Gov. Perry dismisses 3 people on the board investigating (alleged) arsonist execution

[soccermomforobama]

DALLAS — A report concluding a faulty investigation led to a Texas man's execution won't be reviewed by a state board as planned Friday after Gov. Rick Perry abruptly removed three people from the panel, forcing the meeting's cancellation.

Perry, who has said the execution was appropriate, replaced the head of the Texas Forensic Science Commission and two of its eight other board members Wednesday. The upheaval on the commission came just 48 hours before it was to consider a report critical of the arson finding leading to Cameron Todd Willingham's execution for the deaths of his three daughters in a 1991 fire.

Baltimore-based arson expert Craig Beyler, who was hired by the commission, concluded the arson finding was scientifically unsupported and investigators at the scene had "poor understandings of fire science." His report has bolstered arguments from advocacy groups that Willingham was innocent and wrongly executed.

Perry told The Associated Press the terms of the dismissed board members were expiring and replacing them "was pretty standard business as usual." But several board members have served more than one term and had their appointments renewed.



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/30/cameron-todd-willingham-t_0_n_305653.html

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. The original article in The New Yorker is quite good.

September 7, 2009

A Reporter At Large
TRIAL BY FIRE
Did Texas execute an innocent man?
By David Grann

[madeline_con]

2. Don't tell me, let me guess. Perry's a Repuke? n/t

[subcomhd]

4. he's palin with a penis

[thunder rising]

7. Perry? The party for Texas secession? Oh, yeah. He's the southern Michele Bachmann

[sharp_stick]

3. I wonder how that POS

sleeps at night knowing that he allowed the execution of an innocent man?

[subcomhd]

5. on a big pile of money with many beautiful men

[Sanity Claws]

9. No conscience

Have you heard some of those Texan judges? They don't care whether there is a wrongful conviction. They don't want to appear soft on crime so they refuse to reexamine cases.

[snake in the grass]

14. He sleeps fine.

Pukes are bloodthirsty monsters, who actually get off on causing death and destruction. In Perry's eyes, this man was a criminal satanist. That's reason enough for him to send the guy over the Styx.

[brentspeak]

6. The New Yorker article mentioned that Willingham's Iron Maiden posters were cited by prosecutors

as "evidence" that he was into witchcraft and a propensity to commit murder. Also, the article said this Willingham's court-appointed defenders believed he was guilty. What I'd like to know: did Willinham's attorneys let the ridiculous Iron Maiden argument go uncontested? If so, that would be unimpeachable proof that they were either a) completely incompetent; or b) completely corrupt. Either way, it would show their personal opinion that he was guilty to be worth a hill of beans.

[thunder rising]

8. There is a Boston Legal episode that shows the hipocracy of the Texas Appelate

There is a Boston Legal episode that shows the hypocrisy of the Texas Appeals process.

It was interesting to note that innocence, new evidence, incompetence or any other logical pleading is not regarded as relevant.

Once they convict a black guy ... he's gonna die.

[brentspeak]

10. The movie "The Thin Blue Line" describes how the Texas judicial system

basically has gone out its way on many occasions to kill people -- guilty or not.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Most excellent doc, highly recommended.

The director's comments are also informative.

[madeline_con]

11. Are there members of Iron Maiden who'd like to sue? n/t

[UTUSN]

12. K&R #2, n/t

[ezgoingrl]

13. They'll protect their

precious death penalty at any cost. Rick Perry and all of those who ignored the evidence upon Willinham's appeal have blood on their hands.