By Alan Bean
It is hard to believe that ten years have passed since thirteen people were released from prison at the Swisher County courthouse after Judge Ron Chapman declared that undercover agent Tom Coleman was not credible under oath. I address the amazing events leading up to this dramatic scene in my book, Taking out the Trash in Tulia, Texas.
This brief account from the AP appeared in Sunday’s Dallas Morning News (subscription required):
Ten years ago
Twelve people sent to prison as the result of a Tulia, Texas, drug bust were released on bail by a judge who said they’d been railroaded by an undercover agent. (A total of 35 people were later pardoned by Texas Gov. Rick Perry; 45 of the 46 who were arrested shared a $6 million settlement in a civil rights lawsuit.)
