Mark Norwood arrested in 1986 Murder of Christine Morton(Murder Conviction)

[MuffyBee]

 

Thanks for the updates Miss 
Anderson is still so full of himself.  I truly hope he has to go to jail!
 ::justice2NJ::

There seem to be questions regarding the statutes of limitations, and that could possibly affect the case, but we shall see.  There has been a movement started asking that Ken Anderson step down.  Again, we shall see.

[MuffyBee]

Note:  The article below is opinion.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/opinion/anderson-should-weigh-consequences-to-justice-syst/nXS4f/
MICHAEL MORTON CASE
Anderson should weigh consequences to justice system before continuing as judge
April 22, 2013

By Editorial Board
It remains to be seen whether former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson will face criminal charges in a criminal court for allegations of hiding key evidence to win a conviction. It’s a serious charge that carries with it a vital concern of whether those entrusted with upholding the law are above the law. A trial is the right place to sort out the guilt or innocence of Anderson, whose conduct as a prosecutor and officer of the court has fallen under a cloud of suspicion in the Michael Morton case.
Unfortunately, a trial is not a sure thing because of laws limiting the time in which exonerees can bring charges against prosecutors. What is encouraging at this point is the determination of the system to hold Anderson accountable.
Morton might have been spared nearly 25 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit if the evidence Anderson kept in his files, which pointed to Morton’s innocence, had been turned over to Morton’s defense lawyers in 1987.
It was not. Anderson, now a sitting district judge in Williamson County, has denied any wrongdoing in his role as lead prosecutor in the case regarding the 1986 murder of Morton’s wife, Christine. Anderson now is facing career-ending consequences or worse. Last week, Anderson was arrested and booked into jail and then released on bond after a specially convened court found that he intentionally hid evidence to secure Morton’s conviction, American-Statesman writer Chuck Lindell reported.
District Judge Louis Sturns, who presided over the court, was frank in his ruling: “This court cannot think of a more intentionally harmful act than a prosecutor’s conscious choice to hide mitigating evidence so as to create an uneven playing field for a defendant facing a murder charge and a life sentence.”
More...

Comments

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/anderson-appeal-seeks-to-halt-proceedings/nXTnQ/
Anderson appeal seeks to halt proceedings
April 23, 2013

Lawyers for state District Judge Ken Anderson have asked a Williamson County court to halt legal proceedings against the former prosecutor after a court of inquiry last week found that Anderson hid evidence to ensure Michael Morton’s conviction in 1987.
The appeal seeks to dismiss the complaint against Anderson, arguing that he cannot be prosecuted for the alleged crimes because the statute of limitation has passed.
The Texas Supreme Court will decide where the appeal will be heard. The Morton and Anderson cases are being handled by the 26th District Court in Georgetown, where Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield has recused himself from both proceedings.
Louis Sturns, presiding judge in the court of inquiry, issued two arrest warrants for Anderson on Friday, finding probable cause to believe he broke two anti-tampering statutes — one a felony, the other a misdemeanor — by concealing favorable evidence from Morton’s trial lawyers in 1986-87.
More...

[Sister]

http://digitaltexan.net/2013/austin-local-news/prosecuting-proesecutors-wrong-texas-district-attorneys/article52745/#.UYg-oKXD_X4
Prosecuting the prosecutors: What’s wrong with Texas’ District Attorneys?

Ross Ramsey | April 26, 2013
 
But a strange thing is happening in the impervious ranks of high-profile Texas prosecutors. That cachet is taking a beating.

One prosecutor is in jail. A former district attorney is facing charges related to sending an innocent man to jail. One county spent nearly $400,000 settling a sexual harassment charge against its DA. Another prosecutor is fighting contempt of court charges after refusing to testify in a prosecutorial misconduct inquiry.

An example puts it into focus: In Williamson County, a place known for show-no-mercy law and order, Republican voters ousted a longtime district attorney last year. They had their reasons, but the remarkable thing is that it was even possible.

