Chairman of TFSC Passes Nominations Committee

Several hours after Texas senators questioned Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley on Monday about his work as chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the state’s Senate Nominations Committee voted 4-2 to keep him as chairman. A vote by the full Senate is expected as soon as Wednesday.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that most of the questions during the nomination hearing referred to the inquiry of whether faulty science played a role in the arson conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, who is not on the Nominations Committee, asked Bradley several questions about the investigation and pointed toward his bias in the case resulting from a statement Bradley made last year calling Willingham a “guilty monster.”

Bradley shot back at Ellis that he might have his own bias in the investigation since he is a member of the Innocence Project Board of Directors.

The votes were cast along party lines, with the four republicans on the committee voting in favor of allowing Bradley to remain as chairman and the two democrats voting against.   The issue now goes before the full senate.

Read the full story.