Over in Texas, the worst nightmare for any death penalty defense attorney is being played out in real life: the allegations that a prosecutor committed serious misconduct during the capital trial, which resulted not only in the conviction of an innocent man, but his execution.
Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in 2004 for the arson deaths of his three young daughters. He maintained his innocence always.
The Innocence Project began investigating claims of prosecutorial misconduct several years ago. That led to a grievance being filed before the State Bar of Texas which included supporting evidence to allegations that the prosecutor that include:
1. he made a deal with a jailhouse snitch to testify against Mr. Willingham in exchange for favorable treatment of the snitch; and
2. used various kinds of junk science to argue that the father had set fire to the home, killing his children.
Read the details in the Washington Post piece, " A Texas prosecutor is on trial for alleged misconduct," by Radley Balko published on May 3, 2017.
Today, shocking many, the jury returned without any punishment for the prosecutor.
Which makes the efforts of capital defense lawyers like Terence Lenamon all that more important and vital….