That was John Bradley, challenged in the Republican primary after a couple of high-profile controversies. He headed the inquiry into a notorious arson case in which Cameron Todd Willingham was executed after being convicted of killing his children. And Bradley was the district attorney accused of sitting on evidence that might have freed Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

Ken Anderson, Bradley’s predecessor and now a state district judge, is fighting charges that he withheld evidence in Morton’s prosecution. His lawyers are telling the judge’s judge that even if Anderson broke the law — they’re not conceding that point — the statute of limitations had expired more than 20 years ago.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas_lege/bill-named-for-michael-morton-passes-house
Bill named for Michael Morton passes House
One more procedural vote before going to Perry
May 13, 2013


Michael Morton before entering the courthouse on Tuesday morning.
Ben Friberg/Kxan


AUSTIN (AP) — The House on Monday approved the Michael Morton Act, a measure designed to prevent wrongful convictions and named in honor of a Texan who spent nearly 25 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

It would create a uniform "open file" policy in Texas, compelling prosecutors to share case files with defense attorneys that can help defendants' cases.

Morton, 58, was sentenced to life in prison for the 1986 slaying of his wife Christine, but freed in October 2011, after DNA testing was done on a bloody bandanna originally found near the couple's Austin home. Investigators said the DNA evidence led them to another man, Mark Alan Norwood, whose DNA was in a national database as a result of his long criminal history.

Norwood was convicted in March and sentenced to life in prison for killing Christine Morton. He also has been indicted in a 1988 slaying of another woman who lived near the Mortons.

The district attorney at Morton's trial, Ken Anderson, now a state district judge in Georgetown, is accused of deliberately withholding evidence from the defense that indicated Morton's innocence.

On April 19, a court of inquiry — a special proceeding to determine wrongdoing by court officials — determined that Anderson acted improperly during Morton's trial. He is now facing criminal contempt and tampering with evidence charges.

The version of the bill passed in the lower chamber is unchanged from the one the state Senate passed unanimously last month. It must clear a final, procedural House vote before it heads to Gov. Rick Perry to be signed into law.
More...

[Sister]

 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57403613-10391709/life-after-prison-morton-meets-grandchild/
Life after prison, Morton meets grandchild
June 23, 2013



Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/williamson/richard-roper-to-handle-ken-anderson-case
Richard Roper to handle Anderson case
Special prosecutor named for case against ex-DA
August 1, 2013

AUSTIN (AP) - A special prosecutor has been named for the criminal proceedings against an ex-district attorney who sent an innocent man to prison for nearly 25 years.
 
The Austin American Statesman reported Thursday that Roper will handle the case against Ken Anderson, who is now a state district judge in Georgetown.

Anderson handled the 1987 prosecution of Michael Morton for killing his wife Christine. Morton was exonerated on DNA evidence in 2011, and a jury convicted Mark Norwood of the 1986 murder in late March 2013.

A special court of inquiry determined in April that Anderson intentionally concealed evidence favorable to Morton's defense.

Roper will lead the case against Anderson. If convicted, Anderson could face 10 years in prison.

Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Civil-hearing-for-Ken-Anderson-set-for-Friday-221679311.html
Civil hearing for Ken Anderson Friday
August 30, 2013



 

On Aug. 30 Anderson will be in court in Georgetown so a visiting judge can hear a motion from the State Bar of Texas' Commission for Lawyer Discipline. The result could be Anderson being disbarred.

The motion was filed on July 24 and states that Anderson “committed professional misconduct by violating State Bar Rules … and that [Moore] then set this matter for hearing evidence before the bench to determine an appropriate sanction to be imposed against [Anderson].”
Morton's wife was murdered in the couple's home in 1986. A jury convicted Morton and sentenced him to life in prison. DNA evidence led him to be freed in 2011, after spending 25 years in prison.
Experts close to the case believe Anderson tampered with evidence. That charge is punishable by two to 10 years in prison.

[MuffyBee]

Now we're wondering if Mark Norwood murdered not only Christine Morton (Who's husband Michael was wrongfully convicted for her murder and did 25 years) and will go to trial in the murder of Debra Baker, but may also have murdered Natalie Antonelli?  Ken Anderson, the prosecutor at the trial of Michael Morton is being investigated and has been in court on civil charges just this week for withholding information in the murder case of Christine Morton.  He was "convinced" Michael Morton was guilty and knew about the information held back and that it could be used by the defense. Debra Baker is believed to have been  murdered buyMark Norwood after Christine Morton, and her family feels if Ken Anderson had put the true murderer in prison instead of having tunnel vision and going after Michael Morton, she might still be alive.  And now we have a third woman that may be another of Mark Norwood's victims.  It's not enough to make an arrest and conviction in a murder.  It has to be the murderer and not someone they can stick the crime on. 

