Pubdate: Thu, 29 Mar 2001
Source: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (TX)
Copyright: 2001 The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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Author: Deon Daugherty, Morris News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm (Tulia, Texas)

BILL INSPIRED BY TULIA DRUG BUST WOULD ALLOW ACCESS TO REPORTS ON SUSPECT 
OFFICERS

AUSTIN -- Letters that describe officers' substantiated criminal conduct to 
the agency charged to "police the police" would be made public under a 
measure being considered in a Senate committee.

Senate Bill 1583, sponsored by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, 
would make certain correspondence to the Texas Commission on Law 
Enforcement Officer Standards and Education regarding the termination of a 
law enforcement officer open to public inspection.

The measure is one of three Tulia Proposals -- legislation drafted by the 
Texas chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People in response to a 
controversial 1999 drug bust in Tulia.

Of those arrested, most were black and received lengthy prison terms based 
on the word of undercover agent Tom Coleman, whose reputation has been 
tarnished with the appearance of a letter to the agency from his previous 
employer in Cochran County.

In the letter, the Cochran County officials said Coleman shouldn't work in 
law enforcement again, based on allegations of theft and other criminal 
conduct, according to Will Harrell, Texas ACLU executive director.

"If that sheriff (Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart) had access to that 
information, 43 innocent people wouldn't be in jail, and we wouldn't be 
taking him to court," Harrell said.

The ACLU is suing the sheriff and district attorney in Swisher County for 
negligent hiring, among other issues.

"We think future law enforcement agencies need to be able to police the 
police," he said.

The measure was left pending by the committee, but Harrell said he is 
optimistic about its chances to be passed.

The same measure hasn't yet been heard by a House committee.

The remaining two bills, which would require corroborating evidence for an 
undercover agent's testimony and would restrict a judge's ability to 
exclude evidence, are pending in both the House and Senate.
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