"Now, in the war on drugs, Tulia, Texas," "Was an important battleground." "You see, after the big drug bust came down," "It looked like a simple case of good guys vs. bad guys." "[MAN] that person, when i'm sitting" "That witness stand, he's sitting up there" "With his defense attorney, and he's looking me in the eye" "And i'm looking him in the eye," "He knows that he handed me that dope" "And i handed him the money - That's it!" "[Howard] independent producers" "Cassandra Herman and Kelly Whalen" "Discovered there is more than one version of the truth" "In a small town that tried to solve its problems" "With an undercover cop." "The arrest in Tulia captured national headlines." "But bigger questions linger on." "What happens to civil rights" "When you can convict someone on one man's word" "Against another's?" "Who wins and loses in the war on drugs?" ""Tulia, Texas," next on "Independent Lens. "" "[Man] what's this story about?" "This story's about a small, quiet little town" "In the panhandle of Texas" "That got sick and tired of the dope dealers." "And they hired me and i stood up for them." "This is a story" "About a town that wanted to send a message" "To the black community." "[Man] I think the story" "Is simply about a community doing its best" "To do what they believe is right." "[Man] this young man" "Was stolen from his family," "And stolen from his community." "[Man] This is a story" "About how our idea of justice gets corrupted" "When we declare war on something." "[Man] One of my friends called me and said," ""Hey, they're supposed to be" ""Having a lot of trouble with narcotics" "In a little town around Amarillo somewhere. "" "So i said, "okay. "" "So i got on the telephone, and i made a few phone calls," "And found out it was Tulia." "[ Auctioneer calling ]" "[Man] there's an d saying," ""If you're trying to find a black neighborhood," "You always cross the tracks. "" "[ Crossing signal bells ]" "When i was growing up in Tulia," "You know, there was separation," "But yet people were still able to get along." "Father, we just ask that you give us the strength" "Going forward," "Give us the strength and encourage us, father," "Give us e courage to go forth" "And each time we face a trial" "Or face a tribulation " "[Woman] so that through" "Endurance and encouragement of the scriptures," "We might have hope." "[Woman] everybody knows everybody, or pretty well," "For good or for bad." "[Man] your smallest town" "Has some place that you can go buy drugs." "Meth and crack cocaine and marijuana" "And heroin and everything that you see today," "You could buy then." "[ Sirens wail ]" "[Woman] it was here, it just was not in your face." "[Woman] then it started getting bad." "Kids were being approached on campus," "And we're talking fifth and sixth graders." "I have asked both the police chief and the sheriff." "I said we need to do something about it." "It's out of hand." "[ Police radio ]" "[Man] we started looking for an agent," "Someone willing to come in and work undercover" "For a short period of time." "Mr. Coleman had contacted me earer," "And we interviewed him at great length." "Checked out his references, and decided at some point" "That he would make us a good officer." "Coleman: they sent me to houston, Texas," "To a dea school " "That's a drug administraon - Training school." "Then when i got back," "They turned me loose," "And i started to work the undercover operation" "In Tulia, Texas." "They gave me a whole new identification," "They gave me a driver's license that said tj dawson on it," "And a social security card." "They went all the way back to my birth." "I had two lives." "Coleman: tj dawson was known to be a crazy bastard" "In Tulia, Texas." "TJ, he was more the rock 'n' roll kind," "Di't give a damn," "Kick ass, buy some dope, drive fast," "And try to get the trust of people." "That's who tj was." "And that's who i was." "My dad, he kind of prepped me for law enforcement." "He was a trooper." "And he worked organized crime," "And that's why i wanted to get undervenaotics." "[Woman] when toand i met, he was already working undercover." "And some people do that job because it is their job," "But i always said about Tom, and there are rare few," "That's just who they are." "And sometimes it was har for Tom to break character." "Everybody knew i carried $700, $800, $900" "In my pocket at a time." "When i pulled that roll of money out," "I would pull it out and let it just fly out, like," ""Damn, tj's got some cash," you know?" "Whatever you want, what you want to party with." "I told them i like cocaine," "And i would get powder." "They don't think you're a cop." "It's just like acting in a movie." "You know, you got you a script," "And you got to stick with that script" "Or the movie ain't no good, you know?" "And that's what we did." "Stewart: the operation actually continued" "For close to 18 months." "I don't think we ever expected" "That his cover would hold up that long." "Stewart: we'd set up the arrest to take place i don't think we ever expected" "Early