Pubdate: Mon, 12 May 2003 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2003 The Dallas Morning News Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117 TULIA TRAVESTY: MISCONDUCT MAY GO DEEPER THAN ROGUE COP The more we learn about the infamous drug busts in Tulia back in 1999, the more we have to conclude this travesty of justice goes beyond just one rogue cop. What happened in the small Panhandle town plays right into the hands of those critics who deride Texas' criminal justice system. It is bad enough that dozens of black Texans were convicted on the uncorroborated word of a now discredited white undercover officer. But a court filing now suggests the Swisher County prosecutor, also white, knew his key witness couldn't be trusted. The documents argue that District Attorney Terry McEachern nevertheless kept his mouth shut and went ahead with prosecuting 38 people. The defense lawyers didn't have the benefit of knowing that the officer, Tom Coleman, had been arrested on a theft charge in the middle of his drug investigation. Had they been told, his credibility would have been destroyed. And dozens of defendants would have been spared from prison, where 13 still remain. Mr. Coleman has since been indicted on three counts of perjury, alleging he lied while testifying at hearings reviewing several of the drug cases. But the accountability must not stop there. State officials must look into whether prosecutorial misconduct occurred and, if so, pursue charges. The responsibility for this travesty lies not only with Mr. Coleman but also with any of his superiors who might have been able to stop it. A just-announced congressional inquiry may uncover why law enforcement officials allowed the uncorroborated testimony of a key witness to carry so much weight. But the courts also need to release on bond the 13 people still in prison, until the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals decides whether to dismiss all of the convictions. Something truly devastating happened to the people of Tulia four years ago. Lives were ripped apart, unjustifiably. It is time to begin putting them back together. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth