(On Seeing a Movie About) Texas Justice
I recently saw a TV news report saying that Dallas has locked away so many prisoners who are now being exonerated with new DNA testing, that they have a special police unit working on this problem. Some of these innocent men have been in prison for decades.
As the convict singer Leadbelly opined so long ago in his song "The Midnight Special:" "If you ever go to Houston" (although it seems to be Dallas now), you better act right. You’d better not gamble, and you’d better not fight. Or the sheriff will arrest you, and he’ll send you down. The jury find you guilty, you’re Sugarland bound" ("Sugarland" referred to an infamous Texas work camp).
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