morning hours, just about daylight." "The fire station." "I had arrest warrants." "The police department, the sheriff's department," "The Texas rangers, the narcotics task force," "And we did a roundup." "Coleman: it felt good." "It was time to make our mark." "[Brookins] i had just woke up." "I was the first one to wake up in our house." "And we looked out the window and we seen" "Our house was surrounded by cops," "And the undercover cop had a ski mask on" "And he pulls it off, and he's like "do y remember me?"" "And freddie said, "no, i don't know you. "" "When i grabbed the indictment, i was looking at it," "And i seen "delivery of cocaine," i was like " "I just looked at him." "I was likeo, man, i think y'all have the wrong house. "" "So i slid it back out to him," "And was going to close the door and they were like," ""If you close the door, we're going to be forced to shoot. "" "It happened so fast," "And the thing i kept thinking was" ""I'm glad my daughtes not here to see this. "" "I codn't believe it." "It was a shock to me." "I'm 48 years old." "I've never been arrested, knock on wood." "I haven't had family members arrested," "And then went through this type of an ordeal." "[Man] 46 people indicted" "For selling powder cocaine in Tulia," "In a town of 5,000." "And then we looked at the addresses " "And so we knew that there'd been a raid on black town." "[Woman] it ain't nothing but a handful of us blacks here." "And they almost got" "Every last one of them" "Off the street." "Everyby was locked up." "We all was in there." "We just wanted to know why" "Was everybody locked up." "[Brookins] at the time when they took me," "And booked me in" "And put me into the holding tank," "It seemed like every two or three minutes," "They were bringing two or three more people in there." "[Brookins Sr] i wouldn't think that there was" "A community around anywhere that doesn't have a drug problem." "But it wasn't just in the black community." "Brookins sr: the people that were arrested in the sting" "Were mainlyoung people." "They were freddie's age." "I watched them grow, you know, and i didn't see" "What they all are saying that these children were doing." "Because i know freddie wasn't that type of person." "You know, we raised him right." "Freddie was just a good kid." "We thought it was a big mistake." "We would go visit him, you know," "Trying to keep up the hope." "Were just telling freddie, "hang in there a little longer. "" "Riddick: the people arrested" "Knew that this is a town and a community" "That's very much against drugs." "We talked to our grown son after all of this came out" "And he says, "tell me some of the names. "" "And so i read him some." "He says, "oh yeah, i know them." ""Within 24 hours of the time we hit Tulia" ""The first time, i knew where i could go buy stuff," "And yeah, they were on the list. "" "He said, "that's not been a secret." ""That's been open knowledge." "They just haven't had proof. "" "Freddie's trial was coming up." "And the lawyer called us, you know, we went down" "And visited with him." "He spoke to freddie alone." "I hatold him." "I was like, well, you know they had came in" "With a five-Year tdc plea bargain." "I said, "what do you think about it?" "Do you think i should take it?"" "I said, "well, you didn't do it, did you?"" "He said, "no, sir, i didn't. "" "I said, "well, if you didn't do it, then stand to be right. "" "Brookins sr: freddie decided to go ahead and go to trial." "Brookins sr: freddie had one case," "For delivery of a contlled substance." "Terri broons: i was one of his witnesses." "My testimony was that freddie wasn't here" "The day of the alleged buy." "He had left to Amarillo with his cousin." "[Brookins] and i still didn't know" "Who Tom Coleman was then, you know," "Until i went to court," "And my attorney pointed him out to me." "I never even knew who he was." "That person, when i was sitting on that witness and," "He's sitting over there with his defense attorney," "And he's looking me in the eye, and i'm looking him in the eye." "He knows that he handed me that dope," "And i handed him the money, that's it." "Riddick: in listening to Tom Coleman and watching him," "He seemed extremely truthful." "He was convincing" "In that he didn't try to make himself appear" "Better than he was, or more polished than he was," "Or more perfect." "[Brookins] eryone that was on the jury," "I practically knew all of them." "They were my little dribbler basketball coach," "My little league baseball coach" " I me," "These are people that i have been around most of my life." "Terri brookins: the last day of freddie's trial," "He had asked me if i would wait for him," "And i told him yes." "When the verdict was read," "I looked at him and just dropped his head," "And shook his head like he couldn't believe it." "He was in shock." "He had no prior record," "And they gave him 20 years." "I had started crying, and then," "Once i saw that they were fixing to take freddie to jail," "I didn't want him to see me like that" "So i just kind