Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford said that criminal defendants in Texas are at the mercy of prosecutors in an unfair system that emphasizes winning rather than justice. Bradford said that he believes there is sufficient probable cause to convene a court of inquiry to investigate the entire Police Department crime lab, not just the DNA portion (see below). Bradford also voiced support for changes that would help to balance the Texas justice system, which he believes currently works in favor of prosecutors. He described the attitude in the district attorney’s office as, “What can I do to win? Win, win, win.” Bradford supports measures such as an open discovery process in criminal trails and standardizing the appointment of forensics experts to assist court-appointed attorneys in cases with DNA evidence.”
(Houston Chronicle, June 24, 2003). See Innocence.
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). Law Enforcement Views: Houston Police Chief Voices Concern About Prosecutors. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/law-enforcement-views-houston-police-chief-voices-concern-about-prosecutors
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Law Enforcement Views: Houston Police Chief Voices Concern About Prosecutors.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 3, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/law-enforcement-views-houston-police-chief-voices-concern-about-prosecutors.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “Law Enforcement Views: Houston Police Chief Voices Concern About Prosecutors.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/law-enforcement-views-houston-police-chief-voices-concern-about-prosecutors. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.