New Evidence Shows That an Involuntary Confession May Have Led to an Innocent Man’s Death

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An involuntary confession by a jailhouse snitch might have led to the death of an innocent Texas man who was convicted of murdering his three daughters and burning his house to the ground. Since the execution ten years ago, his family has reached out to anyone who would listen, proclaiming the man’s innocence. New evidence has been discovered that may show that the family is right and the prosecutor involved in the case may have hidden a deal that he made with a jailhouse snitch. Unfortunately, Texas criminal cases sometimes involve these wrongful confessions, apparently with tragic results.

Involuntary Confessions Defined

An involuntary confession is given when it provides some benefit to the person accused of a crime given by a prosecutor or other person in authority, according to the Texas Criminal Lawyers Handbook, written by Judge Robert K. Gill and Mark G. Daniel. Additionally, the confession is considered involuntary when the benefit is the kind that would probably influence the accused person to lie.

Likelihood of Untruthful Speech

The Texas Criminal Lawyers Handbook goes on to say that courts look at surrounding circumstances to determine if the speech is likely to be untruthful. For example, in the Texas man’s case, one of the most damaging pieces of evidence was from a jailhouse informant. He said that the man confessed to him that he burned his own house down and murdered his children. Lawyers working on the man’s case say that they have found evidence that the informant testified against the man in exchange for a reduced sentence.

No Deal

The biggest problem in the man’s case is that the prosecutor insists that there was no deal for the jailhouse snitch. However, the Innocence Project took on the man’s case and says that the informant’s prison time was reduced after he gave his damaging testimony. The Innocence Project also believes that prosecutors colluded to prevent the informant from later recanting his testimony and telling the truth. Yet, lawyers from the Innocence Project found a handwritten note in the informant’s file, stating that the informant’s charges needed to be reduced from first degree robbery charges to a lighter charge of second degree and specifically based on his cooperation in the man’s case.

Knowledge is the Key to Avoiding Deadly Mistakes

Judge Robert K. Gill and Mark Daniel, two of the most respected criminal law authorities in the state, have rejuvenated and expanded Paul McClung’s beloved criminal casebook. Now Texas Criminal Lawyer’s Handbook contains  helpful information skillfully woven together in a quick-reading, easy-to-follow reference guide.

This authoritative work provides practical and detailed coverage of today’s tough issues, including:tcp

  • Admissibility of DNA Evidence
  • Confessions
  • Hate Crimes
  • Illegal Searches
  • Involuntary Confessions
  • Probable Cause