Chairman of Texas forensic science panel oversteps his authority

[white cloud]

What is it John Bradley doesn’t want the public to know about the work of the Texas Forensic Science Commission?

Gov. Rick Perry appointed Bradley, the Williamson County district attorney, to head the commission in September in a hasty shake-up of the panel’s membership that left lingering suspicions about the governor’s motives.

Bradley then proceeded to suggest in a public hearing that the commission might need to operate in secret on occasion. This Editorial Board cautioned against that idea on Nov. 14.

Now it sounds as though Bradley could be subtly trying to muzzle other panel members.
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http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1792469.html

[Aragorn]

1. smoking guns

which it seems, in Texas, attract voters instead of getting them to think. Thanks for posting this and thanks to the S-T for printing it. I have had my own headaches standing up to Texas boards. The cronyism is like a bad 1930's movie.

[sonias]

2. Good editorial - plus it keeps the whole issue alive

I like Bradley being painted as Perry's water boy - because that's what he is. He's carrying Perry's dirty water. He's already running the shredder at the commission.

Star-Telegram reporter Dave Montgomery wrote Saturday that commission staff coordinator Leigh Tomlin had asked members for all correspondence about the Willingham case in order to comply with an open records request.

But her Oct. 30 message went further, instructing that commission policy is to "delete all commission correspondence" and saying "if you feel there is something that needs to be saved, forward it to my office."

Bradley told Montgomery that the idea was to centralize data to make it easier to comply with media inquiries.

But any direction to delete public records — which e-mails by members of a public board are — looks problematic, whatever the purpose.

Where is Texas AG Abbott and why isn't he putting a halt on the shredding of official state documents?

Sonia

[sonias]

3. Grits on the editorial

Grits for Breakfast blog 11/27/09
Friday, November 27, 2009
'Chairman of Texas forensic science panel oversteps his authority'
(snip)
The title of this post is the headline of a Fort Worth Star Telegram editorial today chastising Williamson County DA and Forensic Science Commission Chairman John Bradley for an array of recent moves aimed at clouding the commission's work in secrecy. Bradley wants to make meetings closed, records secret, and now he's telling other commission members to delete their emails and that only he may speak with the media.
(snip)

This whole situation has the outward appearance of a pretty brazen coverup, whatever excuses Mr. Bradley publicly provides for his actions.

I'd say that Bradley's stint as Forensic Science Commission is already tainted.

Sonia