# Tulia **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 5, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382 "2002-08-05T04:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/1 "2002-08-05T04:40:55Z")
Tulia is a small town in Texas. Many of its residents have been arrested and charged with dealing drugs. Several have been convicted. The sentences fro the early convictions frightened some into plea bargainging. Many feel that their accuser, Tom Coleman, is simply lying about their guilt. In a recent trial, evidence showed that he was lying about the defendant. He has been in trouble with the law himself before. A campaingn has begun to encourage the Governor to pardon those convicted. I hope it suceeds. Does anyone think that all those accused or all convicted actually did what they are accused of? [http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/032101/spe\_tulia.shtml](http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/032101/spe_tulia.shtml) [http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/041502.html](http://www.ariannaonline.com/columns/files/041502.html) [http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0131/gonnerman.php](http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0131/gonnerman.php) [http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n721/a06.html?160](http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n721/a06.html?160) [http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=719](http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=719) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/2 "2002-08-05T06:04:42Z")
I’ve read about Tulia Texas before, also there was a news type show (60 Min? 20/20?). If only half what I hear is true, this is an utterly…words fail me. Shit like this makes the Baby Jesus puke His little guts out. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/3 "2002-08-08T12:06:29Z")
> **[Opinion | Railroaded in Texas (Published 2002)](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/08/opinion/railroaded-in-texas.html)** > > Bob Herbert Op-Ed column says 1999 drug arrests of black residents of Tulia, Tex, had clear malicious intent; says arrests were followed by assembly-line trial in which guilty verdicts were foregone conclusions; says Tom Coleman, narcotics agent on... If no one will defend the arrests and convictions, why are these people still in prision? Everyone involved in these arrests and farcical “assembly line trials” should be prosecuted. Why aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/4 "2002-08-08T13:20:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Coleman worked alone and used no audio or video surveillance. Little or no corroborating evidence was introduced during the trials. I’m stunned. I’m a law and order type, and all for undercover stings, but…Jesus! No tape??? His word, and his word alone??? Words fail me. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/5 "2002-08-08T21:47:48Z")
Not only is there no tape of the officer’s “undercover work,” but he apparently took notes regarding the who, what, when and where of the “crimes” on his LEG and was unable to produce these notes for evidence because they washed off in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/6 "2003-04-02T08:36:41Z")
> **[Texas Court Acts to Clear 38 In Town-Splitting Drug Case (Published 2003)](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/02/us/texas-court-acts-to-clear-38-in-town-splitting-drug-case.html)** > > Texas prosecutors move to overturn drug convictions of 38 people, almost all black, who were caught in series of 1999 arrests in Tulia and prosecuted on basis of uncorroborated testimony of undercover officer Thomas Coleman; extraordinary turnaround... [http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1847909](http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1847909) [http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/1847867](http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/1847867) It looks like all those accused in this case may finally go free. This is not justice, there can be no justice at this point, but it is better than what had been going on. Nothing can give these people back they time they lost. The proposed settlement probably won’t even make up for the wages and other monetary harm done to these people. It certainly won’t give the hog farmer accused of being a ringleader back his damaged health. I sincerely hope that this injustice prompts the courts to look to themselves and do something to help ensure they are not used for such injustice again. The governor of Texas, the United States Department of Justice, and others who had the power to bring light to this case and help these people but mysteriously did not despite the clear injustice, should be ashamed of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![OliverH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/278dde/32.png) [@OliverH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverH)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tulia/122382/7 "2003-04-02T08:45:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lee \* > \*\* > I sincerely hope that this injustice prompts the courts to look to themselves and do something to help ensure they are not used for such injustice again. The governor of Texas, the United States Department of Justice, and others who had the power to bring light to this case and help these people but mysteriously did not despite the clear injustice, should be ashamed of themselves. \*\* You’re talking about Texas. Having lived there for quite a while, this is the state where the Court of Criminal Appeals has no problem with sleeping lawyers, where people get talked into plea bargains while the DA’s office is fully aware they have done no wrong, and snitches leading the police to pounds and pounds of deliberately placed gypsum get away with more money than the people they falsely accused of trading drugs.