As you might expect, Sen. David Burnett of Osceola, the judge in the West Memphis Three case, isn’t happy with their release and believes, at most, they should have gotten a new trial rather than freedom.

In an exclusive interview with KAIT-8 in Jonesboro, he also said this:

Advertisement

“Frankly, everything I did was affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court.”

Frankly, that’s a load of bull.

Though it’s true that jury verdicts were upheld, when the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered
evidentiary hearings in 2010 for the three men convicted in the 1993 slayings of three West Memphis children, it said Burnett had erred in refusing to consider DNA evidence and other exculpatory evidence without a hearing, among other mistakes. It took pains, too, to make clear that Burnett could no longer hear the case on account of his election to the Senate. He’d hung onto the case while running for the office, one of many ill appearances he lent to the proceeding.

Burnett is none too happy about the positive attention accorded the WM3 — one of whom who otherwise was scheduled for execution despite the manifest problems with the case. Many of them were introduced by Burnett, such as the bogus Satanism expert who was critical to Damien Echols’ conviction.

Advertisement

“The way it’s ended, it’s now a Hollywood comedy in my opinion and I don’t like that,” said Burnett.

Better than a Hollywood tragedy.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article NLR school tax voting details Next article Truck tax break repeal on agenda; expect nuttiness