Perry denying justice in Willingham case

Gov. Rick Perry replaced the head of the Texas Forensic Science Commission along with two other members in October, two days before they were to hear expert testimony regarding the case of Cameron Todd Willingham.

In 2004, Willingham was executed by lethal injection for the 1993 murder of his three children after allegedly setting fire to his house. Because Perry released the commission members, the hearing has been canceled and not yet rescheduled.

Many arson experts now agree that Willingham was convicted on flawed testimony. With Willingham’s guilt now in question, Perry’s dismissal of commission members is merely an attempt to save face for the upcoming gubernatorial election, consequently delaying justice and government accountability in favor of his own needs.

Chris Cutrone, the governor’s spokesman, said Perry’s decision was not out of the ordinary.

“Some people’s terms expired,” Cutrone said. “We reappointed new people.”

If the criminal justice system failed by executing Willingham, attempting to hide the error by delaying the probe into the case appears as a cover up. Perry should allow and support an investigation to uncover the truth. Instead, his delaying of the investigation only keeps open the wounds caused by the Willingham debacle.

Mistakes are inevitable in any system, giving reason to the lengthy appeals process death penalty cases must pass through before verdicts are enacted. But when a criminal is executed, a final sentence is given, one that cannot be annulled.

Despite the fact that Willingham’s life cannot be restored, his legacy can be. He was deemed a callous murderer, a man beyond rehabilitation, remorse, or worth.

His exoneration by the commission would re-establish Willingham’s reputation to those who knew him: a man who loved his children and who, if he had the chance, would have let his life be taken in the place of theirs.

Because of Perry’s stalling, Willingham stays a felon and the state judicial system goes unchecked. No one is above justice, though—not even the governor.

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3 comments

Anonymous

Wed Mar 10 2010 17:46

Where did you get the idea that he was trying to save his car? That is not true. Additionally, the statement "it takes a lot to actually convict someone and sentence them to death in Texas" is inaccurate. Did you know that you don't even have to commit murder to receive the death penalty in Texas? Google "the law of parties"

Anonymous

Mon Feb 22 2010 12:10

We need a new governor, plain and simple.

Daniel O'Dwyer

Wed Jan 20 2010 11:54

Whether convicted on flawed testimony or not, the state doesn't seem to have made too big a mistake here. Willingham decided to save his car instead of his kids (now, I understand he had a nice car, but still...kids always come first)...it takes a lot to actually convict someone and sentence them to death in Texas, more than most people know. While an opponent of the death penalty, I feel that some sort of justice must be ultimately handed out to those who break the law. In this case, I feel that Perry isn't really denying justice...he may be smudging it, but Willingham was a bad man--that fact remains untarnished.

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