of" " Just straightened up real quick." "But i did - I had burst into tears," "And then i didn't want him to see me like that." "White: we could not believe it." "I mean, it was just unbelievable." "And i was going to trial," "And i would go from morning 'til night." "Sitting there, watching," "And people had proof" "That they sn't - Didn't sell this man drugs." "And they were steady giving them time, long years." "White: my lawyer told me, "you'd better take this plea. "" "The d." "A. Told me, "you'd better take this. "" "That's what made me take the plea bargain." "'Cause i was really afraid for my life." "They did everything in their power to lock these people up." "To have goneut and said, "not guilty. "" "That would have been easy." "But it wouldn't have been right." "That's not what we took an oath to do." "Stewart: the community's view was that anyon" "Who would be willing to provide narcotics to mr." "Coleman" "Would probably be equay willing" "To provide it to anyone who walked up," "A schoolchild." "We felt like we did a good job." "We felt like that we did" "What the citizens here wanted us to do." "[ Sirens wailing ]" "I was the first white guy that said in public," ""This is wrong. "" "There was souch animosity" "Against the blacks that had been arrested," "And what i took offense at was the district attorney" "And the sheriff, they was walking around" "Beating theirselves on the chest like tarzan, you know." "[Gardner] you know," "They were basically trying everybody in public." "[Kiker] we talked about it" "In a church sunday school class a little bit," "And got severely put down." "One of the men in that sunday school class," "Who later would be the jury foreman for one of the trials," "Said, "they're all guilty," ""And they're scumbags." "And we need to get them off the street. "" "[Kiker] this is my home country." "I was born here," "And i'll be buried here," "So i don't want to put it down." "But i want it to be fair." "I started reporting on Tulia in the summer of 2000." "[Blakeslee] there is kind of this " "This feeling in Tulia that things used to be better." "And that things are in decline." "Announcer: and see the names of those patriotic americans" "Who gave their lives to keep this republic free." "[Blakeslee] there was a lot of fear about drug abuse" "In swisher county." "And there's this idea that vice is something" "That sort of originates on the other side of the tracks, in swisher county." "In the black part of town." "And it's okay as long as it can be contained" "In that part of the town." "But when that vice started to come across the tracks" "Or when it was perceived to be coming across the tracks," "Then there was a problem, and something had to be done." "Reporter: investigator Tom Coleman is credited" "For the more than 40 drug arrests and convictions." "It's the result of a year and a half" "Of police work by the swisher county sheriff" "And the region's drug task force." "Brookins sr: there was live coverage on television." "And they brought these people intheir hair wasn't combed," "They weren't dressed." "Why a person would drag you out of bed," "Expose you, indecent like that" "Before a camera" "Is beyond me." "It was really unreal." "The last time i saw freddie," "I had to speak to my son through a glass and on a phone." "I didn't think i'd ever have to go visit" "Any of my children behind bars." "When freddie was locked up," "It took me a long time to start getting out," "About two or three months afterward." "I would just stay here and wt," "Just in case he was going to ca." "It w just hard going from one day to the next." "Brookins sr: there's not a day goes by" "That i don't think about him, and he's not on my mind." "But i have to carry on." "[Man] i'm a Texas lawyer." "I do criminal cases." "I represent a lot of people." "I fight the system every day." "One of the court-Appointed lawyers in these cases" "Came to me, and said, "what do y think?"" "I've never seen sentences this routinely severe handed down." "Hey, david." "Jeff blackburn." "806-371..." "I decided to get transcripts from all their cases" "That i cld get," "And that's when i realized was what we really had" "Was someing different here." "Really quick trials," "Really bad lawyers" "Appointed to them," "No invtigation by the defense whatsoever." "Pleas of guilty that are clearly made" "Because people are scared to get 90 years, so they'll take 10." "The treatment these people received in the court system" "Was so unfair, but i saw that there was still something" "That could be done for them." "[Blackburn] i put a little team" "Of lawyers and legal assistants together here in Amarillo." "And if you began to compare" "All of Coleman's" "Different investigative notes," "Each report says that somebody with a certain name," "Almost always black," "Sold cocaine to him on some day." "It's always just into" "The serious-Punishment range," "Always over a gram." "[Blackburn] there were a few people that clearly, to me," "Were in the life in Tulia." "They use drugs," "But a lot of these