Where are white exonorees? Patrick Waller will become Dallas County’s 18th exonerated prisoner
Categories: African-American, Dallas, Justice/Law Enforcement
Written By: Shawn Williams
Folks are often trying to tell me how the court system usually gets it right and how there is really much racial disparity there these days. Well if justice were blind, wouldn’t Dallas County be freeing more white folks by way of DNA evidence? You know that chick (Justice) is peeking through that blindfold every chance she gets.
Today, Partick Waller will become Dallas County’s 18th prisoner exonerated since 2001, widening a dubious lead for having the most such releases in the nation. The Dallas Morning News’ James Ragland says the exonerations give him “mixed feelings.”
In a column in today’s News, James Ragland credits Dallas County’s preservation of DNA evidence -for decades in many cases- equally with current D.A. Craig Watkins’ desire for justice as the reason so many are gaining freedom. While the preservation is key and a major factor, I can’t give much in the way of kudos to the DA’s office.
Before I can get to praise, I share the feelings of John Rolater who Ragland quotes in is article. Rolater once worked for former Dallas District Attorney John Vance and oversaw DNA test requests for D.A. Bill Hill. “It’s a threefold tragedy because it means someone was wrongly convicted, someone who committed a crime got away with it, and the victims don’t get the closure they deserve,” Rolater told the News.
What have Vance and Hill had to say about all this?
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 am
I agree Shawn. I can’t believe that only black prisoners are benefitting from DNA evidence. This discrimination against whites has to stop.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
Bah, I think it got eaten by spam filters, but I tried to link four cases of white men who were exonerated by TIP in Dallas County. And those are just the ones I can find photos on (I’m having to go by appearances.)
July 4th, 2008 at 7:15 am
maybe. just maybe there isn’t as many wrongly convicted white prisoners as blacks. that is just a thought. because our justice system has NEVER had any race issues. or has it?
July 28th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
David Shawn Pope, Donald Wayne Good, and Gregory Wayne Wallis are white. None of these were innocence project and all were done prior to 1/1/07. There was one Asian man as well.
July 30th, 2008 at 6:34 am
There has also been Steven Phillips and Clay Chabot under Mr. Watkins’s tenure. Chabot is different, though, because the DA still believes he was involved in the offense.