Police admit to more misplaced evidence

[Judi Lynn]

Aug. 16, 2005, 11:41PM

Police admit to more misplaced evidence
Defense lawyers in three capital murder cases may never have seen relevant items
By STEVE MCVICKER and ROMA KHANNA
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Houston police have discovered about 150 pieces of evidence — including items from three capital murder cases — that may never have been brought to the attention of defense attorneys during their clients' trials, Chief Harold Hurtt announced Tuesday.
The cases, Hurtt said, include one in which the defendant already has been executed, and involve evidence that "could not be located due to being misfiled or lost."

The evidence was uncovered during work to computerize all materials stored in the police property room — a process that began several years ago. The latest discovery of unaccounted-for evidence in a capital case was made last Thursday, Hurtt said during a Tuesday news conference.
(snip)

"The most significant" of the evidence, according to Hurtt, is a cigarette butt discovered in the property room that originally was collected during the investigation of a 1991 robbery-slaying of a Houston bank teller.

Robert Campbell is awaiting execution for the murder of Alexandra Rendon, the teller. Leroy Lewis, a co-defendant, pleaded guilty in exchange for a 35-year sentence. Attorney Lonnie Knowles served as one of Campbell's trial lawyers.

"Oh my God, are you serious?" Knowles asked when informed about the evidence found. He said he did not recall ever being aware of the existence of the cigarette butt. "I can't tell you 100 percent that it would have made a difference," Knowles said. "But from a defense perspective, I would have loved to have known about that. Absolutely. Even a baby lawyer would have recognized the possible importance of something like that."

(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3313876
(Free registration required)

[orpupilofnature57]

1. Shrub Country !!!!

[ClintonTyree]

2. Evidence.......we don't need no stinking evidence!

They can tell a guilty person a mile away. If they're Black or Hispanic, they're more than likely guilty!
That seems to be the pervasive attitude in Texas and many other States as well. When they don't have facts or evidence, they just make shit up, it's the neo-con way.
Police "property" rooms have been a source of too many wrongful convictions or acquittals from day one. You know, that brick of cocaine that turned up missing or was replaced with baby powder. Those packs of $100 dollar bills that mysteriously disappeared. This cigarette butt, DNA evidence, the Mayor's son's bloody gloves........it seems a LOT of justice is decided within the not so secure confines of a Police "property" room.
In Texas, an execution happy State to begin with, small things like this can make a world of difference in the defense of an already shaky case. At the very least, a moratorium on executions should be enacted until these "irregularities" are straightened out. But most Texans love their executions, so I doubt we'll ever see that happen.