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Former Texas prosecutor to spend 10 days in jail for wrongful conviction
Aljazeera America ^ | November 8, 2013 | Aljazeera and AP

Posted on 11/09/2013 6:36:09 AM PST by Uncle Chip

Former Texas prosecutor and district court judge Ken Anderson agreed Friday to serve 10 days in jail, complete 500 hours of community service and give up his law license for hiding evidence in a 1987 murder trial that sent an innocent man to jail for nearly 25 years.

Anderson hid two crucial pieces of evidence from the defense team of Michael Morton, who was accused of beating his wife to death, which would have supported their theory that Morton’s wife Christine was killed by a stranger who came into the house via an unlocked back door, not her husband.

According to The Austin American-Statesman, Anderson hid a typewritten transcript of an interview with Christine Morton’s mother, Rita Kirkpatrick, that revealed Morton’s 3-year-old son saw the murder take place, described the attacker as a “monster” and said Michael was not home during the attack.

Anderson also hid a police report about the suspicious behavior of an unknown driver of a green van who had on several occasions parked and walked into the wooded area behind the Morton’s home before the murder.

Anderson offered up a different theory, that Michael Morton killed his wife Christine in a late-night fit of rage, staged the home to appear as if a break-in had occurred, and left to go to work the next day.

According to the medical examiner on the case, the time of death could have been no later than 1:15 a.m., which made Morton the only viable suspect. No witnesses or forensic evidence ever tied Morton to the crime, and a murder weapon was never found.

Morton was released in 2011 after an appeals-court-ordered DNA test of blood from a blue bandanna found on the street behind the house revealed that a man named Mark Alan Norwood was the actual killer.....

(Excerpt) Read more at america.aljazeera.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kenanderson
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Norwood is serving a life sentence for Christine Morton’s murder and was also charged with the 1988 murder of Debra Masters after his DNA was discovered in her home.....

As a part of the deal that will put Anderson behind bars for 10 days, charges of tampering with evidence have been dropped and Anderson has settled his civil suit with the State Bar of Texas, agreeing to be disbarred and pay a $500 fine.

Anderson faced up to 10 years in prison if he had been convicted of tampering with evidence. Anderson accepted the plea deal in the same Williamson County courthouse where he later spent 11 years as a state judge. He resigned in September.....

1 posted on 11/09/2013 6:36:09 AM PST by Uncle Chip
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To: Uncle Chip

I hope they put this guy in the general prison population.


2 posted on 11/09/2013 6:39:32 AM PST by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: Uncle Chip

He should have to serve out the remaining years of his “victim”!


3 posted on 11/09/2013 6:39:50 AM PST by SgtHooper (If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.)
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To: Mouton

I was hopping the prosecutor was named Earl.


4 posted on 11/09/2013 6:40:38 AM PST by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: Uncle Chip

See, if you’re a member of the “club” you shall have no worries.

The ruling class ALWAYS protect themselves no matter what.


5 posted on 11/09/2013 6:41:52 AM PST by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: Uncle Chip

He’ll do his 10 days, 500 hours and then live the good life off the millions he likely made.


6 posted on 11/09/2013 6:43:14 AM PST by albie
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To: Mouton

10 days is all he gets.

He took 25 years of another man’s life, and the man who actually did the crime went on to kill again and probably again and again ...

And 10 days is all he gets.


7 posted on 11/09/2013 6:45:03 AM PST by Uncle Chip
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To: Mouton

“Former Texas prosecutor and district court judge Ken Anderson agreed Friday to serve 10 days in jail, complete 500 hours of community service and give up his law license for hiding evidence in a 1987 murder trial that sent an innocent man to jail for nearly 25 years...”

Good. The only thing worse than a dirty cop is a lazy, dirty prosecutor lookin’ to pad his record at any cost.


8 posted on 11/09/2013 6:45:55 AM PST by FAA
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To: Uncle Chip
interview with Christine Morton’s mother, Rita Kirkpatrick, that revealed Morton’s 3-year-old son saw

Shouldn't have been withheld, BUT it is inadmissible hearsay.

9 posted on 11/09/2013 6:49:37 AM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Uncle Chip

Did the killer have only one arm?


10 posted on 11/09/2013 6:53:30 AM PST by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Uncle Chip

10 DAYS???????????????????????? FOR SENDING AN INNOCENT MAN TO JAIL FOR 25 YEARS?????????????

AT MINIMUM HE SHOU>D SPEND THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS HIS VICTIM

Knowingly sending an innocent man to prison should be a CAPITAL OFFENSE!


11 posted on 11/09/2013 6:56:59 AM PST by Mr. K (Lies, Damned Lies, Statistics, and then Democrat Talking Points.)
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To: unixfox

“See, if you’re a member of the “club” you shall have no worries. The ruling class ALWAYS protect themselves no matter what.”

I would hope that this conviction will enable the falsely imprisoned man to sue and take everything he has.


12 posted on 11/09/2013 6:58:44 AM PST by babygene ( .)
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To: Uncle Chip

Need to end immunity for prosecutors and judges....this move is a start. We need to send away prosecutors and judges that break the law in the course of their duties. It would clean up a lot of nonsense...and save taxpayers a lot of money


13 posted on 11/09/2013 7:01:09 AM PST by SeminoleCounty (2014: RINO Hunting Season)
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To: Uncle Chip
Nice trade. A $500 fine and 10 days in the slam for putting an innocent man in jail for 25 years.

I've got to wonder what kind of promotions and pay raises this wrongful conviction got Anderson in the interim.

14 posted on 11/09/2013 7:02:25 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: babygene

Doubt it. The judge prolly will keep his nice retirement. The County or State will be the payer of lots but insufficient amount to the guy.

If I were the judge, I’d never quit looking over my shoulder wondering when Morton will extract his rightful revenge. That ever-present wondering will a bit of his own prison.


15 posted on 11/09/2013 7:09:16 AM PST by X-spurt (CRUZ missile - armed and ready.)
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To: Uncle Chip

Ken Anderson and the people who cut the deal of a 10-day sentence are clear reasons why flogging should be legalized again for scum like Anderson and those people.


16 posted on 11/09/2013 7:13:11 AM PST by Carl Vehse
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To: Uncle Chip

I agree, frankly they should hang him.

Maybe the relatives of the second victim can be waiting for him outside the prison with a rope.


17 posted on 11/09/2013 7:15:07 AM PST by Mouton (The insurrection laws perpetuate what we have for a government now.)
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To: SgtHooper

“He should have to serve out the remaining years of his “victim”!”

Remember, he’s a member of the club, so we can’t have that!


18 posted on 11/09/2013 7:24:06 AM PST by ScottfromNJ
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To: FAA

the path to judge is through the prosecutor’s office

during the short time I was a prosecutor, I just always gave the defense my file.

I wanted the defense to point out if there were problems

You want errors to be on the side of innocence


19 posted on 11/09/2013 7:25:37 AM PST by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: SgtHooper

He should serve at least as long as his innocent victim served. 25 years would be just fine by me.


20 posted on 11/09/2013 7:29:09 AM PST by Twotone (Marte Et Clypeo)
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