Former Dallas County prosecutor Richard E. Jackson lost his license to practice law in Texas after a state Bar Association tribunal determined that in two separate but related cases in 2000, he intentional withheld exculpatory evidence that would have cleared the defendants, the Washington Post reports.
In each of the two cases, Jackson did not turn over to the defense teams information that no eye witnesses to the murder of a church pastor identified either of the men, nor that the two men didn’t match the descriptions provided by witnesses. Jackson also did not inform the court, the defense or the jury that he had secured testimony of jailhouse informants by making deals with them to reduce sentences or provide other benefits.
Defendants Dennis Allen and Stanley Mozee were found guilty of the murder and each sentenced to life in prison. It was only after the case was re-investigated by the Innocence Project that Jackson’s malfeasance was discovered.
Jackson turned his law license into the Bar last month, but the Supreme Court of Texas revoked Jackson’s bar card saying he engaged in professional misconduct.
A lawyer representing Jackson said he surrendered his license prior to the Bar’s and Court’s judgements because he didn’t want to spend money defending the charges, which he denied.