sweetpea
04-02-2003, 05:30 PM
I didnt know if anyone else was following the horrendous shocking way the community in Tulia have been treated over the past year, with all those injust and riduiculous arrests. Thank goodness, for once, a judge actually did the right thing...Yesterday, on April fools day, a Dallas Judge Steve Chapman, gave all those convicted new trials, because the only witness (yes, an undercover cop, go figure dirty birdies). Both sides determined that Tom Coleman (said witness) was "not a credible witness under oath," Judge Chapman told the Associated Press. While the outcome of any new trials cannot be predicted with any guarantee, without
Coleman's testimony the state is left with little or no corroborating evidence in all cases. I just think that that is wonderful news and my thoughts and prayers are with their families!
I just saw it on the news here tonight. That's great!!
Deb
flygirlaa2
04-02-2003, 10:11 PM
Yeah, I have been following this and it is such a shame. They ruined many peoples lives.
sweetpea
04-03-2003, 09:57 AM
I know, it's so atrocious that this can happen these days; what happened in Tulia shows us how pathetic law enforcement has gotten.
Fed-X
04-03-2003, 03:53 PM
Justice is WAY overdue... Glad to see they are getting new trials.. Can they get it someplace outside of Tulia??
sweetpea
04-24-2003, 04:04 PM
Justice is served in Tulia....
A Swisher County grand jury just indicted Thomas Rolland
Coleman on three counts of aggravated perjury--a third degree felony carrying a penalty range of between two and ten years.
that is wonderful news. It is about time
FriscoLady
04-25-2003, 09:26 AM
This is wonderful news.
I pray for the end of this ridiculous war against drugs. Too many innocent lives have been ruined!
sweetpea
05-22-2003, 07:57 PM
I know this is long, but I know that I dont ever want to hear another story like Tulia's, so if you feel the same way, you can help...
Regardless what country, state, or legislative district you live in, you can help us right now. This is an emergency situation. Please read further and respond.
We urge you to make calls regarding SB 515 (Tulia Bill) to Senators and their staff and perhaps even the Governor's office. We literally have two days in the Senate left to pass this measure. If it is not voted out of the Senate by Friday it will be dead. We not only ask you to call your Rep. or
Senator.
We ask that you call every Senator on the list at least once during the day. Send faxes and email---but call too. Don't forget to call Senator Juan Hinojosa to thank him for his effort and courage to continue pushing this measure. That number is 512-462-0120. Ask for Rachel, the hard working staff person responsible for this Bill's progress. Thanks y'all for the effort you can put out right away.
Will Harell
ACLU*LULAC*NAACP
ACTION ALERT
UNITED WE WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED
Dear brothers and sisters, it is absolutely necessary that we urge our Senators to vote in favor of SB 515. This bill was voted out of committee and is expected to be heard on the senate floor in the next couple of days.
Senator Hinojosa needs us. Justice needs us. WE MUST ACT NOW!
SB 515 would help prevent cases like the ones below from ever happening again:
* Tulia: 46 arrested on the uncorroborated word of a since-discredited undercover narcotics task force officer. In one case, work records proved a defendant wasnıt where the officer said he sold drugs. In another, a woman proved she was in Oklahoma City at the time and day she was accused of
dealing. * Dallas sheetrockı scandal: Officers faked ³positive² field tests for drugs on at least 86 Hispanics. The drugs planted on these victims in 2001 turned out to be sheetrock. In fact, more than half of all cocaine
seized by police in Dallas County was fake. The officers who faked the field tests have testified as the sole incorroborated witnesses in dozens if not hundreds of other cases. Reasons why we Urges the Texas Legislature to Vote
for SB 515:
* We support SB 515 because without corroboration any police officer could cause the conviction of any person by claiming they lied under oath. Without corroboration it becomes a ³he-said, she-said² battle. One person's word should never be enough to convict.
* Corroboration of testimony is one of the oldest precepts of justice--in the Bible, Moses, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul all required corroboration for witness testimony.
* Not only is money wasted investigating and prosecuting
uncorroborated cases when an officer is discredited, but local governments could incur civil liability if, after being set up by a police officer, innocent victims successfully sue the police department. When you call the senator ask to speak with the staff who is working on criminal justice issues. After that, let them know that SB 515 is going to heard on the
floor and that you would like them to vote for it.
