Houston lawmaker seeks congressional inquiry of Harris legal system [View All]

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RENEE LEE, Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

U.S Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee today called for congressional hearings to investigate what she calls ''the many downfalls" of the Harris County judicial system.

Recent incidents, including a grand jury's decision not to indict a Pasadena man who shot and killed two men suspected of burglarizing his neighbor, have brought into question whether the system is fair and unbiased, she said.

The Democrat, who represents District 18, said she is also concerned and frustrated about derogatory e-mails circulated in the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the handling of DNA evidence by the Houston Police Department crime lab and the number of deaths in the Harris County Jail over the past 10 years. She also criticized former Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal for explicit emails he sent on his county computer.

''With the many misgivings surrounding the Harris County judicial system, it is fair to say that this local judicial system has been tarnished," Jackson Lee said during a news conference at the Mickey Leland Federal Building. "It is time for all officials to be held accountable and true justice and democracy restored."

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