TFSC Chairman Could be Replaced

An editorial in today’s Houston Chronicle said that the chairman of the Texas Forensic Science Commission should be replaced by the Senate.

At a hearing today, the Texas Senate Nominations Committee questioned Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley about his role as the chairman of the nine-member TFSC.

Bradley, as this newspaper has consistently reported over the past year and a half, has obstructed real debate and instead proceeded to perpetuate the governor’s political agenda. He has delayed hearings unnecessarily. He has shown disdain for members of the commission and witnesses. He has proven himself to be an enemy of science, refusing to ask that arson be subject to state-of-the-art scientific analysis.

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We believe John Bradley has shown himself unwilling to engage in true scientific inquiry.

Bradley was appointed chairman of the commission by Gov. Rick Perry right before the commission was to hear testimony from the independent arson expert commissioned by the committee to investigate the evidence in the arson murder trial of Cameron Todd Willingham.  It was Perry who denied a stay of execution for Cameron Todd Willingham, despite the fact that a leading arson expert notified the governor that the evidence used to convict Willingham was based on bad arson science.  It has been nearly five years since the commission decided to investigate the Willingham case, and it still has not issued findings in the case. 

The TFSC will next meet on April 15.

Read the full editorial

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Learn more about the arson investigation into

Cameron Todd Willingham’s case

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Read about the Texas Forensic Science Commission

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