District Attorneys Want to Win At All Costs

If that means cheating, then they cheat. Cooke County, Texas murder conviction of Michael Newberry raises new questions | WFAA

At the center of the fight is District Judge Janelle Haverkamp, the former district attorney and now the county’s only elected felony court judge. In court filings, she is accused of withholding evidence in a 1997 capital murder case that sent Michael Newberry to prison for life.

Withholding evidence is against the law. More than that, it is evil. I seem to remember something about "bearing false witness," and lies of omission are still lies.

“When a prosecutor hides evidence, that dirties every other prosecutor,” John Warren, the current Cooke County District Attorney, told WFAA. “We won’t turn a blind eye to injustice.”

Court filings by Newberry’s attorneys paint a troubling picture. They claim his confessions were coerced, witnesses gave false testimony, and his own defense attorney had a secret conflict of interest. That attorney is now a county court at law judge, John Morris. He denies any wrongdoing.

Of course he denies wrongdoing. But given that the judge is the same person who prosecuted the case, how do we expect her to rule?

Like every bureaucracy ever, the Criminal Justice System is only interested in advancing its own interests. Justice? There are no points for Justice.

There is more. Cops continuing to question the defendant AFTER he asked for a lawyer. Witnesses changing their testimony, but that info NOT being given to the jury.

In short, they wanted to win. And the system didn't care about the law, only about winning, even if that meant cheating.

Now I don't know if Michael Newberry is guilty of what he was charged with. I do believe that the detectives, the prosecutors, and the courts didn't do everything they were supposed to do, but then I'm cynical when it comes to the government.