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/court-throws-out-cold-case-murder-conviction/nZhMB/
Court throws out cold-case murder conviction
August 30, 2013

A state appeals court Friday ordered a new trial for Dennis Davis, convicted in 2011 for the cold-case murder of Natalie Antonetti, who was beaten in her South Austin apartment in 1985.
The 3rd Court of Appeals threw out Davis’ murder conviction and 36-year prison sentence, ruling that he was not given adequate legal representation during his trial.
The court faulted defense lawyer Wade Russell for failing to introduce evidence pointing to another man as the likely killer – a man identified by a neighbor as peeking through a window while holding a club or small bat outside Antonetti’s apartment complex on the morning of her assault.
Antonetti, 38, was hit at least five times in the head with a blunt object, possibly with a club or heavy stick, about 5:15 a.m. as she slept on the couch of her South Austin apartment in October 1985. She slipped into a coma and died 18 days later.
Had they heard the evidence, there is a “reasonable probability that the jury would have come to a different verdict,” the court ruled.
No physical evidence or witnesses directly tied Davis to the crime.
On the day she was killed, Antonetti got home about 2:30 a.m. and went for a walk by the apartment complex pool, returning after 10 minutes. Her roommate, sleeping upstairs, was awakened by thumping sounds about 5:15 a.m. and found Antonetti near the couch, dazed and bleeding from her head.

Lacking fingerprints, witnesses or a murder weapon, the Antonetti case languished until a 2007 call to the homicide tip line from Becky Davis, Dennis Davis’ wife, who suggested that detectives focus on her husband.

Dennis Davis, she said, raised her suspicions when he told her in 1991 that he had “sinned against man and God.”
A new group of investigators tracked down several new witnesses, including Gelinda Mudgett, a former girlfriend who testified that Davis told her in 1988 that he had killed Antonetti. She said that she didn’t come forward because she feared Davis. Defense lawyers characterized her as a bitter ex-girlfriend out for revenge.
Prosecutors also called Amparo Garcia-Crow, the woman Davis had said he was with the night Antonetti was killed. But Garcia-Crow testified that they were not together that night.
Arguing that Davis killed Antonetti because he was jealous of her new love interest, prosecutors also produced a witness who recalled seeing Davis and Antonetti arguing in a nightclub on the night of the slaying or a day earlier.
Becky Davis also testified, but on her husband’s behalf, saying she was angry about their pending divorce when she called police in 2007. The Davises later reconciled.
Becky Davis said that her husband never confessed to killing Antonetti, and she never asked him to explain what he meant by sinning “against man and God.” Becky Davis testified that at the time he said the phrase, she believed he was talking about not visiting his mother in the hospital.
Last February, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office indicated that its lawyers would conduct an internal review of the evidence in the Antonetti case because of the striking similarities to two other murders from the late 1980s.
Christine Morton, 31, was killed by eight blows to the head as she lay in bed at her southwestern Williamson County home in August 1986, probably shortly after her husband, Michael, left for work at his usual time, 5:30 a.m. Investigators found wood chips from a blunt weapon, which was never recovered, embedded in her hair.
Debra Masters Baker, 34, was beaten to death in bed at her North Austin home in January 1988 with six blows to the head, also with a blunt object that was not recovered. Baker, who was home alone, was last seen by relatives around midnight.
The three slayings share numerous similarities. All three victims were Anglo brunettes in their 30s who were killed on the 13th of the month.
Mark Alan Norwood, a former carpet installer who had lived within two blocks of Baker, was found guilty of Christine Morton’s murder and has been charged with murdering Baker.
[/quote]

[MuffyBee]

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/08/30/new-doubts-arise-cold-case-was-thought-solved/
Appeals Court Orders New Trial for Dennis Davis
August 30, 2013

Updated, Aug. 30, 2013:

A Texas appeals court on Friday ordered a new trial for Dennis Davis, who is serving 36 years in prison for the 1985 murder of Natalie Antonetti of Austin.

In an opinion, the 3rd Court of Appeals agreed with Davis' assertion that his trial counsel was ineffective and did not present witness testimony relevant to the case, among other claims. Davis said his counsel did not offer evidence of a neighbor who claims he saw another person — not Davis — holding a club or small bat at Antonetti's home the morning she was bludgeoned to death.

