Burt Carnes
Burt Carnes was a judge for District 368 in Williamson County, Texas. He was appointed to the court by former Governor Bill Clements and served as a judge from September 1, 1989 until his retirement on October 31, 2013.[1][2] Carnes was succeeded by Rick J. Kennon.[3]
Education
Carnes received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Texas in 1972 and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1976.[2]
Career
Before he became a judge, Carnes worked as an attorney in private practice in Taylor, Texas. He also previously served as a district attorney for Dallas and Travis counties.[2]
2010 election
Carnes was re-elected to the District 368 after running unopposed.
Noteworthy cases
Texas man convicted of woman's murder, clearing name of wrongfully convicted husband
On April 12, 1987, Michael Morton sat in a prison cell in Huntsville, Texas, preparing a letter:
| “ | Your Honor, | ” |
The note, written to District Court Judge William Lott, was a reiteration of his innocence in a 1986 murder case in which Morton was convicted of beating to death his wife, Christine, in their Williamson County home.[6] It was the first of many appeals from the time of Morton's conviction to his release in October of 2011—and now, two years later, a West Texas jury believes to have found the real killer.[6]
Mark Alan Norwood, 58, who has also been charged with a nearby murder that took place shortly after Christine's death, was convicted Wednesday and sentenced to a lifetime in prison. Investigators said that new DNA tests on a bloody bandana near Morton's home pinned Norwood to the crime scene.[7]
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott called the verdict “a dose of long overdue justice," saying,
| “ | No jury verdict can bring back the life that was tragically stolen from the young mother, Christine Morton, nor can it recover the devastating years that her husband Michael Morton spent unjustly imprisoned for her murder. We can only hope that today’s verdict provides some much-deserved, but woefully delayed, justice for a family that suffered so terribly for so long.[7][5] | ” |
Judge Burt Carnes, of Texas District 368, presided over the trial.[8]
There are allegations that Ken Anderson, the lawyer who prosecuted Morton and now a judge for District 277, intentionally withheld evidence from Morton's defense attorneys. A district court judge will eventually decide whether Anderson should face criminal charges.[7]
See also
External links
- Williamson County, Texas: 368th District, Judge Burt Carnes Biography
- Texas Courts Online: Texas District Courts
Footnotes
- ↑ Williamson County, Texas: 368th District, Judge Burt Carnes Biography
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Statesman.com, "Carnes retiring after 24 years on bench," October 31, 2013
- ↑ The Hutto News, "Governor appoints judges for two Wilco district courts," October 8, 2013
- ↑ Texas Monthly, "An Innocent Man, Part One," November 2012
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Innocence Project, Michael Morton profile
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 KWTX.com, "Jury Returns Guilty Verdict In Controversial Central Texas Murder Case," March 27, 2013
- ↑ Go San Angelo, "Alan Norwood trial focuses on hair," March 25, 2013
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
