Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Grits for Breakfast

Criminal Law

: Grits for Breakfast

Erasing the 'last vestige' of police as neutral truth seekers

The Texas criminal defense blawgosphere has done itself proud regarding the story of Houston PD's new, probably illegal policy that their officers can't speak to defense counsel without prosecutors' permission.Murray Newman first broke the story on July 1 at Life at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, publishing the actual memo text, as I'd noted a couple of weeks ago. The Houston Chronicle followed up with a story July 7 quoting Newman: "It is absolutely destroying any last vestiges that a police officer is a neutral witness who is just trying to figure out what happened," Newman said ... "If, theoretically, the truth is supposed to help you, why would anyone advocate hiding it?" Then over the weekend the Chronicle published an odd editorial that critiqued the new practice but called instead for prosecutors to be present when defense attorneys speak with officers - an even more cumbersome requirement...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 16, 2010 (boomark / email).