folks are just not even in that life." "They were just people who were working every day" "And trying to get by with their lives" "And happened to be black," "And usually had some name that was similar" "To somebody that was in the life." "In Texas, it has always been the law" "That you can convict a person" "Solely and strictly on the uncorroborated," "Un-Bacd-Up word of one cop, and it comes down to" "Whether his word is going to be taken by a jury," "And that's it." "Nobody ever bothered to find out who Coleman was," "Nobody even askethe question" "Why did this guy come to work here..." "What were his motives in doing it," "Did he make mistakes?" "And if you don't ask the questions," "Yore damn sure aren't ever going to get the answers." "Coleman: well, if you're in this business," "You're going to have all kinds of allegations." "Theyl try to come up with anything to discredit you." "This operation was done by the book." "They want to make this more than it is," "And all it is is a community " "It's people in community that's selling drugs," "And they got caught and they're mad about it." "And they're especially mad about it because i'm white," "And they're black, a lot of them." "Those were the first people that i've met," "And i would have done the same thing in the white community" "As i did in the black community." "President reagan: we give a new sword and shield" "To those whose daily business it is to eliminate" "From america's streets and towns" "The scourge of illicit drugs." "[Blakeslee] the drug task force program" "Was launched in the late Os." "It was a federally funded program" "In Texas, in very short order," "It drastically changed the way the drug war was prosecuted." "[Thunder]" "[Blakeslee] it led to an emphasis" "On the type of undercov operations" "That would produce large numbers of arrests" "As easily as possible." "It didn't require a great deal" "Of investigatory know-How or expience." "You didn't need to be a dea agent to do undercover work," "Anybody could do it." "Sheriff's office." "Yep." "[Blakeslee] the program became immensely popular." "A lot of these rural police departments" "And sheriff's offices were real strapped for cash." "And in places like swisher county," "Where a cop was starting out at something like $16,000 a year." "Any kind of grant money you can get from the state" "Or federal government is attractive." "Well, i'm fixing to head out." "You need anything before i leave?" "[Blackburn] swisher county hooked up with" "This regional narcotics task force." "They got Coleman, and that's how they were able to get" "This operation underway." "Thanks." "[Blackburn] many other of these small counties around here" "Had already cashed in on" "The drug war." "Task forces get money based on numbers." "The more convictions they rack up," "The more arrests they rack up," "The greater the grants are going to be." "Tom Coleman is smart enough to read between the lines" "And understand that" "If you want to get ahead in the narcotics enforcement world," "You make numbers." "[Blackburn] in a normal investigation of this sort," "You would target some people early on," "And then you would get them" "To lead you up the chain of dealing" "So that eventually, you would locate sebody big." "Nobody gave a damn about locating mr." "Big," "Or the real dealers, or who was really bringing the stuff in." "We pieced together" "A lot of information abt Coleman." "We know that Tom Coleman filled out timesheets." "Well, according to the timesheets," "Four of these cases that he made" "Couldn't have been me" "Because he was o that day," "Or not working." "Then, of course, there were other problems, too." "Yul bryant, who's like 51/2 feet tall and bald as a cue ball" "Is now a tall african american with a "bushy" afro." "Ramona strickland, skinny as a rail," "Is now pregnant, according to his reports." "No problem, they just crossed that part out," "That misidentified her." "Billy wafer had time records to prove that he was on the job" "When Coleman said he was out, selling him drugs." "These things all start to add up." "Th're little cracks around the edges." "Then tonya white came along." "Coleman said, without reservation," "On X date," "She sold me x number of grams of cocaine." "By the time tonya white went to trial " "The vast majority of these people were" "In jail at that point " "We told tonya that she was going to be convicted" "And probably receive the maximum, 99 years." "She happened to g really cky." "About twelve days before her trial started," "We found this piece of evidence, really almost by accident." "$8 that day saved this woman's life." "$8 and signing this deposit slip right here." "She was not there, because she was inklahoma city," "Cashing out a bank transaction." "You've been cleared, honey." "You've beetotally cleared." "What are the odds that anybody else is going to have" "That kind of record?" "No." "[ Whistling ]" "In every case that we've had reason to believe" "That there was some problem" "With the c" "We've been quick, and the d." "A.'S