"EARLIER: In a bid to diffuse a partisan showdown, the name of Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley was temporarily stricken this morning from a list of nominees to be submited to the full Senate for confirmation.
Gov. Rick Perry has nominated Bradley as chairman of the Forensic Science Commission, and the nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.
Bradley’s decisions involving the Cameron Todd Willingham case have been criticized by advocacy groups, and the controversy flared again Monday in the Senate Nominations Committee hearing in a tense exchange between Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Bradley."
REPORTER MIKE WARD; THE STATESMAN;
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BACKGROUND: (Wikipedia); Cameron Todd Willingham (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004), born in Carter County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to death by the state of Texas for murdering his three daughters—two year old Amber Louise Kuykendall, and one year old twins Karmon Diane Willingham and Kameron Marie Willingham— by setting his house on fire. The fire occurred on December 23, 1991 in Corsicana, Texas. Lighter fluid was kept on the front porch of Willingham’s house as evidenced by a melted container found there. Some of this fluid may have entered the front doorway of the house carried along by fire hose water. It was alleged this fluid was deliberately poured to start the fire and that Willingham chose this entrance way so as to impede rescue attempts. The prosecution also used other arson theories that have since been brought into question. In addition to the arson evidence, a jailhouse informant claimed Willingham confessed that he set the fire to hide his wife's physical abuse of the girls, although the girls showed no other injuries besides those caused by the fire. Neighbors also testified that Willingham did not try hard enough to save his children. They allege he "crouched down" in his front yard and watched the house burn for a period of time without attempting to enter the home or go to neighbors for help or request they call firefighters. He claimed that he tried to go back into the house but it was "too hot". As firefighters arrived, however, he rushed towards the garage and pushed his car away from the burning building, requesting firefighters do the same rather than put out the fire. After the fire, Willingham showed no emotion at the death of his children and spent the next day sorting through the debris, laughing and playing music. He expressed anger after finding his dartboard burned in the fire. Firefighters and other witnesses were suspicious of how he reacted during and after the fire. Willingham was charged with murder on January 8, 1992. During his trial in August 1992, he was offered a life term in exchange for a guilty plea, which he turned down insisting he was innocent. After his conviction, he and his wife divorced. She later stated that she believed that Willingham was guilty. Prosecutors alleged this was part of a pattern of behavior intended to rid himself of his children. Willingham had a history of committing crimes, including burglary, grand larceny and car theft. There was also an incident when he beat his pregnant wife over the stomach with a telephone to induce a miscarriage. When asked if he had a final statement, Willingham said: "Yeah. The only statement I want to make is that I am an innocent man - convicted of a crime I did not commit. I have been persecuted for 12 years for something I did not do. From God's dust I came and to dust I will return - so the earth shall become my throne. I gotta go, road dog. I love you Gabby." However, his final words were directed at his ex-wife, Stacy Willingham. He turned to her and said "I hope you rot in hell, bitch" several times while attempting to extend his middle finger in an obscene gesture. His ex-wife did not show any reaction to this. He was executed by lethal injection on February 17, 2004. Subsequent to that date, persistent questions have been raised as to the accuracy of the forensic evidence used in the conviction, specifically, whether it can be proven that an accelerant (such as the lighter fluid mentioned above) was used to start the fatal fire. Fire investigator Gerald L. Hurst reviewed the case documents including the trial transcriptions and an hour-long videotape of the aftermath of the fire scene. Hurst said, "There's nothing to suggest to any reasonable arson investigator that this was an arson fire. It was just a fire. Legendary "Innocence" lawyer Barry Scheck asked participants at a conference of the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers held in Toronto in August, 2010, how Willingham, who had lost his family to the fire, must have felt to hear the horrific allegations made against him on the basis of the bogus evidence, "and nobody pays any attention to it as he gets executed." "It's the Dreyfus Affair, and you all know what that is," Scheck continued. "It's the Dreyfus AffaIr of the United States. Luke Power's music video "Texas Death Row Blues," can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2010/09/cameron-todd-willingham-texas-death-row_02.html
For an important critique of the devastating state of arson investigation in America with particular reference to the Willingham and Willis cases, go to:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/01/fire-investigation-great-read-veteran.html
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"UPDATED at 12:20 p.m.: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said he plans to begin talking to senators to see if he can break a partisan block to John Bradley’s nomination to the Forensic Science Commission," the Statesman story by reporter Mike Ward published on March 1, 2010 under the heading, "Dewhurst to lobby for Bradley nomination," begins.
"He predicted the nomination will not come up for Senate discussion for at least two weeks," the story continues.
“I know John Bradley and know him to be a very effective DA,” Dewhurst said late this morning after learning that Bradley’s name had been temporarily stricken from the list of nominees.
Dewhurst said that after he talks with senators who are blocking Bradley’s nomination, “it may be that we’ll want him to come in and talk with some of them one on one.” After that, he said, “we’ll see where we are on the votes,” when asked when Bradley’s name may come up for a vote.
EARLIER: In a bid to diffuse a partisan showdown, the name of Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley was temporarily stricken this morning from a list of nominees to be submited to the full Senate for confirmation.
Gov. Rick Perry has nominated Bradley as chairman of the Forensic Science Commission, and the nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.
Bradley’s decisions involving the Cameron Todd Willingham case have been criticized by advocacy groups, and the controversy flared again Monday in the Senate Nominations Committee hearing in a tense exchange between Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Bradley.
Bradley publicly questioned Ellis’ service as chairman of the New York-based Innocence Project, which has championed the reopening of numerous Texas criminal cases. New DNA tests have led to exonerations, including several from death row.
The Innocence Project has alleged that forensic evidence used to convict Willingham was flawed.
After the verbal exchange, the Nominations Committee on Monday approved Bradley’s reappointment 4-2. But later in the day, led by Ellis, Senate Democrats moved to block the nomination.
Nominations Committee Chairman Robert Deuell, R-Greenville, said just a few minutes ago that he plans to submit the list of Monday’s nominees to the Senate for approval — possibly as early as tomorrow — but without Bradley’s name.
“I’m pulling him off the list for now, yes,” Deuell said. “I want to let things settle down, and then see where we are. If we put him out there now, they (Democrats) would sever him (from the rest of the nominees) and block him.
“There’s no reason to let that happen right now.”
Though pulled off of the current list sent to the Senate, Deuell said Bradley’s name could be submitted for confirmation at any time. Three other nominees to the Forensic Science Commission that were approved by the committee on Monday will be forwarded on for Senate confirmation now, Deuell said.
If the Democrats’ opposition holds, and Bradley’s nomination is blocked, it would be a rarity, since most gubernatorial nominations sail through for approval without comment.
Two years ago, the Senate blocked the nominations of Cleburne businesswoman Shanda Perkins to serve on the Board of Pardons and Paroles, amid questions over her alleged involvement in a local controversy involving sex-toy sales, and of Don McElroy as chairman of the State Board of Education, over his advocacy for a more-conservative curriculum."
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The story can be found at:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/03/01/deuell_bradley_off_list_for_no.html?cxntfid=blogs_postcards
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be accessed at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
For a breakdown of some of the cases, issues and controversies this Blog is currently following, please turn to:
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=120008354894645705&postID=8369513443994476774
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com
