[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS

[Rick Halperin]

April 7




TEXAS:

Dallas County district attorney's office to show mercy to 'lost souls'


The new Dallas County district attorney and her first assistant view the people 
who go through the criminal court system as "lost souls or monsters."

Faith Johnson says her job as district attorney doesn't always call for 
toughness; sometimes justice requires mercy.

"We're compassionate where compassion is needed. We're merciful when mercy is 
needed," she said Tuesday night at a community forum at Concord Church in Red 
Bird.

It was the 1st of what Johnson says will be a quarterly forum to answer 
questions and explain how the local criminal justice system works.

Johnson, a Republican and former judge, was appointed in December by Gov. Greg 
Abbott to replace Susan Hawk, who resigned in September to focus on her mental 
health.

Johnson, the 1st black woman to become Dallas County district attorney, has 
said she plans to run for the office when her term expires next year.

In her first 90 days in office, she has attended more than 140 community events 
and meetings. She regularly takes her prosecutors to lunch to get to know them 
and their work. She is often 1st to the office and last to leave.

"I have been getting only four hours sleep so I can restore the relationship 
between the community and the DA's office," Johnson said.

Her top priority has been to facilitate an expungement program to clear some 
criminal records. The crimes must be non-violent and meet other requirements.

And for the people whose crimes can't be erased, Johnson wants to help them 
clear their public criminal records so they don't have trouble getting a job or 
qualifying for housing.

"We want them to get a job," she said. "Share the load of the taxes."

She said those efforts are part of being just. It's the same reason she says 
she wants to boost the DA's office conviction integrity unit, the group that 
has overseen the reversal of wrongful convictions.

And when asked about her approach to the death penalty, Johnson said it's her 
job to abide the law, and execution is legal in Texas.

But, she said, Dallas County prosecutors will pursue the death penalty only 
when they are "darn sure that that's what we need to do."

She said that's part of her oath: to uphold the law for everyone.

"I'm going to do what's right by you. I don't care who you are. You could be 
black, white, purple, green," Johnson said. "You could be rich, poor. You could 
live in North Dallas, south, east, west. I got you. I got you. I'm here for 
you."

First Assistant District Attorney Mike Snipes called Johnson the "real deal" 
and said she has a compassionate approach to the job.

"We're going to take care of the lost souls. We're going to try to rehabilitate 
them. We're going to try to reintegrate them into society," he said.

As for the monsters: "The judge and I are coming after them."

(source: Dallas Morning News)

*******************************

Lost souls, not monsters


Re: "New DA pledges she'll uphold law for everyone -- Restoring the public's 
trust is crucial, Johnson says at her first forum," Thursday Metro story.

I am pleased that the current district attorney speaks of compassion and mercy 
for those she refers to as "lost souls." It is commendable that she seeks the 
reintegration of nonviolent offenders back into our society so they can 
hopefully lead productive lives.

It is unfortunate and inexcusable that Faith Johnson's office uses language to 
dehumanize those who may have committed violent offenses. To be sure, violent 
offenders need to be punished and imprisoned, as society has a fundamental 
right to be safe. But such offenders are not "monsters."

The law allows district attorneys to use judicial discretion to seek the death 
penalty; they are certainly not obligated to do so. It would be refreshing and 
humanizing to see our district attorney show true mercy to all offenders, and 
to see her extend justice in the name of the law while recognizing the inherent 
truth about human rights: There is no such thing as a lesser person.

Rick Halperin, Dallas, Director, Embrey Human Rights Program at Southern 
Methodist University

(source: Letter to the Editor, Dallas Morning News)