Signs and Wonders: Crooked prosecutor now a convict, too

Prosecutor convicted. Last week in Texas, a former prosecutor and judge pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to disclose evidence in a case that sent an innocent man to prison for murder. Ken Anderson pleaded guilty to criminal contempt and will have to give up his law license, perform 500 hours of community service, and spend 10 days in jail. That’s not a lot considering he sent Michael Morton to jail for 25 years before Morton was exonerated and freed. But it’s the first time ever that a prosecutor has served jail time for such an offense. It also helps shine a light on how broken our criminal justice system is today. Conservatives such as Richard Viguerie, who described himself as a “lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key” kind of guy in the 1970s, is among conservatives now calling for an overhaul of what he calls one of our most dysfunctional big-government programs. Dr. Everett Bartlett, director of the Center for Prosecutor Integrity, said this case is “big news for conservatives who want prosecutors to be held accountable for unethical and illegal conduct.”

Abortion scofflaw. Notorious New Jersey abortionist Steven Chase Brigham has opened an abortion clinic in Philadelphia despite having been ordered by the state never to do so. According to the pro-life group Operation Rescue, “the new abortion clinic, Integrity Family Health, located at 9622 Bustleton Avenue in Philadelphia, was discovered by the staff of another area abortion clinic when a patient mentioned it to them. During a quick Internet search, they discovered the connections to Brigham and reported the clinic to the authorities, who are now investigating it.” Brigham had at least two other abortion facilities shutdown by Pennsylvania authorities earlier this year. According to Operation Rescue, one of those facilities in Allentown, Pa., is now a pro-life office saving babies from abortion.

Hawaii falls. Hawaii became the 15th state to allow same-sex marriage this week. That much is not really news since the bill to allow homosexual marriage has been winding through the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature for several weeks. But one interesting aspect of this story is that Hawaii started this current battle over same sex marriage in 1990 when a lesbian couple tried to get married there and could not. That case went to the Supreme Court, which in 1993 ruled in favor of the lesbians. Since then, states one by one have been passing laws allowing same-sex marriage. It is important to note that the vast majority of the country still prohibits gay marriage, and those states that do allow it are mostly bunched on the east and west coasts.

Charter children need rescuing, too. A charter school that had been participating in Operation Christmas Child has pulled out of the program after receiving a letter from American Humanists threatening a lawsuit. East Point Academy had been participating in Operation Christmas Child for about three years. School administrator Renee Mathews told parents in a letter that since “we do not want to expend school financial resources defending a lawsuit, we are not going to accept Operation Christmas Child boxes. If you and your child had planned to donate a shoebox of supplies, you are encouraged to find a charity of your choice for the gift.” This situation highlights how charter schools, while able to exercise a bit more autonomy over the education process than traditional public schools, are ultimately inadequate as an a solution for Christian parents who are commanded to raise their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”