Kim Ogg calls for special prosecutor
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21,000 pieces of criminal evidence may have been destroyed in the Pct. 4 Property Room. More than 140 cases have been dismissed. 1000s of prosecutions are jeopardized. Innocent people may have been convicted. Devon Anderson’s failure to take prompt action will likely result in hundreds of cases filed against the County.
Today, Ogg issued a call for an independent special prosecutor to investigate possible civil rights violations by Devon Anderson and her office.
“Devon Anderson admits knowing by the end of February 2016 that evidence in a number of cases had been destroyed. On March 14th, she was aware of 56 possible cases. By May 26th, there were at least 382 filed cases with missing evidence. In spite of the undisputed duty to disclose these facts to the accused as well as her prosecutors, Devon Anderson did not do so until August 19th, only after news of the scandal broke on TV.”
“It is the job of the District Attorney to make sure justice is served”, says Kim Ogg. “Sending people to jail when you know evidence is missing doesn’t make people safer. Innocent people may have been sent to jail, or now have criminal records. Given the number of cases involved and the obvious conflict of interest, a special prosecutor must be appointed to address this situation immediately.”
There is a pattern here.
When the Devon Anderson learned a few HPD Homicide Officers lied about their work on murder case, she kept it a secret from the public for months. Until the media found out.
When Devon Anderson learned a mentally ill rape victim was left in jail for weeks during Christmas, she took no action. Until the media found out.
When Devon Anderson found out evidence had been destroyed in Pct. 4, she kept it a secret from prosecutors and defense lawyers for months. Until the media found out.
“These scandals are exactly why so many people do not trust the criminal justice system in Harris County. Playing games with evidence has no place in our justice system. These tactics jeopardize convictions, cost taxpayers money, and deprive the accused of an honest day in court.”
When asked would she would have done had she been DA, Kim Ogg stated “The minute I knew evidence had been destroyed, I would have made sure that fact was disclosed immediately, to the accused as well as the prosecutors, as required.”
We should be tough on crime, but we cannot cheat, it is not justice. Let’s restore justice.
Safety. Equal Justice. Fairness.
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