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The Texas Clemency Memos

By Steve Hall

One of Harry Truman's favorite sayings was, "The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know." As we now know from the case of Claude Jones, then-Governor George W. Bush was not given critical information about Jones' plea for DNA testing when the governor rejected an execution reprieve. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the critical function of executive clemency was -- and remains -- a largely empty vessel in Texas. For those who have forgotten -- or never seen -- Alan Berlow's journalistic goldmine, "The Texas Clemency Memos," from the June/July 2003 issue of The Atlantic, this would be a good time to read it. Here's an extended excerpt from the beginning of this must-reread: On the morning of May 6, 1997, Governor George W...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on November 12, 2010 (boomark / email).