In Praise of Craig Watkins

By TChris, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 12:13:52 PM EST
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An accurate and pointed observation by Scott Horton:

What makes a bad prosecutor? It’s simple: Does the prosecutor’s longing for the public limelight, his aspirations for public office, come to overwhelm his dedication to justice, to simply doing the right thing? It’s said that a famous chief prosecutor from Dallas, Henry Wade, summed up the thinking that goes into a really bad prosecutor like this: “any prosecutor could convict a guilty man, but ... it takes a real pro to convict an innocent man.”

Good prosecutors go about their jobs by blending duty, respect for the law and ethics with compassion and understanding. Average prosecutors just try to muddle through the day without upsetting the boss or a judge. There are many more good and average prosecutors than there are bad ones (although the bad ones are far from a tiny minority).

A few prosecutors stand out in their dedication to justice. Horton and the Wall Street Journal both call attention to a district attorney who has been repeatedly praised at TalkLeft: Craig Watkins in Dallas. [more ...]

Mr. Watkins, who became the first African American district attorney in Texas when he was elected in 2006, said in a recent interview that he has been accused of being "a criminal-loving DA, a hug-a-thug DA." But he says such criticism of him and his office misses the point: "We have the constitutional obligation to seek justice."

Amen. Craig Watkins for Obama's Attorney General?

Sidebar: The WSJ article quotes a district attorney from Clatsop County, Oregon who fears "the public's false impression from TV cop shows that most prosecutors are bloodthirsty and routinely railroad defendants." Fear not. Some urban juries become sensitive to the credibility of police officers in the wake of highly publicized incidents of police corruption, but juries rarely have a negative opinion of prosecutors. Defense attorneys fear being viewed as hired guns who will say and do anything to win, because that is often the dramatized image of defense lawyers (with an able assist from Nancy Grace). In reality, in most trials, both sides work diligently to earn the jury's trust, and most juries try to follow the law and decide the case on its facts without regard to the jury's collective perception of one lawyer or the other.

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In Praise of Craig Watkins | 4 comments (4 topical)

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I know him (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by txpublicdefender on Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 05:46:47 PM EST

I used to be a public defender in Dallas. At the time I was there, Craig was a private defense attorney, but he had previously worked for our office. He did not have a reputation as being any kind of legal superstar, but he was very astute as a businessman and very hooked in to the local African-American political power structure.

The approach he has taken to the old cases has been wonderful though. One of my friends from my old office is the attorney who was most often appointed to represent those seeking post-conviction DNA testing. The sheer obstructionism of the DA's office at that time was typical, I think, of a lot of prosecutor's offices around the country. They always opposed testing, and judges routinely went along with them. Some of the recent exonerees, in fact, had previously been denied testing by judges after the DA's office argued against it.

The other thing that has been heartening about Watkins conviction integrity unit is that they are not limiting their review to just DNA cases. They are looking at other cases, too, and doing real investigative work in an effort to find the truth. This is so important, because, as you know, DNA is not present in the vast majority of cases.

Cheers to Craig Watkins. He deserves all the accolades he's getting.

Second that (none / 0) (#1)
by Sui Juris on Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 12:55:33 PM EST

I attended a conference on prosecutorial ethics that featured Craig Watkins last year, and I left pretty damn impressed with the man. I don't know that he's AG-level material (simply as a matter of expertise and experience), but he sure as hell serves as a role model for what a prosecutor should be.

i fear mr. watkins. (none / 0) (#3)
by cpinva on Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 07:08:58 PM EST

in blood thirsty texas, will not survive re-election, should he so choose. it seems texans like their accused, guilty or not, deep-fried, to a crackly crunch. a prosecutor who actually cares about justice, is not long for texas officialdom.

: Ahh, but Dallas County has turned blue... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by McKinless on Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 07:31:19 PM EST

Living nearby in Tarrant County, I was stunned--and pleased--when the Dems swept Dallas County four years ago (when Watkins was elected). It held up again this season. The best evidence is the re-election of gay Latina Lupe Valdez as Dallas County Sheriff! And she had serious Republican opposition this time. Lowell Canaday was a former police chief and had all the police orgs lined up behind him. Didn't help him though.
The change in Dallas County may be due both to white flight and the growing minority influence--especially Latino/Latina. But the trend toward blue is seeping out beyond Dallas County.