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Sen. Cornyn is also the former Attorney General for Texas and a former judge. He's a serious guy on these issues and one of the top thinkers on judiciary issue

Sen. Cornyn is also the former Attorney General for Texas and a former judge. He's a serious guy on these issues and one of the top thinkers on judiciary issues for the GOP.

_delirium 14y ago
Speaking as a Texan, I do not recall seeing any evidence that, in his former role as Attorney General for Texas, he was serious about reigning in prosecutorial abuse. He didn't really make any effort to reduce the prosecutorial overreach and over-imprisonment perpetrated by his own office when he had that opportunity, and he hasn't made any effort at reform in the Senate, either. If anything, his main efforts over the years have been in the opposite direction: to imprison more people, for longer sentences, with fewer procedural safeguards and less court oversight. I blame the "tough on crime" prosecutors and politicians (and the people who vote for them) for a large part of our current mess.
- newbie12 14y ago
  You weren't paying attention. Cornyn was a judicial system reformer in Texas as both a judge and as AG. Open government and fighting good ol' boy corruption were his beat.
  - _delirium 14y ago
    By judicial system reform, I mean reducing the US's fetish for throwing too many people in jail for too-long sentences, which is what's relevant to the present case. I don't see any evidence that Cornyn did anything to reduce Texas prison populations or direct his office to stop intimidating defendants into accepting plea-bargains, or to stop seeking excessive sentences.
zevyoura 14y ago
You guys are forgetting the most notable thing about John Cornyn: this unbelievable (real) ad that he ran for his campaign a couple years back. I give you... Big Bad John: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk
- otisfunkmeyer 14y ago
  This is worth watching so I will break etiquette to bring more attention to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk
  - pyre 14y ago
    "kept Texas in power, made lesser states squirm" Seriously?
    - gonzo 14y ago
      it's a Texas thing, you wouldn't understand.
    - deleted 14y ago
      [deleted]

Sen. Cornyn is also the former Attorney General for Texas and a former judge. He's a serious guy on these issues and one of the top thinkers on judiciary issues for the GOP.

_delirium 14y ago

Speaking as a Texan, I do not recall seeing any evidence that, in his former role as Attorney General for Texas, he was serious about reigning in prosecutorial abuse. He didn't really make any effort to reduce the prosecutorial overreach and over-imprisonment perpetrated by his own office when he had that opportunity, and he hasn't made any effort at reform in the Senate, either. If anything, his main efforts over the years have been in the opposite direction: to imprison more people, for longer sentences, with fewer procedural safeguards and less court oversight. I blame the "tough on crime" prosecutors and politicians (and the people who vote for them) for a large part of our current mess.

newbie12 14y ago
You weren't paying attention. Cornyn was a judicial system reformer in Texas as both a judge and as AG. Open government and fighting good ol' boy corruption were his beat.
- _delirium 14y ago
  By judicial system reform, I mean reducing the US's fetish for throwing too many people in jail for too-long sentences, which is what's relevant to the present case. I don't see any evidence that Cornyn did anything to reduce Texas prison populations or direct his office to stop intimidating defendants into accepting plea-bargains, or to stop seeking excessive sentences.

zevyoura 14y ago

You guys are forgetting the most notable thing about John Cornyn: this unbelievable (real) ad that he ran for his campaign a couple years back. I give you... Big Bad John: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk

otisfunkmeyer 14y ago
This is worth watching so I will break etiquette to bring more attention to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vcB7uCqdFk
- pyre 14y ago
  "kept Texas in power, made lesser states squirm" Seriously?
  - gonzo 14y ago
    it's a Texas thing, you wouldn't understand.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]