My brother, Steve, was convicted in 2006. Part of my argument in the book has been that prejudice against people accused of sex crimes, especially against children, runs so high that it’s difficult for the innocent defendant to receive a fair trial in Texas. Here’s an interesting blog post from John Floyd, a Houston attorney, explaining why it’s even more difficult for innocent defendants today, thanks to the adoption of two Federal legal rules that Texas had previously not been using.
Wrongful Convictions Inevitable in Texas
When Steve was convicted, there were rules in place which protected defendants from having accusations beyond what they were charged with used against them in a trial. Now Texas has adopted two Federal Rules to make it possible for prosecutors to bring up unproven accusations (not convictions) which were made against a defendant, and use those accusations as evidence. Anyone can accuse someone of a crime, true or not. If it isn’t proven it shouldn’t be allowed in a court of law.
Have you ever faced a situation like Steve went through, or felt like the system was stacked against you somehow? Let me know below.
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