The Houston Chronicle joins the call for a moratorium on texecutions in Harris County, Texas until the lab mess is straightened out. Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal needs to step up to the plate and add his support.

Houston police have sorted through about one-quarter of the evidence they stumbled across in August in 280 dusty, disintegrating boxes. Texas should stop carrying out executions of death row inmates from Harris County at least until that process, believed to involve some 8,000 cases, is complete.

Two Harris County men on death row are scheduled for execution next week. Nine others are set for execution through March, including seven whose cases were investigated by the Houston Police Department. More than 150 other men and women from Harris County are awaiting lethal injection but have no execution dat.

The Houston police chief and a state senator support a moratorium. The Chronicle says Rosenthal should do the same:

Unfortunately, Rosenthal has chosen to duck the issue by pointing out that he lacks the legal authority to postpone executions. He should gather the courage to stand up for justice.

Some background on the Houston lab scandal is here.