Posted on 11/21/2017 8:08:00 PM PST by JeepersFreepers
In August, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board labeled the case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a “political prosecution” citing a sealed grand jury document provided to the editorial board. That document has now been published for the public to view by Direct Action Texas, a North Texas-based political accountability group and its contents are alarming.
The document, a motion to dismiss filed by Paxton’s legal team, lays bare a number of violations of Paxton’s due process rights by Special Prosecutors Brian Wice and Kent Schaffer, as well as Chris Older, the original judge on the case. Oldner was forced to withdraw from the case in disgrace after his wife was caught gossiping about the sealed indictments.
“The grand jury materials provided by the Court show that the pro tem lawyers misrepresented the law, turned a blind eye to legal inconveniences, and wove facts from whole cloth,” the Motion concludes.
The motion details a “malicious and subversive” effort by the prosecutors to obtain indictments against Paxton, including falsification of dates in order to avoid the statute of limitations, providing the wrong legal standards to the grand jury, and misleading the grand jury with immaterial information about Paxton.
In an earlier Motion to Quash the indictment, it was revealed that Judge Oldner had violated various laws relating to grand juries. This motion to dismiss adds additional detail, making it clear that Oldner improperly entered the grand jury room and worked to persuade the grand jurors to indict Paxton.
After Oldner was removed from the case, he was replaced with Judge George Gallagher of Tarrant County, who proved himself to be just as much on the side of the prosecution as his predecessor. Indeed, when Gallagher was confronted with the Motion to Dismiss, he not only refused to grant it, but he sealed it from public view.
Citizens need to be asking why this document was sealed in the first place. Was it sealed in order to cover up these abuses of power by the prosecutors? Are the prosecutors and judges who are attempting to railroad Paxton through the criminal justice system afraid of the public knowing about their corruption?
It’s long past time that the Texas court system put an end to the corrupt prosecution of Ken Paxton. The Texas criminal justice system can no longer be allowed to be used as a political weapon against conservatives.
“I don’t think it’s because they are inept. I think it’s because the republicans are in on it too, but they don’t dare speak up because it would also directly implicate them.”
So you think it’s a “bipartisan good old boys club?” Or the Republicans have dirt and the RATS use it to keep them in line?
Until some of the offending die for their sins, there will be no change.
They have nothing to lose for sinning. A lost life or two will be necessary to bring change
It’s both. Look at McCain - outright treason. Still alive, still suckering Arizona, still being a useless mouth breather. The guy should’ve, at a minimum, had life in prison. But, since his grandfather and father were admirals, nothing at all happened to him.
I will always believe that they’re all in it together. One goes and decides to talk, a lot of people are going to be incredibly angry, frustrated, worried and outright scared.
Which is why they always push for a plea and are hesitant to talk about the actual particulars in a sentence. For example, if they get a plea and they push for a 10, serve 3, sentence.
On paper, it’s a 10 year sentence. They’ll only have to do, 3 years. And, will get time off for staying out of trouble.
Wow! Another conservative who agrees with me on the death penalty.
My reasons for being against it (in no particular order).
1. When the government has the power to put us to death, a corrupt government will use that power in a corrupt way. (Related: When the government has the power to tax, a corrupt government will use that power in a corrupt way. Observe all the abuse by the IRS against tea partiers and other conservatives and tax laws designed to *punish* the rich.) Imagine Hillary as President pointing the finger at all her enemies and shouting “treason”! Far-fetched? I think not. And if Hillary isn’t sufficiently evil, eventually someone will come along who is. (For the record, I think she’s sufficiently evil.) And it’s not just the President. There are corrupt local governments scattered all over the country.
2. I think there are people who deserve not only the death penalty, but much worse. But none of us are God. None of us are perfect enough that we should be meting out death as punishment.
3. The possibility of an error. It’s tragic when a man goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. It’s beyond tragic when a man is put to death for a crime he didn’t commit.
4. I think the act of putting someone to death would be scarring for the executioner. Unless the executioner is already seriously scarred. I would hate to have to live with the knowledge that I had done that. (Related: Many women who’ve had abortions have deep regrets and mental trauma, even those who didn’t/don’t regard the fetus as “human”.)
Thanks for your post.
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