Texas Moratorium Network PAC » Uncategorized

Charlie Baird Files Candidacy for Travis County District Attorney

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:33:13 +0000

AUSTIN—Telling gathered supporters it was time for real reform in the District Attorney’s Office, Charlie Baird formally filed for a place on the Democratic Primary ballot Monday afternoon at Travis County Democratic Party Headquarters.

Baird, a former Travis County district court judge and judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, said his campaign was about ideas and making the criminal justice system in Travis County a model for the rest of the state and the nation. Baird filed petitions with a total of 893 signatures of Travis County voters to qualify for the ballot.

“I am running for District Attorney because I believe we have a moral obligation to help people lead a good and productive life and that, if we do that, we are better as a society–we are better people. That’s what I want to do as your District Attorney. It’s time to take people that don’t need to be in the criminal justice system and get them help to break the cycle of criminality and support their children and families, and live the kind of life that we all want to live,” Baird said.

“People in our community are continually being ground up by the criminal justice system. It’s time to stop that and focus on rehabilitation and addressing the root causes of crime so we can have a safer and more productive society. This is where my passion is. This is where my heart is,” he continued.

“We know that we can do a better job with the criminal justice system in Travis County than we’re doing now. We are the most progressive county in Texas, and we should to be the model not just for our state but for the nation when it comes to how to treat people in the criminal justice system and still provide for public safety,” he continued.

A longtime progressive and jurist who has gained national attention for his work on such cases as that of the late Tim Cole, Baird is campaigning on issues including reforming the Felony Diversion Program, increasing rehabilitative opportunities, and operating the DA’s office 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 on Todd Willingham: “Is Texas Governor Rick Perry Trying to Cover Up Execution of Innocent Man on His Watch”

admin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:52:43 +0000

The video below is the report that aired on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, Friday October 2, 2009. Scott Cobb of Texas Moratorium Network is interviewed in the report.

If you can not see the video embedded, below click here to watch it on YouTube.

Sign the petition to Governor Rick Perry and the State of Texas to acknowledge that the fire in the Cameron Todd Willingham case was not arson, therefore no crime was committed and on February 17, 2004, Texas executed an innocent man.

Campaign Reports for Three CCA Judges Up for Re-Election in 2010

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:09:41 +0000

Three incumbents on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals are up for re-election in 2010: Michael Keasler, Cheryl Johnson and Lawrence Meyers. All three are Republicans, as are all the judges on the CCA. On July 15, 2009, they reported the following amounts to the Texas Ethics Commission.

Michael Keasler Report (PDF)

Total Contributions Zero

Total Expenditures $342.58

Total Political Contributions Maintained $3,042.43

Total of all outstanding loans Zero

Lawrence Meyers Report (PDF)

Total Contributions $2,000 (He contributed $2,000 to his own campaign)

Total Expenditures $3,055.87

Total Political Contributions Maintained $1,073.30

Total of all outstanding loans $113,693.00 (He has reported this loan on every report since March 1998. He also reported expenditures in March 1998 of $107,532.00. He had a strong challenger in that year’s Republican primary.)

Cheryl Johnson Judicial Candidate/ Officeholder (PDF)

Johnson reported zero contributions, zero expenditures, zero contributions maintained and zero outstanding loans in her Candidate/Officeholder account.

Friends of Cheryl Johnson (Judicial Specific-Purpose Committee) (PDF)

Johnson is the treasurer of Friends of Cheryl Johnson

Total Contributions Zero

Total Expenditures Zero

Total Political Contributions Maintained $4,054.46

Total of all outstanding loans Zero

Texas Democratic Party Platform Endorses a Moratorium on Executions

admin — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:48:59 +0000

The Texas Democratic Party once again endorsed a moratorium on executions in Texas in the Party platform adopted at last weekend’s state convention. In addition to endorsing a moratorium on executions, the Resolutions Committee at the State Convention also passed a resolution in favor of abolishing the death penalty. The abolition resolution was not brought to the floor of the convention for a vote before the convention adjourned, so it will be referred to the State Democratic Executive Committee’s resolutions committee for further consideration. We will post more on the abolition resolution later.

