Pubdate: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 Source: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (TX) Copyright: 2001 The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Contact: http://www.lubbockonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/841 Author: Deon Daughterty, Morris News Service Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/tulia.htm (Tulia, Texas) TULIA DRUG BUST BILL ON WAY TO SENATE AUSTIN -- A measure filed in response to the controversial 1999 drug bust in Tulia has cleared its first hurdle in the Texas Legislature and is on its way to the full Senate. Senate Bill 1583, sponsored by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, would open to public inspection letters that describe certain substantiated claims of an officer's criminal misconduct to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. The bill is one of the 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 are 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. During a Senate Criminal Justice Committee meeting, members viewed a "20/20" news segment about the drug bust. "I observed the entire committee and staff look on in horror, and with that, the bill swept through the committee," Will Harrell, executive director of the Texas chapter of the ACLU, said. The bill is scheduled to be heard in the House Committee on Urban Affairs next week, and Harrell said several Republican members already have expressed their support for the measure. But just this provision alone wouldn't necessarily prevent another botched drug investigation, Harrell said. The remaining two proposals, which require corroborating evidence for an undercover agent's testimony and restrict a judge's ability to exclude evidence, are pending in both the House and Senate. Harrell said substitutes for the bills will be presented, likely within the next two weeks. The amended versions address narcotics investigations exclusively, Harrell said. Prosecutors had legitimate concerns that the measures could hinder rape and murder investigations, he said, but drug operations require special oversight and accountability. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager