PUBLISHER'S VIEW: Denial of a posthumous full pardon for Cameron Todd Willingham - in the face of such compelling evidence that an innocent man was executed - is a new low for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Innocence Project Co-Founder Barry Scheck says the Board does not demonstrate that it has actually considered the real evidence the Project has put before them. Or is it possible that the Board intends to stonewall as much as possible in a bid to cover up in its own role in the persecution and deprivation of life of an innocent man? If that's the case, they should reconsider; The execution of Cameron Todd Willingham is a blot on the State's criminal justice system and will never fade away. Far better to face it, issue the pardon, and then move on. One cannot be faulted - even in these circumstances - for doing the right thing. That applies to Texas Governor Rick Perry as well. He has the power to order the Board to study the Willingham case head on with a view to granting the pardon Cameron Todd Willingham's family has been seeking so relentlessly. Sadly, Perry appears to have the power, but not the political will.
Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
STORY: "Willingham won't get posthumous pardon," by reporters Brandi Grissom, Edgar Walters and Terri Langford, published by the Texas Tribune on April 3, 2014.
GIST: "The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has voted not to recommend a posthumous full pardon for Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed a decade ago after being convicted of setting a house fire that killed his three young daughters. “This whole process is, unfortunately, typical of this board, where they don’t demonstrate that they’ve actually considered the substantial evidence that we’ve put before them,” said Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project, which has led the charge to clear Willingham's name in the case. Attorneys working on behalf of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed 10 years ago after he was convicted of setting a house fire that killed his three young daughters, say they have new evidence that suggests he was innocent. Lawyers from the New York-based Innocence Project say a newly discovered note in the files of John Jackson, the prosecutor who oversaw his conviction, suggests that Jackson made a deal with a jailhouse informant, Johnny Webb, who testified against Willingham. At Jackson's prompting, Webb told jurors during the trial that he received nothing in exchange for his testimony implicating the Willingham in the case."
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/04/03/citing-new-evidence-innocence-project-calls-pardon/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
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 found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
