As AG, Burris Ignored Evidence of Innocence

By TChris, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Dec 31, 2008 at 08:06:00 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

Given the stink adhering to the Blagojevich administration, the principled decision of Rep. Denny Davis to decline a possible Senate appointment might call into question the wisdom of Roland Burris' decision to accept one. It's true, as Burris pointed out, that Blago is presumed innocent, but the taint of criminal allegations that Blago tried to sell the Senate seat should have caused Burris, like Davis, to step back and await an untainted opportunity for the job.

Does Burris deserve the job on his merits? Apart from accepting questionable campaign contributions (what politician hasn't done that?), this is cause for concern about Burris' fitness to hold political office:

[more ...]

In this archived column, a Tribune columnist recounts that in 1992, Mary Brigid Kenney, the assistant AG whom Burris had assigned to fight the appeal of Death Row inmate Rolando Cruz, sent Burris a memo identifying numerous errors in the investigation and trial that had put Cruz on Death Row for the 1983 murder of an 11-year-old girl.
According to the column, Kenney’s memo concluded:

"I cannot, in good conscience, allow my name to appear on a brief asking . . . to affirm this conviction." Rather than re-examining the case, Burris took Kenney off it. She then resigned with a stinging letter to Burris. “I was being asked to help execute an innocent man,” she told him. “Unfortunately, you have seen fit to ignore the evidence in this case."

TalkLeft discussed the Cruz case in this 2002 post.

Working to affirm the conviction of an innocent man elevates the desire for a "tough on crime" image above the desire for justice, and raises questions about whether Burris has a conscience. Combined with his ready willingness to say yes to Blago, Burris hasn't shown the ethical sense we should demand of our politicians.

< It's New Year's Eve | Times Square With Hillary and Bill >