10 Days in Jail for Ex-Prosecutor Who Sent Innocent Man to Prison for 25 Years
Texas justice
Justice is served. A former Texas prosecutor accused of withholding important evidence in a murder trial, which resulted in an innocent man serving 25 years in prison, will go to jail. For 10 days. And he'll pay a $500 fine and serve 500 hours of community service. The Associated Press reports:
A former Texas prosecutor who won a conviction that sent an innocent man to prison for nearly 25 years agreed Friday to serve 10 days in jail and complete 500 hours of community service.
Ken Anderson also agreed to be disbarred and was fined $500 as part of a sweeping deal that was expected to end all criminal and civil cases against the embattled ex-district attorney, who presided over a tough-on-crime Texas county for 30 years.
Anderson faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted of tampering with evidence in the 1987 murder trial of Michael Morton, who wrongly spent nearly 25 years in prison.
Ten years becomes 10 days. Wonder if anybody who Anderson prosecuted or who appeared before Anderson when he became a judge got such a sweet deal.
Jacob Sullum wrote about the case and the details in 2011. Back then experts were skeptical there'd be any sort of punishment at all. They were close, but they didn't think disbarment was likely, which means this lopsided punishment is still more severe than what people thought would happen.
(Hat tip to Reason commenter The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc)
