[drjoe]

This is not really such a big deal. The court told the prosecution what they had to do. They failed to do it. It is not simply a matter of a killer going free. It is a matter of the arrogance of a prosecutor not doing what he was told he had to do. If society has a beef, tell it to the prosecutor who is solely responsible for this fiasco. You HAVE to play by the rules - both sides. Very very sad. It certainly reminds me of the OJ case wherein the police tried to cook the evidence and, as a result, a jury essentially threw out the case.

[MeekOneGOP]

Here is an excerpt from the article in #3:

Maness, however, contended that Barlow did not set up a time and place to collect the evidence, as is customary in Jefferson County.

It looks like the defense may be as negligent if this prosecutor is right. I agree that rules are rules, but when I read . . .

Donna Pentecost, 33, of Port Neches, was found dead in her yard. She had been sexually assaulted and her head crushed with a concrete block.

. . . it seems like the animal/criminals are winning this one in the war against heinous crimes.

That doesn't excuse any bumbling/negligence by the prosecutor, if any, though . . .

[Henrietta]

It looks like the prosecution was deliberately withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense, to prevent the accused from defending himself.

Often, prosecutors get away with such nonsense because the judges and the prosecutors are on the "same side," so to speak. Sounds like the judge here understands his duty to society and to the constitution and is going to make everybody play by the rules. We need more judges like this.