Gov. Abbott’s proposed murder pardon was a loss for justice | Opinion
There are complicating elements of the case. Austin Police Detective David Fugitt has accused the Travis County district attorney’s office of witness tampering. He said he was asked to omit parts of his grand jury presentation that could have helped Perry’s case. The judge in the case reviewed Fugitt’s testimony and ruled against Perry’s motion for mistrial.
There is something else at play here: Texas’ irresponsible gun laws. Absent our failure to appropriately regulate firearms, Foster might be alive today. Emotionally charged settings like protests should not be places where firearms are brazenly displayed, as Foster and Perry both did. The perfect storm of permitless carry laws, stand-your-ground laws, and deluded thinking about “good guys with guns” has brought us to the place where any Texan can carry a gun into any crowd full of guns, kill anyone there, appeal to self-defense based on his feelings, and expect a pardon from conservative politicians and celebrity status from cable news pundits. This is a post-cognitive dystopia.
Our processes for deciding whether someone is guilty of crimes are conducted in courts with juries, not in the governor’s office. A jury of Perry’s peers considered the facts of the case. A judge ruled on the law. A defense was provided, and that defense has the opportunity to appeal. The governor’s interference undermines our judicial system and promises that the power to exact justice can be removed from the courtroom and transferred to cable news demagogues and social media mobs.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Who Leaked the Big News on Succession?Was it Greg? It was probably Greg.
Read more »
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seeks pardon for man convicted in murder of Black Lives Matter protesterAUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he is 'working as swiftly as Texas law allows' to pardon Daniel Perry, who was convicted Friday of murder in the fatal shooting of a protester at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.
Read more »
Poised to pardon a convicted murderer, Gov. Greg Abbott has a history of stingy clemencyTexas Gov. Greg Abbott's push to pardon Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murder by a jury on Friday, comes amid pressure from conservatives.
Read more »
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seeks pardon for man convicted in murder of Black Lives Matter protesterDaniel Perry was convicted of shooting and killing a protestor in 2021 amid nationwide social injustice protests after the death of George Floyd.
Read more »
Editorial: Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for pardon is an injusticeIn seeking an expedited pardon for Daniel Perry, Abbott undermines the rule of law he claims to support.
Read more »
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry says school vouchers are like nuclear power: scary for some, but safeAs Gov. Greg Abbott works to pass a school voucher plan in the Texas Legislature, former...
Read more »