After reading the article about Tyrone Brown and John Alex Wood, I've got to say that I'm feeling quite aggravated. A black man, Brown, sentenced to life over a $2 stick-up compared to a murderer, Wood, with innumerable times being found guilty doing drugs as cocaine. How could this in any way have sound the least bit even-handed to you? It was obviously a biased judge with issues.
I understand that Brown needed to learn his lesson and be punished. In which he got 10 years of probation. But then he made the mistake of doing marijuana while on probation, causing further punishment. What I didn't agree with was his life sentence because of having drugs in his system. How could this have flown over so many people's heads? Why hadn't it caught anyone's attention to help this man?
As for Mr. Wood, I honestly don't know what to say. The first time he was thrown in court was because he shot a man by the name of Mr. Clark. That should've clearly been a sign that he should be harshly punished. Especially if the same judge felt Mr. Brown deserved life sentence for marijuana. Not only was he sent free for MURDER, he had failed at least 5 drug tests and his was punishment was "postcard probation." He even flew to Italy while he was on probation!
After 17 years of imprisonment, Mr. Brown was freed. I thank god for that. I'm still bothered by the fact that I feel the judge should lose his position. He shouldn't be allowed to serve as a judge any longer for unnecessary punishments. Everyone should pay for their faults to a certain extent, regardless of whom you are in society.
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I too, read the articles by Brooks Egerton of The Dallas Morning News on the sentences of Tyrone Brown and John Alexander Wood. Although the rulings in these two cases by Judge Keith Dean appear to be extreme, harsh and unfair, it is interesting that you assume that racism was the reason for these two rulings. ("It was obviously a biased Judge with issues...") Yes, one defendent was black and one was white. That fact alone should not be the basis in determining racism. The reporter chose 2 of the most extreme cases out of 20yrs of cases ruled by Judge Dean to contrast and compare. The cases ruled on were 5yrs apart and didn't appear to have any relation to each other.
To truly find out if race was a determining factor, all the cases ruled on by Judge Dean would have to be compared to see if there was a trend in harsher sentences for one race over another. No mention of any racial inequality was brought forth. Former Parole Officer Don Ford was quoted as saying, "...both cases are unlike this Judge's usual rulings," and that the extreme parole violation ruling, "...is unheard of with this Judge."
We may be able to assume then with this Judge that there weren't many cases where one race was favored or punished over another.
So what happened 16yrs ago with the case of Tyrone Brown? The unusual ruling was legal but extremely harsh. The unfortunate thing about this case is that nobody really knows what happened. Mr. Brown's court appointed attorney at the time, Matt Fry, did not protest the ruling and now claims to have no memory of the case.
Mr. Brown appealed the ruling and his attorney this time was Renie McClellen who also claims no memory of the case. There was also a judge who had to rule on the appeal and upheld Judge Dean's earlier ruling.
Judge Dean requested to the parole board in 2006 that Tyrone Brown's sentence should be commuted after the case was brought to life after much media attention. Interestingly, Bob Lydia, the president of the NAACP was quoted saying, "Judge Dean is an extraordinary man who I believe now recognizes that justice did not prevail."
Judge Dean has been critized by some for not explaining his ruling of 16yrs ago. The likely truth may be that he doesn't remember either. Unfortunate Mr. Brown may just have been the unlucky defendent who happened to be the one sentenced on the Judge's "off day"-- unfortunately resulting in 16yrs of "off days" for him.
As for the case of John Wood, it is unlikely that his race had anything to do with the repeated unbelievably light sentencing. The likely reason is probably more due to a "well-connected family" and top legal counsel. Of course, having his brother-in-law as a congressman may be a determining factor.
It is frustrating when prestige and power are allowed to influence the law. Thankfully, Judge Dean lost his bid for re-election.
I would have to agree with the authors post on the total lack of transparency and direct fairness this case represents. The author has covered the emotional issues with personal commentary and laid out a brief but concise amount of facts on Mr. Brown's case.
If we review current pro bono legal aid web sites they are stocked with horrible stories of justice not being color blind. I also agree that a judge should view a person before the bench as a human first regardless of race, creed, or color.
Great follow up point in the conclusion statement calling for some kind of review or censure of the judge. We are a nation based on laws and our justices should be held accountable to those same laws and the criminals that go before them. Would have been a great ending to have added some current follow up on the issues with Mr. Brown or with the judge.
I agree that the judge who presided over Tyrone Brown's and John Alex Wood's trials was inconsistent with his rulings. Tyrone Brown's ten year probation sentence for attempted robbery with a firearm seemed fair. But then the judge made a salient miscarriage of justice by giving Tyrone Brown a life sentence for marijuana use during his probation.
In contrast, the judge displayed egregious leniency when sentencing John Alex Wood for murder, or should I say lack of sentencing. According to Julez's blog, A Country Of Its Own, John Alex Wood walked away from a murder trial with minimal punishment and no jail time.
I think a possible reason for the judge's decision to give Tyrone Brown such a severe punishment for drug use was because he felt that he was too forgiving for the attempted robbery. However, the judge clearly aberrates from the theory of latent punishment when John Alex Wood turns up in his court again for cocaine use. Again, it seems that John Alex Wood walked away from the judge with minimal punishment. He received a probation sentence.
With so many judges to elect combined with Texans' propensity for electing judges with attractive names, it is inevitable that Texas will have a few unfit judges. This may be the case with Tyrone Brown's judge. Fortunately, the public can rectify errors in judgment on election day.
A country of my own, I agree with you on the article talk about racism I also think that the man that stole the candy bar should have been punished, because if not America would be sending the signal that it’s ok to steal, if its under $2 and I agree that for doing drugs he should be punished for the same reason, but it comes a point that punishment is to harsh. How will a man learn anything if the court system put him away for life just for stealing candy and doing drugs. The only thing he would learn is just how “free” you really are as a black man in America. As for the case were the white man only got probation for murder I think that this judgment is a crock and that the judge should have been thrown off the bench. When the same judge gives a man that was on probation for stealing a candy bar, life because he is found with drugs in his body and a white man that has been in trouble with the law in the past murders someone and only gets probation, that decision screams racism.
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