"Because we conclude that Davis has established that his counsel's performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and prejudiced his defense, we will reverse the trial court's judgment and remand this cause for a new trial," according to Friday's court opinion.

Original story:

For 26 years, the gruesome beating death of Natalie Antonetti — a carefree spirit and loving mother — remained a mystery. Austin police couldn’t find anyone with a motive to hurt the 38-year-old Cuba native who thrived on the city’s live music scene and often invited friends over for haircuts and home-cooked meals.

Last year, Travis County prosecutors convicted Dennis Davis of the murder after chasing down tips from his estranged wife and a string of ex-girlfriends. A jury agreed with prosecutors that Davis had been abusive and jealous and flew into a rage and bashed Antonetti’s head in with a bat as she slept on her couch on Oct. 13, 1985.

But the case against Davis, now 62, was based largely on the testimony of people recounting events more than two decades old. Less than a year after Davis was sentenced to 36 years in prison, Travis County prosecutors are re-examining the case, searching for DNA that might answer new questions about whether another man — one whose DNA has been connected to two eerily similar killings — could be linked to Antonetti’s murder.
Much more... (Important read & background)
Just months after Davis began his sentence, Michael Morton was exonerated in the 1986 murder of his wife, Christine Morton. He had served 25 years of a life sentence. New DNA evidence showed that another man, Mark Norwood, was linked to the crime. Norwood’s DNA was also found at the scene of the unsolved 1988 murder of Debra Masters Baker.

Norwood, a 57-year-old Bastrop dishwasher, faces trial in ChristineMorton’s murder and remains a suspect in the Baker murder. His lawyer, Russell Hunt Jr., has said Norwood has denies killing anyone.

Just like Antonetti, the other two women were bludgeoned in the head as they slept. The assailant entered their homes in the early morning hours through unlocked doors. Little or nothing was stolen, and none of the women were sexually assaulted. The three women were all brunettes in their 30s. And each of the murders occurred on the 13th day of the month.

The women also lived in close proximity to Norwood, who worked as a handyman and carpet installer in the 1980s. Norwood lived about 12 miles from Morton, a few blocks from Baker and about nine miles from Antonetti.

After reading about the striking similarities in a Texas Tribune report, Pryor said the district attorney’s office decided to re-examine the evidence in the Antonetti case. Items from the crime scene, including clothes and furniture coverings, will be examined to determine if enough DNA exists to test the biological material and compare it to Norwood’s DNA.

“In any murder case you’re going to get some weird coincidences,” Pryor said. “DNA is where we should put the weight if we have it and not coincidences.”

McDonald said he hopes that if investigators find DNA, they also compare it to Odem. Meanwhile, he is preparing to file an appeal of Davis’ conviction arguing that there was too little evidence to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Davis said he is doing his own legal research, spending hours each day in the prison law library and learning from other inmates who have spent years poring over stacks of law books. And, he’s praying.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/news/williamson/judge-anderson-resigns-amid-controversy
Judge Anderson resigns amid controversy
One-time prosecutor facing being disbarred
September 24, 2013

 
Anderson, who long nurtured a tough law-and-order reputation, is facing being disbarred over his handling of the Michael Morton case in the 1980s. As a prosecutor, Anderson helped convicted Morton of killing his wife in 1986, but that conviction was overturned with the emergence of DNA evidence in October 2011.

At issue is whether Anderson knowingly withheld evidence he was duty bound to give to Morton's lawyers that would have aided in the defense.

A trial date is set for next week in the complaint from the State Bar of Texas that could end with Anderson's license to practice law being revoked over the Morton matter. That hearing remains scheduled regardless of Anderson's resignation.

Anderson has long contended that he acted properly in the Morton case.

Morton spent some 25 years in prison in the death of his wife, Christine. He insisted he was innocent throughout his incarceration.

A bandana found near the Morton home in Williamson County finally was tested for DNA evidence over the objection of prosecutors pointing to another suspect. That suspect, Mark Alan Norwood, has since been indicted on a capital murder charge in the killing.

Norwood is also indicted in a second killing from the 1980s. Debra Baker was killed Jan. 13, 1988, well after Michael Morton had been falsely convicted.

Present Williamson County DA Jana Duty said Anderson's resignation from the 277th State District Court will bring some "stability and continuity" to the court.

