To the Editor: The new prohibition ignores history and is a bigger disgrace and scandal than sex in the oval office. The statistics reveal that racism is epidemic in the drug war. It fuels corruption of public officials and injustice in our courts. "Tulia, Texas" exposes this worldwide problem. It also triggers violence in our streets and in other countries, Mexico's bloodbaths and 300 body acid stew, a case in point. The black market supports despicable people who sell drugs to children and recruits them to sell to their peers. [continues 170 words]
When 31-year-old Freddie Brookins Jr. looked up at the big screen at the Universal City Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles earlier this month, he thought, "I can't believe I went through all this." Brookins was attending the Television Press Critics Association Conference and the promotional screening of the PBS documentary, "Tulia, Texas" produced by Cassandra Herrman and Kelly Whalen. Brookins was one of 46 Tulia residents who was arrested -- then later pardoned -- on drug charges in what became one of the most controversial drug cases in history. [continues 804 words]
A concern that is at the forefront of the drug problem in Plainview for County Judge Bill Hollars and Constable Mark Mull is the overall drug use in juveniles and the availability of it around schools. Both say students are bringing drugs to school and some are caught and arrested. "If we don't get the drug use stopped in the younger people, we really don't know how bad this can get," Mull said. "We need to weed out the drug use in the youngsters so they don't grow up with that lifestyle." [continues 812 words]
In another stinging blow to the reprehensible prohibition of medical marijuana, the Canadian government has just authorized the use of cannabis for the treatment of pain and a number of debilitating conditions, including multiple sclerosis. Last Tuesday, Canada approved the prescription sale of a natural marijuana compound produced by GW Pharmaceuticals of Britain called Sativex -- a whole-plant extract nicknamed "liquid marijuana." "It is nothing like Marinol, the synthetic THC sold in the U.S. and sometimes falsely touted as an adequate substitute for marijuana," the national Marijuana Policy Project said in a recent press release. "In short, the Canadian government has just certified that virtually everything our own government has been telling us about marijuana is wrong. [continues 551 words]
Richard Orr's article in last Sunday's Herald ("Not so innocent after all" regarding the controversial 1999 drug sting in Tulia) summarized the findings of Todd Bensman, an investigative reporter with the CBS affiliate in Dallas. Bensman reports that, according to an FBI report mysteriously obtained from an undisclosed source, eight Tulia defendants admitted that they sold drugs to Tom Coleman. The implication is that Governor Perry, had he only known, would never have pardoned the Tulia defendants nor would attorneys for the City of Amarillo have sanctioned a $6 million settlement. [continues 718 words]
To The Editor: Well! Well! Well! It seems our district attorney, his assistant district attorney and the law enforcement officer who gathered evidence of sales of drugs and illegal substances in Tulia weren=B4t so wrong after all! Apparently the incorrect positions were taken by their Amarillo lawyer, the ACLU, the NAACP, the Friends of Justice Founder (Alan Bean) and the governo r for his blanket pardons. Wonder if any of them will ever admit they were in the wrong? It is doubtful! One wonders how much of the $4 million settlement the confessed drug peddlers expect to receive? That is, if any is left after the Amarillo attorney takes his =93fee=94! Surely they deserve nothing! Walter I. Perry [end]
Officials from the State Bar of Texas took the next step in their disciplinary action against Hale and Swisher Counties District Attorney Terry McEachern, the prosecutor in the controversial 1999 Tulia drug bust. The State Bar on Wednesday filed a disciplinary petition against McEachern with the Texas Supreme Court, the next step in the process of bringing the disciplinary action to trial. McEachern opted for a public jury civil trial rather than an administrative hearing. The trial would likely be held in Plainview before the end of the year. If he loses the trial, McEachern will face punishment ranging from a public reprimand to disbarment. [continues 201 words]
Terry McEachern's opponents aren't talking about Ruidoso and that's to their credit. But they have also shied away from Tulia with the result that most voters still don't understand Mr. McEachern's role in the Tom Coleman fiasco. Permit me to set the record straight. Mr. McEachern spent the better part of three years claiming that he didn't know the truth about Coleman's woes in Cochran County until most of the trials were history. He said it to reporters, he said it in open court, and he said it to me. He lied. [continues 338 words]
District Attorney Terry McEachern has announced he will seek the post he has held for the past 18 years on March 9 in the Republican Party. He has previously been a Democrat. "I am announcing my intention to seek the Republican Party´s nomination as their candidate for re-election as district attorney. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the people of Hale and Swisher counties who have encouraged me to pursue this goal," McEachern said. "Since assuming office May 1, 1985, my record of convictions (94 percent) remains as one of the highest on record in Texas. The state average is 87 percent. [continues 221 words]
District Attorney Terry McEachern declined comment Monday on his appearance before a State Bar Association committee last week over a grievance filed against him in connection with the 4-year-old Tulia drug cases. McEachern, 54, acknowledged appearing before a 3-member grievance committee in Amarillo on Dec. 19 but is precluded by law from commenting on the proceedings. The grievance was filed by an unidentified party in July over the 1999 Swisher County undercover drug operation by discredited freelance officer Tom Coleman that ultimately led to 35 defendants being pardoned by Gov. Rick Perry. [continues 198 words]