been quick," "To see that those cases were dismissed." "And as far as Ms. White " "I would assume that there's a mixup in dates on the reports," "Or something of that nature." "And i don't believe that's enough" "To bring his credibility into queion, personally." "The hardest things that we had to live with is and i don't believe that's enough" "Some of the things that the people said i did," "Like i went somewhere else and bought dope" "And packaged it up" "And just blamed this guy" "And put him in jail for 20 years." "I mean, that's ridiculous - I was a police officer" "And i stood up for that town." "I thought you were going to make corn." "In the courtroom, the jury are walking by" "And women would mouth to me." "They wouldn't say anything, but they would mouth " "[ "Thank you. " ]" "You know, they were thanking me for doing what i did." "Ultimately, i hope that Tulia is a bter place to live," "Is a safer place to live." "For me and Tom, we just hope for the same things" "Everybody else hopes for " "A quiet life." "Terri brookins: i get angry - Not toward freddie," "But why did this happen?" "Are you ready for school, serena?" "No." "Did you do your homework?" "Yes." "But after a while," "You know, i got to think, freddie's still locked up." "So" " I just - Sometimes i ha to keep my " "My feelings down, buried." "He writes to me" "Every day." "It says "i love you. " And then it says " ""You and the kids mean the world to me," "And don't y'all ever forget it. "" "We've lost a lot of time together," "And i think that's the most precious thing right now," "Is the time we've lost." "[Woman] each of us should please his neighbor" "For his good," "To build him up." "[Riddk] The whole drug thing " "The drug problem, the arrest, the trials " "Was all very difficult," "As a group of people, to deal with." "I mean, it was a town tragedy." "For the first time, i'd go into a store and a black would see me" "And instead of sling and saying hi," "Would glare at me like they hated me." "Stewart: as long i've been in law eorcement," "When we have any kind of criminal activity," "We dealt with it regardless of race." "We care for, very dely, about the whole community," "Not just one segment of it." "That's kind of what our history is." "Narrator: this is Tulia, Texas," "A town in rural america that faces its problems," "Meets them head-On, and finds solutions." "A decaying slum neighborhood," "Beyond hope of restoration or repair." "Stewart:" "Tulia was integrated" "Well over 40 years ago." "Narrator: famili move from the old to the new." "To new modern homes scattered all over town." "Stewart: we have pple of all races" "Living in every part of town." "This community is open" "To anyone who wants to make something of himself." "[Kiker] to say thatlacks are integrated" "Into the economy of swisher county," "The whole social fabc of the community," "Is simply not the truth." "I would say to go and visit the banks," "And see how many black tellers there are," "Visit the county offices" "And see how many black employees there are" "Other than custodial help," "And then draw a conclusion." "There was a time" "That the black community played a vital part" "In the agricultural economy of swisher county." "But when the agricultural economy changed so drastically," "Then there was not nearly that need for laborers." "Yeah, we used to farm all this." "Yeah, i picked a lot of cotton here." "Before the sting, freddie was unemployed," "Just like many of the other young blacks here." "When my children was in high school," "They would seek employment," "And they would constantly tell me, "dad, they won't hire us. "" "The bottom part of that " "That exhaust, and raise that exhaust up," "And then you'll be all right." "They can use drugs as an excuse," "But these childrenasn't on trial for drugs." "The ials i listened to," "They were asked questions about "where do you work?"" "If you didn't have a job, you must be a drug dealer." "Yet, they want to stand up and say" "Racism didn't play a role." "[Blackburn] my gut feing right now is that" "We're going to have tolog this through the court system," "And it's going to take another two years," "And that means another two years worth of days of the lives" "Of freddie brookins jr" "And joe moore and kizzie white," "And on and on." "That's why we have to keep pushing and pushing and pushing" "And not let." "I need two of you young fellers to bring the flags in." "[Kiker] we began to loofor some way to get involved." "We met on sunday nigs a lot," "And we sang songs" "And we prayed for the prisoners," "Just trying, any way we could," "To get some public attention on this thing." "Because we knew it wasn't going to be solved in Tulia." "[Gardner] what weld was just keep beating a drum." "As we went along, people joined in." "[Man] the world will try to divide us in terms of class." "The world wi try to divide us in terms of race." "The world will try to divide us in all kinds of ways." "But today, we are united, today, we are e." "[ Whistling ]" "[Kiker] the naacp had