"There has been a lot of upheaval which unfortunately, has been a big distraction for my prosecutors in the 277th," she said. "It's time to focus on getting our felony cases resolved without any more distractions"
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/225080722.html
Ken Anderson, prosecutor of wrongfully convicted Michael Morton, resigns
September 24, 2013

AUSTIN -- Williamson County state district Judge Ken Anderson, who oversaw the wrongful murder conviction of Michael Morton in 1987, submitted a letter to Gov. Rick Perry on Monday resigning his position effective immediately.
Anderson is facing both civil and criminal court proceedings for his role in prosecuting Morton for the 1986 murder of his wife, Christine Morton. Attorneys for Morton allege that Anderson withheld critical evidence that pointed to Morton's innocence and that he lied to the judge about the existence of that evidence. Morton was sentenced to life in prison and spent nearly 25 years behind bars before DNA testing revealed that he was innocent and connected another man to his wife's killing. He was released from prison in 2011.
 
Anderson was appointed to the bench by Gov. Rick Perry in 2002 and the State Bar of Texas named him “Prosecutor of the Year” in 1995. Perry responded to Anderson on Monday with a letter accepting the resignation and thanking the longtime prosecutor and judge for his service.
The State Bar filed a disciplinary case against Anderson last year, and the trial is scheduled to begin on Monday in Williamson County. Anderson could be disbarred if he is found to have violated professional rules of conduct in securing Morton's wrongful conviction.
Anderson is also facing criminal charges after Tarrant County state district Judge Louis Sturns, following a court of inquiry in February, charged the former prosecutor with tampering with government records (a misdemeanor), tampering with physical evidence (a felony) and failing to comply with a judge's order to turn over such evidence, for which he could be held in “contempt of court.” 
Anderson has said that he regrets the errors of the justice system in Morton’s case. But he has maintained that he committed no wrongdoing in the prosecution.
During their investigation of Morton's case, Raley, of the Houston law firm Raley & Bowick, along with Barry Scheck and Nina Morrison of the New York-based Innocence Project, discovered evidence that they allege Anderson deliberately withheld from defense lawyers and from the judge in the case.
Among the items was a transcript of a phone call in which Morton’s mother-in-law recounted to police a conversation with her 3-year-old grandson, who said he saw a “monster” beat his mother to death. He said Morton, his father, was not at home when the beating happened. They also found reports from neighbors who told police that they saw a man in a green van park near the Mortons' home and walk into the nearby woods several times before the crime. 
The State Bar conducted a 10-month investigation after a grievance was filed against Anderson in the case. The State Bar’s Commission for Lawyer Discipline wrote in its court filing that Anderson knew of the evidence and withheld it. The filing also alleged that Anderson made a false statement to the court when he told the judge he had no evidence that could be favorable to Morton’s claims of innocence.
His conduct, the State Bar commission wrote, violated five of the state’s Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.
 

[Sister]

Well, the trial date of November 8th is almost upon us.

How does that feel Mr. Anderson?


Disciplinary Trial Delayed for Ken Anderson, Who Resigned Bench
By Angela Morris Contact All Articles
Texas Lawyer
September 30, 2013

http://www.law.com/jsp/tx/PubArticleTX.jsp?id=1202621132314


Ken Anderson, who resigned Sept. 24 as judge of Williamson County's 277th District Court, will no longer go to trial on Sept. 30 in his attorney-disciplinary case.

In a Sept. 25 letter, 121st District Judge Kelly G. Moore wrote to the attorneys for Anderson and the Commission for Lawyer Discipline (CFLD) to confirm that the Sept. 30 trial in CFLD v. Anderson was vacated and rescheduled for Nov. 8.
 

Read more: http://www.law.com/jsp/tx/PubArticleTX.jsp?id=1202621132314&Disciplinary_Trial_Delayed_for_Ken_Anderson_Who_Resigned_Bench#ixzz2jm8jME5P

[MuffyBee]

Looking back:

http://www.kxan.com/news/ken-anderson-to-learn-fate-in-morton-case
Judge rules Anderson withheld evidence in Morton case
Inquiry examined wrongful conviction issues
   
Updated: Friday, April 19, 2013, 6:25 PM CDT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - Ken Anderson deliberately withheld evidence that might have helped Michael Morton avoid being wrongfully convicted of killing his wife in 1986, a judge ruled Friday.

The ruling means that Anderson, now a state district judge who was in the courtroom as the ruling came down, was in criminal contempt of court as Williamson County district attorney in the Morton case. He turned himself in after the ruling by Judge Louis Sturns. Anderson was allowed to return to his office after posting $2,500 bond on each charge.

