Comments on Pro Libertate: This Is A Man: The Heroic Intransigence of James L. Woodard

This is great info to know.

2008-11-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is great info to know.

seem to be two kinds of psychopaths in our society...

2008-06-08T09:39:00.000-06:00

seem to be two kinds of psychopaths in our society

I am so very glad Henry Wade is dead, for it saves...

2008-05-23T09:07:00.000-06:00

I am so very glad Henry Wade is dead, for it saves me the effort of wishing him so.

Eichmanns, Eichmanns, everywhere. Has corporate ladder-climbing as a meme really penetrated so far as to corrupt prosecutors, too?

Rhetorical question.

As a former prosecutor and professor of criminal l...

2008-05-13T10:13:00.000-06:00

As a former prosecutor and professor of criminal law, I commend William Norman Grigg for writing this fine article, the Innocence Project for diligently pursuing the truth, Judge Stoltz and Prosecutor Watkins for being open to the truth, and most of all, James Woodward for valuing honor above liberty.
Based on my experience, I believe very few policemen and prosecutors would intentionally frame a person they knew to be innocent. But frequently in the course of an investigation and prosecution, they become so fixated on the suspect's guilt that they close their eyes to evidence of innocence, and if they can "improve" the truth a little to ensure that a guilty person doesn't get away, they sometimes yield to the temptation to do that.
I teach part-time at the local police academy, and I always tell my cadets that their duty is not to convict someone but rather to find the truth, and that when an innocent person is convicted, only one person benefits -- the real criminal, who is still out on the street committing more crimes.
I note, also, that our criminal justice system simply cannot acknowledge the possibility that someone may have been wrongfully convicted. If you're willing to lie and admit guilt, you can often negotiate a plea; but if you tell the truth and insist you're not guilty, they'll throw the book at you. If you lie and admit guilt in prison and fake repentance, you're likely to get probation; but if you tell the truth and insist on your innocence, you're not a good candidate for probation because you "haven't faced up to your crime."
As a veteran conservative activist, I believe in law and order. But law and order means the police and prosecutors have to obey the law, just like the rest of us.
And as a retired Air Force officer and American patriot, I hate to admit that "the land of the free and the home of the brave" has the highest percentage of its population in prison (one out of every 99 adults) of any nation in the world. This is the greatest country on earth, but something in our criminal justice system isn't working very well.

There seem to be two kinds of psychopaths in our s...

2008-05-08T14:29:00.000-06:00

There seem to be two kinds of psychopaths in our society: "Law Breakers" who prey on people and "Law Enforcers" that prey on people. There is no difference between criminals and the so-called government. Both have an abysmal opinion of human nature and no regard for the dignity of their fellow man. They despise everyone equally. Meanwhile, we the people suffer the collateral damage as these two groups of shit-sniffers fight their power wars among themselves. A pox on both their houses. May they all rot in hell.

What a shame the state of this formerly great repu...

2008-05-08T12:17:00.000-06:00

What a shame the state of this formerly great republic. Even before the rule of the dyslexic chimperor shrub we were heading down the pipes with loud flushing sound. The prison part of our Prison Industrial Military Political (PIMP)complex gets paid off of bodies incarcerated. Innocent? Can't afford competent legal counsel? Tough sh1t there is profits to be made, slave labor to be exploited.

"....and the kind of folks who put my husband in j...

2008-05-08T11:40:00.000-06:00

"....and the kind of folks who put my husband in jail several years ago when told by Texas DPS as they were dragging him through broken window glass that he was "under arrest" for "resisting arrest" and no other charge!"....

That's a story in itself that bears being told.

"....and the kind of folks who put my husband in j...

2008-05-08T11:39:00.000-06:00

MoT I concur, sort of...there are three kinds of p...

2008-05-08T08:51:00.000-06:00

MoT I concur, sort of...there are three kinds of people: some without a conscience, period (oligarchs, illuminists, their henchmen, lackeys, and wannabes...the power elites); some that have a conscience but have "cut it out" so to speak (the kind of folks who put Woodward in jail, and the kind of folks who put my husband in jail several years ago when told by Texas DPS as they were dragging him through broken window glass that he was "under arrest" for "resisting arrest" and no other charge!); and then there are folks with a conscience that, when they do something wrong their conscience bothers them...that is most of us, who don't seek power, prefer to be left alone, and either go along with the state of affairs or not.