The section in the party platform dealing with capital punishment was drafted by Scott Cobb, who was a member of the chair’s advisory committee on the platform.

From the 2008 TDP Platform:

Capital Punishment
When capital punishment is used, Texans must be assured that it is fairly administered. Texas Democrats extend our deepest sympathies to all victims of crime and especially to the families of murder victims, and we strongly support their rights. The Texas death penalty system has been severely criticized by religious leaders, appellate courts and major newspapers that have observed that the current system cannot ensure that innocent or undeserving defendants are not sentenced to death. Last year, the Dallas Morning News called for abolition of the death penalty in Texas.

In the modern era, Texas has executed over 400 people, far more than any other state in the nation. The frequency of executions and inadequacies in our criminal justice system increase the likelihoodthat an innocent person will be executed. The State of Texas may have already executed at least two innocent people, according to major newspaper investigations into the cases of Carlos DeLuna and Cameron Todd Willingham. Another inmate, Ernest Willis, was exonerated and released from exas Death Row in 2004 after 17 years of wrongful imprisonment. In order to promote public confidence in the fairness of the Texas criminal justice system, Texas Democrats support the establishment of a Texas Capital Punishment Commission to study the Texas death penalty system and a moratorium on executions pending action on the Commission’s findings.

Texas Democrats support the following specific reforms:
• establishing a statewide Office of Public Defenders for Capital Cases to ensure that every person accused of a capital crime has equal access to well-trained trial and appellate attorneys, regardless of income, race or the county of jurisdiction;
• allowing testing of any possibly exculpatory DNA evidence to ensure guilt or innocence before executions are carried out, and allowing testing of DNA evidence after an execution to determine if an innocent person has been executed;
• establishing procedures to determine before a trial takes place whether an accused has mental retardation, in order to be sure that Texas complies with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ban on executions of people with mental retardation;
• banning death sentences and executions for people with mental illness;
• requiring the Board of Pardons and Paroles to meet in person to discuss and vote on every case involving the death sentence; and
• restoring the power to the Governor to grant clemency in death penalty cases without a recommendation from the Board of Pardons and Paroles

Democrats Against the Death Penalty Caucus to Meet at State Convention

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:24:51 +0000

“Democrats Against the Death Penalty Caucus” will meet at the Democratic State Convention in Austin at the Austin Convention Center in Room 8A, from 12:00-1:00pm on Friday, June 6, 2008.
This caucus was founded in 2004 and also met at the 2006 state convention.

Rick Reed for Travis County District Attorney TV Spot

admin — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:29:20 +0000

Visit Rick Reed’s Website

Help Elect Rick Reed by Calling Voters on His Behalf From Your Own Home

admin — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:24:02 +0000

If you would like to help Rick Reed become the most progressive District Attorney in the history of Travis County, you can help by making calls to voters in Travis County telling them why you are supporting Rick Reed.

Go to texas.onlinephonebanking.com to get started.

Scroll down the list of candidates and click on “Rick Reed”. Then enter your name, email and zipcode and you’ll immediately be able to select any precinct to call in Travis County! A screen will then appear with your first voter to call.

Take some time to review that page before making your first call; after a couple of calls we guarantee you’ll get the swing of it. Be yourself and go off the suggested script, if necessary, to convey why you believe voters should cast votes for Rick Reed (For instance, he is the most progressive candidate in the DA race. He would not seek the death penalty in Travis County, instead using life without parole. He has proven that he can stand up to powerful politicians with the Public Integrity Unit).

Visit Rick’s website for more information on him.

Rick Reed Wins Endorsement of The Daily Texan

admin — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:57:37 +0000

Congratulations to Rick Reed for winning the endorsement of The Daily Texan for his campaign for Travis County District Attorney. We agree with the Texan that Reed “has proven to be the toughest candidate to handle” the Public Integrity Unit, which has the power to investigate state officials. We will all be able to sleep easy at night knowing Rick Reed is Texas’ watchdog over public officials who do wrong.