gotten involved," "And the aclu of Texas had gotten involved" "And the william kunstler fund for racial justice" "Out of new york city." "I'm mad about what the war on drugs" "Has done to my native land." "It makes me wonder how much of this is going on in america." "It was the worst case of prejudice i've seen in years," "And i grew up under it." "Some people say that you intentionally target" "The black community." "No, i didn't intentionally target anyone in Tulia." "It's going to be fought by the naacp..." "[Blackburn] we learned early on that this case" "Is not about the courtroom," "It's more about the court of public opinion." "And then they put the pressure," "And they go public." "[Blackburn] to win, we had to create a political resolve," "And how do you do that?" "The Tulia case - 13 americans are still in a Texas prison." "[Blackburn] you do it by threatening them" "With people like bill o'reilly," "And cnn, and everybody else." "And that's when things begin to change." "That means you and i can open up a whole new front" "That i've been working on, man." "You're not going to believe this one" "Halfway through Coleman's undercover operation in Tulia," "All of a sudden, out of the blue," "It turns out that Coleman" "Is wanted for arrest" "On charges out of this other county he used to work in." "[Blakeslee] a warrant came over the wire" "Into the swisher county sheriff's office." "Larry Stewart read the warrant and was surprised" "To see that it was his own undercover officer," "Tom Coleman's, name was on it," "And he was wanted for arrest in Cocan County for theft" "And abuse of official capacity." "[Blackburn] at that point, both the guys at the top" "In Amarillo with the task force, and also Larry Stewart," "Had a decision to make." "[Blakeslee] Stewart has to decide" "Is he gog to do the right thing?" "Is he going to admit that he hired the wrong man?" "Or are they going to try to sweep this under the rug?" "[Blackburn] it endangered their entire operation is he going to admit that he hired the wrong man?" "That they had already gotten grant money for," "So what they did was go to great lengths to conceal" "The fact that this arrest warrant had been served." "[Blakeslee] they put Coleman in the car," "They drove him just down past" "The swisher county line," "They pulled over under an overpass." "They booked him right there in the car" "With the 18 wheelers whizzing by," "They fingerprinted him, they released him." "And Stewart told Coleman something to the effect of," ""Go to Cochran county, and get this worked out. "" "I will tell you that Mr. Coleman denied that charge" "From the very beginning." "There was never," "Never a point where he didn't deny it very strongly." "The task force people and i determined through vario means" "Thathe charge was not true" "And we put him back to work." "[Blackburn] they were taking a gamble that no lawyers" "Would ever stay on this guy's trail and figure it out." "You know, i'm glad." "I'm glad they're doing an investigation." "Maybe it'll shut everybody up." "I have nhing to hide," "Nothing to hide at all." "I have nothing to hide, like these people think i do." "The amount of puic interest in these cases" "Enabled us to recruit more lawyers." "The so-called dream team was" "Two of the largest law firms inhe country," "And the naacp legal defense fund." "Was a huge, new leap forward." "[Blakeslee] this team of very experienced attorneys had access" "To everything they needed about his operation." "Witnesses and testimony and documes," "All loaded to bear." "It was going to be, finally," "The day in court that the defendants had never gotten." "[Woman] this mornin attorneys wrapped up their questioning" "Of Tom Coleman's two supervisors" "From the task force." "[Blakeslee] the attorneys started calling" "People from Coleman's past." "Small-Business owners and bankers" "That he had rippedff" "Over the years." "He had left town abruptly," "Owing thousands of dollars," "Not once, but twice." "[Man] there was testimony" "Of his common usage of the n-Word." "He had worked in one area in a town called iraan," "And some of the citizens" "Had become so upset with his performance" "That they held a town hall meeting." "[Blakeslee] Coleman wasn't somebody that, you know," "Okay, he had a checkered past." "There were no checkers " "The past was black it was all black." "[Woman] if they would have knew this about Tom," "The jury might not have found them all guilty, you know?" "So i just hope" "That they get these cases overturned," "And also" " So my son can come home,ou know." "[Williams] it's been a long time." "Four years." "[Blakeslee] Coleman was going t be on the stand this time" "For as long as it took for these attorneys" "To go through every single piece of this evidence." "I feel it's only a matter of time." "'S going to crack." "And the thing about it," "You know, he'll say one thing and then come back" "And contradict what he just said." "You know, and it hadn't even been" "A minute or two done passed..." "[ Wry chuckle ]" "It's