Once again, Mr. Grigg demonstrates why he is a nat...

2008-05-08T08:38:00.000-06:00

Once again, Mr. Grigg demonstrates why he is a national treasure! This was one of your best pieces, yet, and you wrote really good stuff every day.

Wade was (and still is) a disgrace, a blot on everything that is decent. You are right in that he was a coward, a sniveling rodent who used his position to bully others. Texas has its share of such people, Ronnie Earle of Travis County being another one like that.

Thank you for speaking out for people who are not popular or who fall between the cracks. This is one of the few blogs out there that truly deals with justice.

Most people who live in this politically-defined r...

2008-05-08T08:09:00.000-06:00

Most people who live in this politically-defined region known as "America" cannot fathom being subjugated, beaten or tortured by people in government who speak the same tongue as they do. They'll get used to the idea.

-Sans Authoritas

Deals are made between lawyers ie: " Let me win th...

2008-05-08T01:34:00.000-06:00

Deals are made between lawyers ie: " Let me win this one and I'll let you win that other one " . Also there are corrupt Judges that will punish the defendant if he has a hard-on for the defense attorney . There's no justice , just us .

See the great Orson Welles movie, "Touch of Evil'....

2008-05-07T23:58:00.000-06:00

See the great Orson Welles movie, "Touch of Evil'. It gives one a snapshot of creatures like Wade.
When Nifong was riding high on the hog with the MSM and the other usual suspects, I recalled reading that he received several hundred support letters/emails from his fellow prosecutors. If this story is true, the ones who sent the letters are likely to be of the "convict at all cost" ilk that a free man justly despises.

Right Jwags, but most people do have a conscience;...

2008-05-07T14:04:00.000-06:00

Right Jwags, but most people do have a conscience; those who don't are either serial killers or are right now running for president, to replace the current psychopath. They are in the police departments, the "Justice" Department and every other department.

Most people think this can't happen to them, but it will. Maybe not to this extreme, but just wait until your next "Routine Traffic Stop."

I'm a 55 year old woman stopped for "suspicious" behavior (which was never explained and p.s. don't bother asking -- if "suspicion" is used as a pretext for a predatory psychopath, he won't answer you.)

Since this happened before every Ala. cop was given tasers, the only thing I suffered was being knocked to the ground and bound in handcuffs so tight as to cause extreme pain. Having watched the nice policemen on "Cops" not only loosen cuffs if requested, but do it sometimes without being asked. So I asked the cop if he would loosen them as I had arthritis in my back and shoulders. He never answered me.

When I told my family and friends about this, I could read it in their eyes: you must have donesomething wrong. Police don't just stop people for no reason.

"Why do you keep talking about this?" they asked.

"I WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE POLICE!"

"You're just being dramatic, and shut up about it already."

Their time is coming. . .

I read somewhere that there are folks all around u...

2008-05-07T13:18:00.000-06:00

I read somewhere that there are folks all around us without a shred of conscience.

And if it meant stepping over your dead body to get what they want then people you'd better get ready for their boots!

Conscience is for someone with one just as laws are for the law abiding.

Very inspiring story--thanks for publishing this. ...

2008-05-06T23:54:00.000-06:00

Very inspiring story--thanks for publishing this. Woodard is truly a man of integrity, being more concerned about his good name than about freedom.

I don't understand how Wade could have lived with himself either. I guess some people really have no conscience.

I don't know anybody who would knowingly imprison ...

2008-05-06T23:41:00.000-06:00

I don't know anybody who would knowingly imprison an innocent man; I would venture to say most of your readers don't either.

How then, does it happen that those who would do such a thing ALWAYS WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT?

These cases are so heartbreaking. This is the first I heard that withholding exculpatory evidence carried no penalty! I was stunned.

Or maybe this crime carries the same penalty as a cop who kills someone when he storms a through the front door during a "drug raid gone bad"-- a few weeks paid vacation as the case is "investigated."

Wouldn't it be nice if you were pulled over for speeding and could present the cop with your own "signing statement" of your understanding of the word "speeding?"

