Alanbean

LATEST ARTICLES ( 628 )

• It Takes a Village to Convict an Innocent Man

  

  Brother Wayne Kirk and his idolIA STUNNING RESIGNATION Shortly after lunchtime, on first of March, Sheriff White called up Mike Clore, his chief deputy, and... Read more

  Posted on 25 May 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• There’s No Beauty in Stupidity: the Shaun Cooks Story Continues

  

  “I’m ashamed of the path I chose,” he says, “even if I feel forced on it.  There’s no beauty in stupidity and no victory in blame.” Read more

  Posted on 23 April 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Responding to the Crisis in Jena, Louisiana

  

  This report was written in early 2007 after Friends of Justice had made three investigatory visits to Jena. Fifteen years later, someone downloads the document... Read more

  Posted on 12 April 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• The Tulia Drug Bust Revisited

  

  My first reaction to the “garbage” headline was moral revulsion.  My second reaction was theological. Read more

  Posted on 06 April 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• The Psychopathic DA Who Always Got His Way

  

  The citizens of Robertson County agreed with pastor Jeffress. Paschall might be a foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking politician with questionable business ethics, bu... Read more

  Posted on 03 February 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• The Most Corrupt Police Force in Texas

  

  How was such a thoroughly reprehensible person repeatedly elected as District Attorney of Robertson County? By delivering the goods. Every year, Paschall got... Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Truth is a Vagabond: A Meditation for Epiphany

  

  At Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, new deacons are asked to share their testimony with the church. I spoke on Epiphany Sunday, the traditional... Read more

  Posted on 08 January 2021 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• The Right Kind of Criminal: How Men Like Ken Paxton Evade Prison

  

  Ken Paxton should be in prison. Instead, he has established himself as a conservative icon. How do guys like Paxton pull it off? Read more

  Posted on 21 December 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• How 300 Children Lost Their Fathers to Lynching on a Single Day Because of a...

  

  The Great Hanging in Gainesville, TexasSidney Powell, one of the attorneys making allegations of massive voter fraud, is convinced that “communist money” and a... Read more

  Posted on 04 December 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Hard Times on the Brazos: Shaun Cooks Part 8

  

  CR 260 is nothing but a narrow, rutted, dirt road. But for Shaun, it was holy ground. Read more

  Posted on 24 November 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Peeling Back the Wallpaper: Shaun Cooks 7

  

  The cracks in the wall don’t appear until you peel away the wallpaper. And that can be a tedious business. Especially, when you’re dealing with several... Read more

  Posted on 17 November 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• A Legal Lynching: Shaun Cooks, Part 6

  

  Was what happened to Shaun Cooks in the Milam County Courthouse all that different from Alex Johnson’s lynching in 1907? If so, was the difference in kind, or... Read more

  Posted on 10 November 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• The Sorry-lawyer Syndrome: the Shaun Cooks Story, Part 5

  

  Attorneys who merely go through the motions are rarely chastised. In fact, their lack of diligence is appreciated. A vigorous defense means a long trial and... Read more

  Posted on 03 November 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Flimsy Evidence: the Shaun Cooks Story, Part 4

  

  The evidence presented at trial crumbles under careful scrutiny. Reasonable doubt abounds. Read more

  Posted on 27 October 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Mayhem and Memory: is Chris White a Reliable Witness?

  

  Studies show that a high-speed chase followed by a life-threatening arrest can mess with an officer's memory. Read more

  Posted on 20 October 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Five Conflicting Accounts: The Shaun Cooks Story, Part 2

  

  This is the second segment of the Shaun Cooks story; you will want to read Part One before proceeding.JeJuan Shauntel Cooks is a prisoner in the Eastham Unit... Read more

  Posted on 13 October 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Five Days to Christmas: the JeJuan Cooks Story, Part 1

  

  JeJuan Shauntel CooksJeJuan Shauntel Cooks is a prisoner in the Eastham Unit in Lovelady, Texas. Ten years ago, he was sentenced to life in prison for... Read more

  Posted on 06 October 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Why Are Megachurch Preachers Rushing to Reopen?

  

  The physical proximity enhances the sense of shared identity, of who is with us (the people in this space) and who is against us (the godless liberals who refus... Read more

  Posted on 04 July 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• Can We Have Southern Pride Without Racism?

  

  Can we imagine Southern pride apart from racism?According to a recent HuffPost poll, 42% of white Americans see the confederate flag as a symbol of Southern... Read more

  Posted on 04 July 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY

• There is No Line Between Politics and Religion

  

  Some may wonder why a blog devoted to criminal justice reform devotes so much to attention.Others may ask why a religious blog focuses so much attention on... Read more

  Posted on 04 July 2020 DEBATE, SOCIETY