Harry Connick and his father

a little dash of lies, a little pinch of deceit........and that's the recipe for making a wrongful conviction (ok it doesnt sound as good as the original HCJ piece but you get the idea)

Harry Connick , the croner, the New Orleans native is the son of a  former district attorney
He has built a career on how cool he is in the other world of Afro American jazz and the numerous friends of a different color
There is one Afro American that may not enjoy his next x mas album with Brandford Marsalis
the Respondent in the matter of Thompson v Connick
It seems that in addition to siring children who make inoffensive, poppy, boring jazz albums the senior Connick also trained his prosecutors to hide evidence and win at all costs
Mr Thompson was sentenced to death for a brutal murder in Orleans Parish
Problem is that he did not do it and spent years trying to prove that fact from Angola prison in the swamps of LA
Only after a (and this is becoming an alarming/welcome/strange trend) a couple of lawyers from a white glove firm spent hours of thier own time trying to free him did he eventually become acquitted
he then sued the senior connick and his band of rogue prosecutors

The Southern District of LA granted SJ and the Fifth Circuit reversed.  Did i say that right?  no it cant be! the Fifth Circuit of Herrerra v Collins fame, of Kerry Max Cook fame, of the Angola 3 fame, that fifth circuit????  it has to be crazy if the Fifth Circuit which is SEATED IN NOLA reversed. 

as my old law school professor said, stay tuned see the link below:

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-571.pdf

Although Thompson does not contend that he proved a pattern of similar Brady violations, 553 F. 3d, at 851, vacated, 578 F. 3d 293 (en banc), he points out that, during the ten years preceding his armed robbery trial, Louisiana courts had overturned four convictions because of Brady violations by prosecutors in Connick’s office.^{6 Those four reversals could not have put Connick on notice that the office’s} Brady training was inadequate with respect to the sort of Brady Connick on notice thatspecific training was necessary to avoid this constitutional violation.7
huh? Hiding the ball was a way of life for this office.  WHile his son shot to stardom the elder Connick was slamming cell doors on innocent men. 

The opinoin essentially says that lawyers know they arent supposed to cheat but unless you show that the county (parrish here) told them to cheat and trained them in ways to do so (see Dallas DA) you cant make a claim for damages. 

I am flabbergasted.  I though i seen it all but this tears it.

Illinois

I am beyond proud of my home state this week.
Govenor Quinn, despite my belief he would not, abolished the death penalty in Illinois.
Governor Quinn further emptied the condemned unit at Stateville. 
I still think that the long knives will come out and he will be investigated for any hint of corruption in retaliation for this historic move.
My hat is off to you governor.  You showed that we can do the right thing.

Death is Different

Above is a picture of Ricky Ray Rector.  He helped the political career of William Jefferson Clinton.  While Clinton was taking heat as a draft dodging, pot smoking liberal who was soft on crime Ricky's death warrant came across his desk.  Sensing a chance to become what Dukakis failed to attain, President, Bill signed it. Not only did slick Willie sign it but he flew back to Little Rock from the Campaign to do so. 

Ricky Ray was not right in the head.  His family told stories of odd behavior and talk.  One day he shot some people including a police officer.  An incredible tragedy that rocked the small southern town  Ricky then turned the gun on himself.  He didn't die but became infantile in his actions and words.  He certainly did not understand what was about to happen to him.  As part of his last meal he ordered pie.  Nothing unusual about that.  People find solace in food and the last meal often is a metaphor for things in the persons life.    As he was being taken to be injected with a lethal combination of chemicals, he hid a piece of pie for later. Something a child may do.  Something a child that has siblings may do.  A shocked guard found it later that day.  Ricky Ray was dead. 

So death is different.  It propels political careers and advances weak candidates.  And ends lives of people determined to be undesirable by the establishment.