Choosing Life

True convictions: I see four important questions coming out of Nancy DePriest’s case (“Lethal Rejection,” December 12):

1. What steps are our lawmakers taking to ensure that convictions are correct and just?

2. What steps are our district attorneys taking to ensure that convictions are correct and just?

3. What steps are our judges taking to ensure that convictions are correct and just?

4. Are our jurors taking sufficient care to ensure that convictions are correct and just?

Mark Donald and your staff made some effort to ask those questions of our lawmakers and of the prosecuting attorneys, Ronnie Earle and Bryan Case. He should also have sought to ask those questions of the original judge and of the original jurors.

Dave Olson
Arlington

Rings true: Congratulations on an excellent and important article. I have had many experiences with reporters who don’t quite get the facts right. You not only did that, but you captured the abstract and emotional qualities of Jeanette in a way that certainly rings true.

John Pray
Madison, Wisconsin

More than a celebrity lawyer: Your excellent article really captures Jeanette, who is a truly wonderful and unique person.

Just for the record, I was doing many more substantive things than just handling publicity for the case (although I did some of that). I’ve become a little sensitive about the “celebrity lawyer” image, because it diverts attention from the hands-on investigative and drudge work of the Innocence Project that goes into all these cases. That’s not to say dealing with the media is not part of the job, especially in the Ochoa/Danziger matter and the role Jeanette played. We very consciously created a press/legislative event for her, and all the legislation we were pushing passed, as you know.

Thanks for writing such a great story.

Barry Scheck
Via e-mail

Kiboshing Kennedy

Brighter future without him: Jim Schutze did not mention what I consider an important factor relevant to plans for removal of the Kennedy Memorial and the greening of downtown Dallas (“Belo the Belt,” December 5, and “Just Shoot Us,” December 12). We can go from the world’s most famous murder landmark to a refreshing user-friendly downtown. I say move the Kennedy-related historical information to the Sixth Floor Museum and let’s move forward with Mayor Miller. Like many others, I treasure the Kennedy legacy, but a bright future for Dallas requires change.

Gary N. Bourland
Dallas

Not My Downtown

This is democracy: It is no surprise to me that downtown is owned by those businesses who have the deepest pockets to pay off City Hall (“Big-Ticket Laura,” November 28). We have had a similar problem with the Greyhound bus repair facility trying to close the end of Dragon Street for the last two years. Closing a small rush-hour relief road and putting traffic onto an already overloaded Industrial Boulevard was supposedly in the city’s best interests. The fact that many buildings are now vacant because of the fuss doesn’t really mean anything. It fits in with the “downtown plan.”

It doesn’t even matter if the majority of property owners surrounding the area oppose it. It doesn’t matter that there is expected to be a tollway ramp that our street will be cut off from; if a council member is pushing for the closing, as in our case, it is pretty much rubber-stamped. This is democracy?

Businesses on our street pay sales tax and property tax. We have employees, and many of them provide health insurance. It is a shame that Dallas is no longer a town “of the people, for the people, by the people.” Dallas politicians need to quit giving tax abatements, prime real estate and favors that go along with being part of a “downtown plan” to larger companies and focus on the small businesses and property owners that are footing the bill.

Karen Goodchild
Dallas

Funk Brothers

Exciting Motown years: What a great article (“Brothers in Arms,” December 5)! I grew up in Detroit during the Motown years. It was exciting. Just to be able to go to all the shows and everything was a big part of building the foundation for the passion for music that has so enriched my life.

Thanks for doing such a fine job on this.

Cindy
Via e-mail

The Last Friggin’ Drop

To green-beer lovers everywhere: Great article (“Creatures of Bad Habit,” December 5)! I firmly believe in your idea that most people aren’t exposed to alcohol until well past maturity.

I think that most people begin their drinking lives by trying to get smashed as fast as possible–taste and projectile vomiting be damned. It’s only later that (hopefully) they learn to enjoy their drink of choice. (I’m still amused by people at Blue Fish who think the little sake cups are shot glasses.)

I’ve come up with a few theories:

1. After the age of 25, don’t go to places that serve beer in plastic cups.

2. Never drink anything blue (or any other pastel color).

3. People that mix cognac with fruit juices (or pour it over ice) clearly deserve to be locked in a room with Carrot Top.

4. It’s OK to leave a drink on the bar without finishing every last friggin’ drop.

Anyway, just wanted to say I liked your article…

Daylon P. Walton
Via e-mail