Rick Reed’s stance against the death penalty reflects the values that make Travis County the most progressive community in Texas.

If Rick Reed is elected, the people of Travis County will live in the first community in Texas where the death penalty is officially not an option. The day will eventually come when the death penalty will not be used anywhere in Texas. With Rick Reed’s election, the people of Travis County can say that the end of the Texas death penalty started in Travis County.

Travis DA Candidate Rick Reed Opposes Death Penalty

admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:50:33 +0000

The big news this past week in the campaign for Travis County District Attorney is that there is now one candidate in the race who publicly opposes the death penalty.

Rick Reed has said:

“I have decided to publicly support a moratorium on the death penalty in Travis County. If I am elected District Attorney of Travis County I will not authorize the office to seek the death penalty during my tenure.”

Rick Reed’s opposition to the death penalty makes him stand out as the most progressive candidate in a race with three other candidates who all support the death penalty. A stance against the death penalty in a race for District Attorney in Travis County is a perfect fit of issue, office and location.

The next district attorney can unilateraly end the use of the death penalty within Travis County by not seeking the death penalty and instead using life without parole as an alternative.

If Reed remains the only candidate in the race who will not seek the death penalty, then it is likely that one of the pro-death penalty candidates will miss the runoff because of their support for the death penalty.

A campaign is a two-way learning process. It is a way for the community to get to know the candidates and it is a way for the candidates to learn about the community. Most of the people who will vote in the Democratic primary in Travis County on March 4th either believe that the death penalty system in Texas is broken and should not be used until steps are taken to address the problems, or they oppose the death penalty on principle in all cases and believe it should be abolished. Either way, there is likely to be a large amount of support in Austin for candidates who take principled stands against the death penalty in a race where the winner has the power to unilaterally end the use of the death penalty within Travis County.

It is not too late for the other candidates to take postitions on the death penalty that reflect the values and priorities of the progressive community from which they are seeking votes. All the candidates for Travis County District Attorney should follow Rick Reed’s example and say that they will not seek the death penalty.

Travis County DA Candidates Forum – Feb 4th at 6 PM

admin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:59:12 +0000

Texas Moratorium Network & ACLU-TX Central TX Chapter
invite all interested members of the community to a

PUBLIC FORUM with the
CANDIDATES for TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Monday, February 4th, 6pm at
Gene’s Po Boys
1209 E. 11th St. (at the Rosewood “Y”)
(parking behind building)

There are four candidates* running – all in the Democratic primary (no Republicans are running, so the winner of the Democratic primary on March 4 will be the next DA) – to replace Ronnie Earle, generally a well-received prosecutor, even a hero to some, especially for the Public Integrity Unit’s indictment of Tom Delay.

But there are some areas in which Earle and his office were lacking, including continuing to seek the death penalty instead of exclusively using life without parole as an alternative and believing police officers are categorically above the law by commonly withholding evidence from grand juries that would likely lead to their prosecution such as with APD’s Julie Schroeder (shooting death, Daniel Rocha) and Michael Olsen, who, despite videotaped evidence of wrongdoing in 2003 (excessive force, Jeffrey Thornton), was cleared and put back on the force just to again be cleared again after the shooting death of Kevin Brown last summer. (Both Schroeder and Olsen were fired nonetheless).

Come find out what the candidates believe the DA’s priorities should be in matters regarding criminal justice and public safety. This 90-minute forum will attempt to get the candidates on record on a range of important issues, including the death penalty, police misconduct, political corruption, juvenile justice, drug laws and other issues. During one segment of the forum, attendees will be given the opportunity to pose their own questions to the candidates. People may also send suggestions for questions to the contacts below.

*CANDIDATE WEBSITES:
http://www.garycobb4da.com
http://rosemarylehmberg.com
http://www.montfordforda.com
http://www.electrickreed.com

For event info contact: Scott Cobb scottcobb99@gmail.com 512-689-1544 or
Debbie Russell debmocracy@yahoo.com, 512-573-6194.