"Mr. Anderson consciously chose to conceal the availability of the exculpatory evidence so he could convict Mr. Morton for murder," Sturns said. "This court cannot think of a more intrinsically harmful act than a prosecutor's intentional choice to hide evidence so as to convict a defendant facing a murder charge and a life sentence."

In his ruling, Sturns decided there was enough evidence to show Anderson was guilty on the three charges brought against him: criminal contempt of court, tampering with evidence and tampering with government records.

The ruling means that Anderson will be tried on the charges, but no trial date was set.

Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty said she's asking Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to act as the prosecutor in the case because her office has three assistant DAs assigned to Anderson's court.

Morton was exonerated in October 2011 when DNA evidence linked the murder of Christine Morton to Mark Alan Norwood, who is now serving a life sentence for the killing. Anderson has steadfastly insisted that he did not act inappropriately when he prosecuted the case.

"We should all stand up for what we have done, and know that no is above the law," Morton said. "I have said that I don't want Ken Anderson's head on a stick, and that's true, the system's going to do what the system does."

After it was over, the newly remarried Morton turned to his wife after the court action was completed and said, "It's honeymoon time."

During the testimony phase of the procedure, Anderson said he couldn't remember if he had evidence that could have cleared the man, including statements from the couple's young son that indicated his father wasn't the killer, according to a videotaped deposition played in court Tuesday.

On the witness stand, he apologized to Morton for the ordeal he went through because of the wrongful conviction.

"I know what me and my family have been through for 18 months of false accusations, and it doesn't even register in the same ballpark of what you went through," Anderson said to Morton

Morton, 58, was released from prison in October 2011 after new DNA tests showed that he didn't fatally beat his wife, Christine, in their north Austin home. Another man has been arrested for the murder.

"I'm probably one of the very few people who has a modest understanding of how Ken Anderson feels, and what he's going through, Morton said. "However, the more important thing here is there is transparency in our system, and there is accountability."

The special prosecutor in the case, Houston defense attorney Rusty Hardin, focused on whether Anderson failed to give Morton's trial lawyers a transcript and a report about statements made by Morton's then 3-year-old son. They boy said he witnessed the 1986 slaying and indicated it was a "monster" and not his father who committed the crime.

 .

"Neither Michael or I, or others involved with this, have been condemning prosecutors as a group," Hardin added. "The message here is, when it's done the wrong way, hopefully there's some changes that will be made that we can deal with."

During the eight-hour deposition in February, Anderson said he couldn't recall if at the time of the trial he had any documents about statements by Morton's son.

"There's no way in God's green earth that, if that was in my file, I wouldn't have told" Morton's attorneys about the boy's statements, Anderson said in the October 2011 deposition. He was being questioned by Barry Scheck, an attorney with the Innocence Project, a nonprofit that helped secure the new DNA testing.

Anderson, who has apologized to Morton but denied any wrongdoing, said when allegations were made he had suppressed evidence, he wasn't worried because he believed Morton was guilty.

[MuffyBee]

He got off easy, imo.   


http://www.kxan.com/news/anderson-back-in-court-in-misconduct-case
Anderson gets 10 days in jail, community service
Relates to actions in Michael Morton trial
November 7, 2013


State District Judge Ken Anderson's booking photo

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson pleaded no contest to a criminal contempt charge Friday and was sentenced to 10 days in jail, $500 fine and 500 hours of community service.

He also resigned from the State Bar of Texas. The action in a Georgetown courtroom culminates the decades-long drama related to the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton.

Anderson, now state district judge, earlier in a court of inquiry, Anderson was found to have hidden evidence he was duty bound to disclose in the original prosecution of Morton. While previously serving as Williamson County district attorney, Anderson helped convict Michael Morton, who was wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 25 years for his wife's 1986 slaying. DNA evidence exonerated Morton in 2011.

Attorney Barry Scheck announced that Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty had approved the audit of some cases prosecuted by Anderson and John Bradley.

The audit for Anderson will be for cases when he served as the DA and in instances those sentences are still being served. For Bradley, the audit will be for cases where DNA testing was requested but not granted.