"I'm going to have to arrest you anyway after I taser you, knock you to the ground and beat you to a bloody pulp."

"No need Officer Teeny-Weeny. For the past fifteen minutes I've been investigating myself and have found me innocent."

We'll get justice someday, but it won't be in this world.

Anon says How can people like Wade live with thems...

2008-05-06T22:58:00.000-06:00

Anon says How can people like Wade live with themselves?

The better question to ask is how can WE live with them. We allow extremely dangerous men into these jobs and we have NO way of holding them accountable. Wade is but one instance. The DA prosecuting the Duke "rape" case is another prominent one. There are, of course, many more such DAs, most of whom will never be discovered.

There are some interesting movements out there, such as JAIL4Judges, but I think a danger every bit as big, or bigger, is out of control and/or evil DAs. But how does one hold accountable the only person capable of pressing charges? The answer of course, is that it isn't possible to hold such a man accountable to the law. Which leaves only one the option of dealing with such outside of the law, and I don't believe America is ready for that (nor likely ever will be) which leaves us in the same spot with the same problem.

It infuriates me to see how many people we send to...

2008-05-06T22:46:00.000-06:00

It infuriates me to see how many people we send to prison every year. Many of them on victimless crimes. All that does it to create a class of citizens who are far more likely to commit crimes to support themselves because the legal jobs and housing is simply unavailable to them due to their felon status. And there is no cure nor restitution for those who have been jailed so frivolously. The time cannot be given back, the relationships cannot be healed, children grow up without a parent.

I agree with this entire piece, Will. James Woodar...

2008-05-06T22:42:00.000-06:00

I agree with this entire piece, Will. James Woodard is definitely a real man.

As I've mentioned before, and Mr. Woodard in particular confirmed it, true freedom is relative as true freedom encompasses far more than mere physical movement. Indeed, freedom of conscience is far more desirable in my mind than freedom of movement.

I've also always believed that anyone worth their salt wouldn't agree to a so-called "plea bargain" if they TRULY were innocent of the deed(s) in question. So, it really wouldn't have the State-desired effect of copping to a LIE just to obtain a faux "freedom," IF the populace at large were as stalwart in character as Mr. Woodard proved to be.

That video was outstanding, btw. All meat and no fluff in that one. Thanks much for posting it.

I can't imagine what this guy went through. Most m...

2008-05-06T20:59:00.000-06:00

I can't imagine what this guy went through. Most men wouldhave lost their sanity; and I hope he gets some kind of settlement from the state that destroyed his life. It's too bad they can't give him back those years. Is
wade still alive? If so they should haul is butt in prison. How can people like Wade live with themselves? The world would be a much better place if someone got rid of the Wades of this world.

Dan

Dan

"This is why, in a very real sense, Woodard -- eve...

2008-05-06T20:15:00.000-06:00

"This is why, in a very real sense, Woodard -- even when he was confined to his prison cell -- was freer than many of us who make soul-killing compromises with our Enemy, the State under much less onerous circumstances."

Will, Could you give a few examples of some of the soul-killing compromises many of us make that you have in mind?

Could one of these soul-killing compromises include paying "tribute" to a murderous government that is not "due" such "tribute" just to stay out of jail?

Since you refer to "less onerous circumstances" I am sure you have a list of other possible soul-killing compromises that we practice every day but should not.

After watching the video of James L. Woodard I can't help but love his strait forward and honest way of speaking and answering questions.

How about Craig Watkins for Attorney General? I have a sense he would be prosecuting some prosecutors at Gitmo.

After reading this, I can only wonder: Has Henry ...

2008-05-06T19:58:00.000-06:00

After reading this, I can only wonder: Has Henry Wade been exhumed and his remains tossed into a toxic landfill where they so rightfully belong?

This article and video should be be read and shown...

2008-05-06T19:12:00.000-06:00

This article and video should be be read and shown as part of jury instructions.

Thanks for publishing this piece, Will. I just don...

2008-05-06T18:22:00.000-06:00

Thanks for publishing this piece, Will. I just donated to the Innocence Project. It's a small way to show that some people do care about preventing these execrable things that run the government from getting away with this bilge.

If I may, I suggest everyone else do the same.

-Sans Authoritas