided to spend more time with their families.

:sarcasm:

Why do things like this always seem to be out of Texas or Florida? Or is that only my imagination (running away with me)?