Thomas Coleman, the Tulia, Texas cop largely responsible for the convictions and accusations against one-tenth of the African-American residents of that town in a drug case has been indicted for perjury.

Jeff Blackburn, a lawyer in Amarillo who has represented several of the defendants, said of Mr. Coleman's indictment: "Swisher County is now busy trying to make it seem like they're fine, upstanding people who respect the law. This still doesn't change the fact that there are people in prison out there chopping cotton in the sun because of Tom Coleman." Thirteen of those arrested are still in prison, and only one of the 38 convictions has previously been thrown out. The 37 others will remain unless the appeals court, known for a conservative voting history, decides to overturn them.

Coleman's indictment is related to his alleged lying about events connected to his having been previously charged with stealing county gasoline in a hearing ordered by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals concerning the Tulia convictions.

"This is about perjury, not about $70 worth of stolen gasoline or racism," Roderique S. Hobson Jr. of Lubbock, the special prosecutor who obtained the indictment, said in an interview. "This basically undermines the confidence of the convictions in this sweep."

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.