The wrongful murder conviction of Michael Morton in Williamson County more than 25 years ago is at the heart of state legislation designed to open more avenues of justice for people who are victimized by the criminal justice system, according to the bill's author.
State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who filed the bill Feb. 26, called the Morton case "a prime example" of what can happen when the justice system fails.
"This is a common-sense policy to advance justice to those who have been wrongfully convicted," Whitmire said.
Morton was incarcerated for nearly 25 years for the murder of his wife, Christine, until DNA testing in 2011 proved that he was innocent. He has since become an icon in the criminal justice community, a symbol of egregious error, and, some allege, bias against the accused in the court system.
