Is Michael Perry Guilty?-- Conversation with Steve Jackson

This evening I spoke on the telephone with Steve Jackson, Jason Burkett's former attorney, and let me reiterate what I think I have said before in this series. Steve Jackson is one hell of an attorney and if I ever were to get arrested in Montgomery County he would be my first call. Talking to Steve you realize one thing quickly; you realize just how much this man lived this case from start to finish.

Now I had spoken to Steve before and he always impressed me in the sense he was not snobbish or aloof but was more like one of the boys so to speak. I could picture myself sitting in a bar drinking a beer and talking to him he is just that down to earth.

What many people in this world fail to understand is that good people with honest motives can disagree over things without being enemies. Steve and I talked about the case and he didn't agree with my interpretation of the evidence in every incident, and I didn't agree with every interpretation of the evidence made by him, but we found far more common ground then not common ground in this case and this investigation. Where we did agree was that there are far more questions in this case that require answering.

Maybe in my writing it may come across that I prefer Michael Perry to Jason Burkett, and what I have tried to tell people from the get go is that it is not an either or case with those two. I write to Michael and I wrote to Jason; I didn't take this case because of Michael or Jason, but I took this case because a friend of a friend came to me because of my background and said this case stinks and when I started looking into it I felt they were right.

I have said it before and I will say it again; it matters not to me if Jason or Michael get new trials because they "both" deserve them because the state lied, hid evidence, and covered up in this case. Steve Jackson told me he would love another crack at this case for Jason and I will offer Jason, if he wants me, to be sitting right next to him handling the case manager's duties for free if. I have my own personal opinions about who committed these crimes but I was not there so can I ever say 100% this one did it or that one did it; no of course I can't.

Now Steve was impressed with the bug evidence (maggots) I developed in this case because he knows the absolute importance of good solid evidence in any investigation, and my own personal belief is that the bug evidence is the absolute key to the cell door for both Jason and Michael. If the boys did not die on the 24th as the state claims their case falls apart.

I asked Steve about the information Kathy Burkett told me on tape about the concealing of the clothing and he basically said Kathy was "confused". Now truthfully if I felt in my heart at the time that what I was being told by Kathy Burkett was solid evidence I probably would have contacted the Texas bar, but I always had my doubts frankly, so I take Steve at his word that Kathy Burkett misunderstood.

Steve brought one other thing up that I want everybody to take to heart; especially if we all want to have the death penalty as the ultimate punishment. Steve told me about the complete disrespect the court system in the State of Texas gives to these court appointed death penalty attorneys. Steve told me they are often limited on their expenses and their ability to hire experts. The money they receive as compensation compared to what they can handle in their private practice is pitiful, and judges often refuse to allow them the time necessary to defend the case properly.

I know in Florida the Florida Legislature changed the rules last year to where an attorney handling a death penalty case gets paid a flat $15,000; no more no less, and they are given a budget of no more then $5000 for investigators, experts, etc...
In my county we went from 45 attorneys qualified to handle death penalty cases to 7 attorneys qualified because the others say they will lose money to take the cases, and their right. I myself am assisting on the case management of a case as a personal favor to the Chief Judge because they can find no one to help on these cases.

My point is that if we as a country want to have the death penalty as an option then we need to do some serious soul searching. We have to realize that the vast majority of death penalty cases come from people with no or limited funds and they to have a right to a aggressive defense. How can you put a blanket sum of $20,000 and say that is all your life is worth because that is what the State of Florida did? We can spend 250 million dollars on a bridge to an island with 50 people on it but we can't put money into the legal system to make sure everybody's rights are protected.