THANK YOU FOR READING AND HELPING!! -sweatpea
:cuffs:
Senator: Bob Deuell
District: 2 Party: Republican Capitol Address The Honorable
Bob Deuell P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0102
(512) 463-7202 fax
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Todd Staples District: 3 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Todd Staples P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0103
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Tommy Williams District: 4 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Tommy Williams P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0104 (512) 463-6373 fax
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Steve Ogden District: 5 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Steve Ogden P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0105
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Mario Gallegos District: 6 Party: Democrat Capitol
Address The Honorable Mario Gallegos P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0106 fax: (512) 463-0346
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Jon Lindsay District: 7 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Jon Lindsay P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0107 (512) 463-8810 (fax)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Florence Shapiro District: 8 Party: Republican
Capitol Address The Honorable Florence Shapiro P.O. Box 12068 Capitol
Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0108 fax: (512) 463-7579
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Chris Harris District: 9 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Chris Harris P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0109 (512) 463-7003 fax
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Kim Brimer District: 10 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Kim Brimer P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0110 Fax: (512) 475-3745
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Mike Jackson District: 11 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Mike Jackson P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0111 fax: (512) 475-3727
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Jane Nelson District: 12 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Jane Nelson P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0112 fax: (512) 463-0923
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Rodney G. Ellis District: 13 Party: Democrat Capitol
Address The Honorable Rodney G. Ellis P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0113
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Gonzalo Barrientos District: 14 Party: Democrat
Capitol Address The Honorable Gonzalo Barrientos P.O. Box 12068 Capitol
Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0114 (512) 463-5949 Counties
Represented: parts of Travis.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: John Whitmire District: 15 Party: Democrat Capitol
Address The Honorable John Whitmire P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0115
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: John J. Carona District: 16 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable John Carona P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin,
Texas 78711 (512) 463-0116 Fax: (512) 463-3135
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Kyle Janek District: 17 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Kyle Janek P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0117 Senator: Kenneth L. (Ken)
Armbrister District: 18 Party: Democrat Capitol Address
District Address Senator: Frank L. Madla District: 19 Party:
Democrat Capitol Address The Honorable Frank L. Madla P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0119
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa District: 20 Party: Democrat
Capitol Address The Honorable Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0120 (512) 463-0229
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Judith Zaffirini District: 21 Party: Democrat Capitol
Address The Honorable Judith Zaffirini P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0121
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Kip Averitt District: 22 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Kip Averitt P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0122 (phone) (512) 475-3729 (fax)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Royce West District: 23 Party: Democrat Capitol
Address The Honorable Royce West P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0123
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Troy Fraser District: 24 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Troy Fraser P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0124
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Jeff Wentworth District: 25 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Jeff Wentworth P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0125 fax: (512) 463-7794
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Leticia R. Van de Putte District: 26 Party: Democrat
Capitol Address The Honorable Leticia R. Van de Putte P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0126 1 (888) 279-0698 Toll
Free Counties Represented: parts of Bexar.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Eduardo A. (Eddie) Lucio, Jr. District: 27 Party:
Democrat Capitol Address The Honorable Eddie Lucio, Jr. P.O. Box 12068
Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0127 fax: (512) 463-0061
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Robert L. Duncan District: 28 Party: Republican
Capitol Address The Honorable Robert Duncan P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0128 Toll Free (800) 322-9538
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Eliot Shapleigh District: 29 Party: Democrat Capitol
Address The Honorable Eliot Shapleigh P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0129
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Craig Estes District: 30 Party: Republican Capitol
Address The Honorable Craig Estes P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station
Austin, Texas 78711 (512) 463-0130
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senator: Teel Bivins District: 31 Party: Republican Capitol
Address
The Honorable Teel Bivins P.O. Box 12068 Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711
(512) 463-0131 Ana Yanez Correa Public Policy
Director Texas LULAC State Executive Office 700 Lavaca St., Ste. 510 Austin,
Texas 78701 Office: 877-895-8522 512-477-7910 Cell: 512-587-7010
Fax: 512-477-3646 www.texaslulac.org
-- Nora Callahan, Executive Director November Coalition 795 South Cedar
Colville, WA 99114 (509) 684-1550 (voice and fax) nora@november.org
http://www.november.org