Former Williamson County, Tx., District Attorney Ken Anderson should face a court of inquiry to examine allegations that he hid evidence that could have spared Michael Morton from a wrongful murder conviction and almost 25 years in prison, Judge Sid Harle ruled Friday, says the Austin American-Statesman.
The finding means Harle found probable cause to believe that Anderson violated state law in his prosecution of Morton. Harle says a special review court as the best way to balance competing needs, giving Anderson a chance to clear his name and Morton the opportunity to seek a greater measure of justice. “I personally cannot imagine, having been a former prosecutor, a worse stain or tarnish on a prosecutor’s reputation, integrity or legacy,” Harle said. Morton was freed from prison in October after DNA tests pointed to another man in the murder of his wife. Last week, a grand jury indicted a dishwasher in the 1986 murder.