Rush Limbaugh really is "show prep for the rest of the media" - at least he has been for the past few weeks. I said some time ago that I'd say no more about the Prince of Pompous because he was self-destructing quite well and needed no outside help. But I thought it'd be his incessant bragging and haughty, cigar-puffing ways that would ultimately disgust even the most ardent dittohead. Who'd have believed "your epitome of morality and virtue" was feeding a black-market drug habit, of all things? There's an old saying about gods and heroes having feet of clay. There's also one about people in glass houses throwing stones. [continues 445 words]
The Plainview Elks Lodge is part of a national program and has been in existence since 1909. The lodge is involved in many charities and work to support and encourage area youth. Drug awareness for children in pre-K through 12 is a priority for the Elks. This year, five more area school districts added their names to the list to receive information for students, bringing the total number of educational packets distributed to 13,166. With Red Ribbon Week, a National Drug Awareness Week, scheduled for Oct. 23-31, the Elks have worked hard to get information out to all the campuses. [continues 421 words]
TULIA - Attempting to recover from an international avalanche of negative news generated by the 1999 drug sting that saw most of the 46 primarily black suspects pardoned last week, Swisher County has formed a Civilian Review Board that will address community needs and another panel that will work to bring much-needed jobs to the area. Announcement of the formation came during a news conference Thursday afternoon outside the courthouse where many of the arrestees were convicted and sentenced to prison on questionable testimony from former undercover drug agent Tom Coleman, who has since been indicted for perjury in the case. [continues 377 words]
A massive, 40-page federal lawsuit has been filed in connection with the infamous 1999 Tulia drug raid that ultimately backfired and ended in pardons last week for most of the suspects. The suit seeks monetary damages for alleged civil rights violations and was filed Friday in U.S. District Court Amarillo by Amarillo attorney Jeff Blackburn on behalf of Tonya White and Zuri Bossett - two of the 46 mostly black suspects arrested on the word of undercover agent and reputed racist Tom Coleman, who has since been indicted for perjury in the case. [continues 503 words]
Inmates being strip-searched at the prison complex east of Plainview apparently could be seen by the public, at least briefly, Friday morning. A 30-year-old mother of two daughters, ages 10 and 5, called The Herald to complain about seeing three prisoners "butt nekkid" as she drove past the prisons about 11:15 a.m. "My oldest daughter said, `Oh my gosh, look at those naked guys' " the woman reported. "They were near the parking lot area. It was hot and they were out there for everybody and God to see. It seemed like unusual punishment to me. I think they could take them somewhere else to do their strip search," the caller said. [continues 285 words]
Growing up on the streets of Las Vegas, Vince Riojas wouldn't have thought twice about someone offering to sell him drugs in the middle of the street in the middle of the day. But Riojas was amazed when it happened recently in Plainview. A real estate agent, Riojas had sold a house in the Austin Heights neighborhood and was picking up the front yard sign one morning. "I stopped behind a truck at a stop sign and the guy rolled his window down and stuck out some money and a guy came walking up and sold to him," Riojas recalls. "Right there on Brazier Street at 10 in the morning." [continues 840 words]
TULIA (Associated Press) What happened here is not simply a study in black and white, despite the skin colors of its characters. It is not purely a story of stupidity and arrogance, though both are prevalent. It is a tragedy of small minds and made-up crimes that eventually created one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Texas history. If it weren´t so awful, some of what happened in this tiny town might be comical, given the buffoonish protagonist and his inability to keep his stories straight. [continues 2882 words]
Your son has just been indicted for selling drugs to an undercover officer. The district attorney offered the kid five years in exchange for a guilty plea. But the boy won't take it. "Dad," he says, "I won't do time for something I didn't do." So the case goes to court, the undercover cop says the deal went down, the kid says it didn't, and the jury has a decision to make. Your son has no criminal record. Still, on the strength of a single witness, the jury finds the defendant guilty and sentences your flesh and blood to 20 years in prison. They pull the boy's well-muscled arms behind his back, the handcuffs click into place, and the young man is led out of the courtroom, tears and fire glistening in his eyes. [continues 548 words]
Terry McEachern, district attorney for Hale, and Swisher counties, is expected to enter a plea Tuesday morning on an aggravated charge of driving while intoxicated last Thanksgiving eve in Ruidoso, N.M. McEachern is due in Judge Frank Wilson's district court in Carrizozo, N.M., which handles all such cases for Lincoln (Ruidoso) and Otero (Alamogordo) counties, for a bench trial to be heard by the judge. Dave Ceballes, a deputy district attorney in the Alamogordo office, said McEachern was charged with aggravated DWI because "he is alleged to have not taken a breath alcohol test." [continues 456 words]
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez said Wednesday the issue of a controversial drug bust in 1999 in this Panhandle town should not be politicized. "I think it's improper for anybody running for office to politicize this issue," Sanchez said in response to a question after he spoke to a crowd of about 100 people in downtown Tulia. Sanchez did not discuss the drug bust in his remarks, but mentioned the town had come under national scrutiny recently because of controversy surrounding the bust. [continues 803 words]
