Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Justice Deferred?
Aired June 16, 2003 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Other news coming out of Texas. Could be a rather happy day for a lot of people in Tulia, Texas, at least 12 people imprisoned on drug charges are expected to be set free. They were arrested based on the word of a law officer now under indictment himself for lying, repeatedly.
Our Ed Lavandera has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On July 23, 1999, a high profile drug sweep in Tulia, Texas rounded up 46 alleged drug dealers. Almost everyone arrested that day was African-American, 10 percent of the town's black population. Seven of the cases were dropped. The rest of the accused ended up in jail or on probation. But almost four years later, the cases are crumbling apart.
JEFF BLACKBURN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What we've got here is a complete system breakdown, a breakdown of the defense function, a breakdown of the prosecution function and a breakdown of the whole judicial system.
LAVANDERA: Allegations of racist motivations, shady evidence and questionable police work have put the Tulia cases in the national spotlight. There are still 16 people in prison, like 59-year-old Joe Moore. He's serving a 90-year sentence for selling cocaine to an undercover officer he says he never met.
(on camera): How can you laugh about that?
JOE MOORE, TULIA DEFENDANT: Because it is -- I can laugh about it because I know I didn't do this. So that's why. I know I didn't do this. But I've just got faith that god is going to get me out of here.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): On Monday, Moore's prayers will most likely be answered. At least a dozen of the Tulia defendants are expected to be released on bond while their cases are reviewed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Texas Parole Board. Moore and the others were imprisoned on the word of an undercover officer named Tom Coleman. At the trials, Coleman presented little evidence, few notes, no surveillance video or wiretaps. Now, after four years, a Texas judge who has studied the cases declared Coleman -- quote -- "the most devious, non-responsive law enforcement officer this court has seen" and -- quote -- "entirely unbelievable as a witness."
Coleman's attorney tells CNN the former undercover officer still stands behind the work he did on these cases and he thinks releasing these inmates just means more drug dealers will return to Tulia's streets.
TOM COLEMAN, UNDERCOVER OFFICER: I believe we did everything right in Tulia, everything. And I don't think there's anybody, I don't think there's not anybody in jail that don't deserve to be there or on probation.
LAVANDERA: Coleman now faces perjury charges related to these arrests. But after four years, the accused still in prison, like Joe Moore, aren't thinking of Tom Coleman, they're thinking of coming home.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Tulia, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 16, 2003 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Other news coming out of Texas. Could be a rather happy day for a lot of people in Tulia, Texas, at least 12 people imprisoned on drug charges are expected to be set free. They were arrested based on the word of a law officer now under indictment himself for lying, repeatedly.
Our Ed Lavandera has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On July 23, 1999, a high profile drug sweep in Tulia, Texas rounded up 46 alleged drug dealers. Almost everyone arrested that day was African-American, 10 percent of the town's black population. Seven of the cases were dropped. The rest of the accused ended up in jail or on probation. But almost four years later, the cases are crumbling apart.
JEFF BLACKBURN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What we've got here is a complete system breakdown, a breakdown of the defense function, a breakdown of the prosecution function and a breakdown of the whole judicial system.
LAVANDERA: Allegations of racist motivations, shady evidence and questionable police work have put the Tulia cases in the national spotlight. There are still 16 people in prison, like 59-year-old Joe Moore. He's serving a 90-year sentence for selling cocaine to an undercover officer he says he never met.
(on camera): How can you laugh about that?
JOE MOORE, TULIA DEFENDANT: Because it is -- I can laugh about it because I know I didn't do this. So that's why. I know I didn't do this. But I've just got faith that god is going to get me out of here.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): On Monday, Moore's prayers will most likely be answered. At least a dozen of the Tulia defendants are expected to be released on bond while their cases are reviewed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Texas Parole Board. Moore and the others were imprisoned on the word of an undercover officer named Tom Coleman. At the trials, Coleman presented little evidence, few notes, no surveillance video or wiretaps. Now, after four years, a Texas judge who has studied the cases declared Coleman -- quote -- "the most devious, non-responsive law enforcement officer this court has seen" and -- quote -- "entirely unbelievable as a witness."
Coleman's attorney tells CNN the former undercover officer still stands behind the work he did on these cases and he thinks releasing these inmates just means more drug dealers will return to Tulia's streets.
TOM COLEMAN, UNDERCOVER OFFICER: I believe we did everything right in Tulia, everything. And I don't think there's anybody, I don't think there's not anybody in jail that don't deserve to be there or on probation.
LAVANDERA: Coleman now faces perjury charges related to these arrests. But after four years, the accused still in prison, like Joe Moore, aren't thinking of Tom Coleman, they're thinking of coming home.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Tulia, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