Scheck says Anderson could serve as few as four days in jail and added the punishment is not proportionate to damage caused, but does send a message.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Ken-Anderson-to-make-first-court-appearance-since-resigning-231138241.html
Anderson gets jail for wrongful conviction of Michael Morton
November 8, 2013

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/ken-anderson-begins-serving-jail-sentence-in-micha/nbrck/
Ken Anderson begins serving jail sentence in Michael Morton case
November 13, 2013


Ken Anderson, a former prosecutor and judge, was booked into the Williamson County jail on Tuesday.

Former Williamson County prosecutor Ken Anderson was booked into jail Tuesday to begin his 10-day sentence for contempt of court in connection with the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton. Anderson already has one day of credit for time served.
 


Among the comments is this one, which refers to murder victim Debra Baker. 

Posted by Trinity25 at 7:31 p.m. Nov. 13, 2013 Report Abuse
It's not only the injustice of Michael Morton's conviction--a killer was allowed to be free and kill again. Ken Anderson is responsible for the murder of Norwood's second victim.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/news/williamson/former-williamson-county-da-booked-into-jail
Former Williamson County DA booked into jail
Received 10-day sentence for criminal contempt
November 13, 2013

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - Former Williamson County District Attorney and Judge Ken Anderson was booked into jail Wednesday to start serving his 10-day sentence for criminal contempt of court.

The charge stems from the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton back in 1987. Morton spent 25 years in prison before DNA evidence cleared him of the crime.

A plea deal announced Nov. 8 included a $500 fine, and 500 hours of community service to be completed within five years.

Anderson will also resign from the state bar, effectively ending his career in law. He resigned from his position as a judge earlier this year.

“The only thing I wanted is for Ken Anderson to be off the bench and for him to no longer practice law,” said Morton. “Both of those things have happened and more.”

After the hearing, the Innocence Project announced an independent review was approved by Williamson County District Attorney Jana Duty. The review will examine each case where someone is still serving jail time due to a conviction that occurred during Anderson’s 16-year reign as DA.

An audit will also occur for all cases where Former DA John Bradley opposed DNA testing.

Bolded by me...  Former DA John Bradley refused to have DNA tested in Morton's case, which resulted in Morton being wrongfully incarcerated for six of the twenty five years he served.  Why did he fight the testing?  Until he was court ordered, he refused.     And I'd like to know if Ken Anderson is getting any money for having resigned/retired as a judge? Is there anything that says he should forfeit any retirement monies because of his conduct?  Losing his license is nothing at his age imo.  A slap on the wrist is all he got.  But it will be interesting to see other cases looked into, including those of the one that held office after him, which was John Bradley.  This case really and truly has made me rethink my feelings on the death penalty. 

[MuffyBee]

...booked into jail Tuesday....released from jail Friday.  So much for the 10 day jail term (slap on wrist imo) for is role in sending an innocent man to prison for 25 years    I wonder if he'll be back in jail when the ongoing investigations into some of the other cases he prosecuted are finished?  How many other innocents did he send to prison in the name of getting tough on crime?  He was so tough on crime he even prosecuted and helped convict innocents.     Let's see if former DA Bradley has an dirt on his hands.  As I mentioned before, he fought DNA testing in Michael Morton's case for 6 years!  Why?  JMHO

http://www.kvue.com/news/Ken-Anderson-released-from-jail-232107191.html
Ken Anderson released from jail
November 15, 2013

WILLIAMSON COUNTY -- Former prosecutor Ken Anderson was released from jail Friday, according to Williamson County Jail records.
Anderson was booked into the jail Tuesday to serve a 10-day jail term for his role in sending an innocent man to prison for nearly 25 years.
A spokesman for the Williamson County Sheriff's Office released the following statement Friday afternoon about Anderson's release:
 
On November 15th at approximately 5:35 AM, Ken Anderson was released from the Williamson County Correctional Facility. Although Mr. Anderson was sentenced to ten days confinement, all persons incarcerated for misdemeanor offenses and have no disciplinary actions, will receive credit of two days for every one day served. Mr. Anderson was kept separate from the other inmates due to security concerns. He ate the same meals, had the same access to reading material and received the same medical exam upon entry to the facility as other inmates. Sheriff Wilson issued explicit orders that Mr. Anderson would not receive special treatment, other than being segregated  for security reasons. Mr. Anderson was released this morning, along with two other inmates, as routine business for Corrections.
Anderson served time for criminal contempt of court in the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton for the fatal 1986 beating of Morton's wife.