| Featuring Michael Morton and John Pollack | | Print | |
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Guest: Michael Morton Michael Morton was a man wrongfully convicted of the brutal murder of his wife, Christine Morton, in 1986. He served nearly 25 years in prison before being exonerated in October 2011 when DNA evidence connected another man to the murder. Former Williamson County District Attorney Ken Anderson handed Morton a life sentence in 1987 after a jury found him guilty. Defense lawyers allege Anderson and his office withheld evidence during the trial that could have proven Morton's evidence. Anderson stood trial over the allegations, but denied any wrongdoing in the case. On Nov. 9, police arrested and charged Mark Alan Norwood, a 57-year-old Batrop resident, with the murder of Christine Morton and the murder of another Austin woman, Debra Masters Baker. Norwood's DNA was found on a blue bandana near the crime scene of Christine Morton's murder. New York-based Innocence Project lawyers sought DNA testing on the bandana for six years before it was tested last year and excluded Morton. Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley agreed to release Morton from prison based on the evidence. In 1987, the original trial judge ordered Anderson to allow him to review any evidence that might potentially exonerate Morton. Lawyers for Morton became suspicious that prosecutors had withheld information from the judge when jurors reported to them that Mike Davis, the the assistant district attorney, told them after the trial that there was an inch-thick stack of police reports that jurors never saw that could have raised more doubt about Morton's guilt. His lawyers asked for a new trial, but the request was denied. Morton's lawyers discovered this year that a transcript in which Christine Morton's mother told a sheriff's investigator that the couple's 3-year-old son, Eric, saw a "monster" with a big mustache who was not his father brutally attack his mother. Defense attorney's claim evidence was not provided to the judge such as the transcript as well as reports of Christine Morton's credit cards being used and checks cashed with her forged signature, and information about witnesses who saw a suspicious van scouting the neighborhood. THE BOOK: “Getting Life - An Innocent Man’s 25-Year Journey from Prison to Peace” He spent twenty-five years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He lost his wife, his son, and his freedom. This is the story of how Michael Morton finally got justice—and a second chance at life. On August 13, 1986, just one day after his thirty-second birthday, Michael Morton went to work at his usual time. By the end of the day, his wife Christine had been savagely bludgeoned to death in the couple’s bed—and the Williamson County Sherriff’s office in Texas wasted no time in pinning her murder on Michael, despite an absolute lack of physical evidence. Michael was swiftly sentenced to life in prison for a crime he had not committed. He mourned his wife from a prison cell. He lost all contact with their son. Life, as he knew it, was over. It would take twenty-five years—and thousands of hours of effort on the part of Michael’s lawyers, including the team at the New York-based Innocence Project—before DNA evidence was brought to light that would ultimately set Michael free. The evidence had been collected only days after the murder—but was never investigated. Drawing on his recollections, court transcripts, and more than one thousand pages of personal journals he wrote in prison, Michael recounts the hidden police reports about an unidentified van parked near his house that were never pursued; the treasure trove of evidence, including a bandana with the killer’s DNA on it, that was never introduced in court; the call from a neighboring county reporting the attempted use of his wife’s credit card (a message that was received, recorded, and never returned by local police); and ultimately, how he battled his way through the darkness to become a free man once again. Getting Life is an extraordinary story of unfathomable tragedy, grave injustice, and the strength and courage it takes to find forgiveness. - See more at: Amazon
Guest: John Pollack JOHN POLLACK helps people tap the full potential of language to articulate ideas, reveal truths, and persuade others to action. His fluency flows from working in journalism, politics, nonprofits and the corporate arena — and from his empathy and creativity. A former Presidential Speechwriter for Bill Clinton, John has spent more than a decade as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and public sector leaders. Earlier, he worked as a speechwriter on Capitol Hill, as a foreign correspondent in Spain, and as a project manager at The Henry Ford — a museum of American innovation. Throughout his career, he has pursued insight and understanding by venturing off the beaten path, intellectually and otherwise. In this spirit, his worldview has been informed by living and working in Africa and Europe, installing seismometers in Antarctica, hitchhiking across Australia, exploring the Caucasus and skippering a boat he built of 165,321 corks down Portugal's Douro River. John graduated with distinction from Stanford University, has studied at the School of Visual Arts, and was twice selected as a Wertheim Scholar at The New York Public Library. A winner of the O. Henry World Pun Championships, his books include The Pun Also Rises, Cork Boat, The World on a String and Shortcut: How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation and Sell Our Greatest Ideas. He lives in New York City. THE BOOK: ““Shortcut”” When we decide to blow the whistle, spill the beans, take a rain check or get the hell out of Dodge, we’re using analogies whose original meanings rarely enter our consciousness. But beneath their surface, all of them convey a complex network of ideas that shape our thinking in analogous situations. Unfortunately, not every analogy that rings true is true. Do neighboring countries really topple like dominoes? Is DNA evidence the fingerprint of the 21st century? Is the marketplace a battlefield? Surprisingly, most of us don’t realize just how often analogies slip in under the radar to mislead or deceive — often with serious consequences. But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, because analogy also plays a catalytic role in the discovery and spread of good ideas. Loose coins gave Johannes Gutenberg the idea for moveable type. Meatpacking plants inspired Henry Ford’s first moving assembly line. And the “bicycle for the mind” that Steve Jobs first envisioned as a friendly Mac not only democratized computing, but ushered in the information age. In Shortcut, former Presidential Speechwriter John Pollack reveals just how pervasive analogies really are — and how powerful. He also explains how to evaluate the “truth” of any analogy, and how people can hone their ability with analogy to become more creative, perceptive and persuasive. Praise for Shortcut: "...this is a thrilling book, intellectually exciting and engagingly written." Jack Girardi, Partner at Girardi Keese, is one of America's Finest Trial Lawyers and our Co-Host, as always, brings out the most important key elements to the success of today's guests. He and his firm have been dedicated to working hard and getting the best possible recovery for its clients. Girardi Keese's mission is to provide aggressive representation of individuals and businesses who have been injured in sous way, whether by physical harm, property damage, damage to business, or damage to economic interests. Girardi & Keese has two offices in California: Downtown Los Angeles and San Bernardino. www.girardikeese.com Hosted by Steve Murphy
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Guest: Michael Morton
Guest: John Pollack
Jack Girardi Steve Murphy |
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 November 2015 23:05 |
