Tulia, Texas

Description

In 1999, undercover narcotics agent Thomas Coleman was called in by Tulia's sheriff to conduct a sting operation. Of the 46 people indicted for dealing cocaine, 39 were black. Eight were convicted and sentenced to jail terms of 20 to 99 years. Thirty-eight agreed to plea bargains. After three years, attorneys finally won a hearing before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. On June 16, 2003, thirteen Tulia defendants were released from prison. Eventually, all the defendants were pardoned by the Governor. Coleman was found guilty of perjury, but was given a suspended sentence by the jury.

Runtime

54 min

Series

Subjects

Contributor

Geography

Genre

Date of Publication

2008

Database

Alexander Street

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