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STORY: In 1999, undercover drug task force agent Tom Coleman led a drug bust in the Texas Panhandle town of Tulia. Named Texas lawman of the year for his effort, Coleman's investigation led to the arrest of 10 percent of Tulia's black population.
In an evidentiary hearing Tuesday, District Judge Ron Chapman stated "Tom Coleman is simply not a credible witness under oath." Far from ending this investigation, numerous lawsuits are likely to follow. Tulia resident, Reverend Alan Bean: "People don't see this as a victory for the system. They don't see this as an indication the system works. Because the system didn't work for these people, and it has taken an absolutely super-human heroic effort on the part of all kinds of civil rights groups and dedicated attorneys to turn this thing around." Cochran County has offered the 38 defendants who went to prison a total of $250,000 to split among them if they agree to forgo any lawsuits. Had the judge not handed down his ruling at this time, the District Attorney would have had to appear before this evidentiary hearing. Reverend Bean continues: "One of the wonderful things about the hearings is that it exposed to the world the fact that Larry Stuart [sic?], the sheriff who hired Coleman, the narcotics task force people in Amarillo. Mike Gain [sic?] and Jerry Masengail [sic} who was supposedly supervising Coleman, as well as Terry McKeichen [sic?]. All of these people knew early on everything they needed to know about Coleman. All the red flags were there, all the evidence was there, and they just turned their back on it, and not only did they do that, but they kept defense council from this information." Judge Bean recommended on Tuesday vacating charges against the final 13 people still in prison on drug convictions stemming from Coleman's testimony. This could result in their release anytime in the next 2 months. Dean Becker & Renee Feltz, KPFT News, Houston.
E-mail Dean Becker & Renee Feltz at dean@cultural-baggage.com & chickpea_@ziplip.com .
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