amazing." "[Chapman] he very rarely answered a question directly." "He would answer a queson with a question." "He was very devious in his testimony." "[Blakeslee] one of the strategies of the plaintiff's team was" "To try to actually catch him in a lie on the stand," "And make him lie right there in front of judge chapman." "[Blackburn] Coleman claimed he didn't know" "That he'd been charged with a crime." "In fact, he had signed a legal document" "That said that he knew that he was charged with a crime." "[Blakeslee] and then when he got up there," "They got him to say he found out about the charge against him" "At the same time that Larry Stewart did" "Which was a lie." "I cannot believe that." "[Wafer] that ain't no surprise." "Ain't no surprise." "'Cause he's doing exactly what he did in the cases." "And that's making up stuff that's just not there." "He just perjured himself again." "[Blakeslee] and the gallery was blown away," "And the judge was looking at the ceiling," "And colemalooked like he just wanted to crawl under his seat." "[Blackburn] he walked in with an army behind him." "He walked out all by himself." "Headed back with nothing." "We got an editorial on" "The austin american-Statesman," "That say this is a travesty," "And the court of criminal appeals" "Should do the right thing" "And let everybody out on bond right now." "Right on." "Forget the big picture in terms of race or class," "We're talking about fundamental rights," "Easy rights that every american has" "That are being violated systematically" "And that's why we have t overturn all these cases." "[Man] okay?" "All right, guys, let's go." "[Zamof] your honor, it is a tragedy" "That 13 individuals have been sitting in jail" "For close to 4 years based on unconstitutional convictions." "But it's not just a tragedy" "That brings us here today, Your Honor," "It is the chce to take a substantial step" "In the jouey towards making things right again." "[Blackburn] let these people go." "Let them go today," "And let us pursue our campaign to get complete vindication" "As soon as humanly possible by us." "The court has concluded" "To order the release of these folks" "On their personal recognizce bonds." "Hopefully" " The nexaction i will be taking" "Will be the gning of" "The dismissals of your cases." "At this time, this court is adjourned." "Thank you." "[ Applause ]" "Say." "Say, young man." "Hey, there y'a go." "Y'all doing all right?" "Finally, huh?" "Finally." "[Pattie Bookins] that was the best day of our lives." "You know, to see freddie walk out of there," "To see all of them walk out." "[Brookins] speaking on behalf of everyone," "It's really a blessing" "To finally be home with our families." "This is the beginning, but it's not over yet." "[Pattie Bookins] just to see" "All those people there." "I felt like we could make a chge here, you know?" "And i feel like the town will begin to mend" "Somewhere down the line." "[Stewt] everyone here is willing to go on with life." "The men and women that were released choose" "To become a part of the community" "And become productive citizens..." "I thought it looked" "Like the barnum  bailey circus down there myself," "But..." "Those lawyers, i don't think they cared about the people" "They helped get out of prison and stuff." "They wanted to embarrass the county," "Embarrass the drug enfcement people." "I've known our county sheriff for 25 years or longer." "He's not a racis" "He made a mistake, but we all make mistakes." "If he were running for sheriff tomorrow," "I'd vote for him again." "We never got rid of the drugs." "I think they'll be back in jail for another crime" "Within the year." "Some of them will be." "Some of them will be." "I think, yeah." "White: they still think that we was wrong," "And we still need to be doing" "The or the 60 years that they gave us." "Life goes on." "We still trying to make it, and surviving." "Doing what we been doing." "See you later." "Bye." "At gets me up every morning is" "Knowing that i have to get out and go provide for my family." "I've been working at t meat market at the grocery store." "This is where i'm at," "And i got to try to make the best of it." "I think about the time that i've served every day." "Being prison" "For something that i didn't do." "[ Girl chatting ]" "Each person that had something to do with that Tulia drug sting" "Should never be able to work in law enforcement ever again." "But the sad part about it is that the sheriff, the D.A.," "Everyone's still here." "Reporter:" "the selection process" "Has consumed most of the day in court" "For the Tom Coleman trial taking place here" "At the lubbock county courthouse." "Coleman: regrets?" "No, i n't have any regrets." "This perjury charge," "It's more of a vindictive act, i believe." "[Man] he never should have been a cop to begin with." "I wanted the people to know that he had thought nothing" "About lying and sending number of people to prison." "As the trial progressed," "More and more of the Tulia defendants" "And their families started owing up." "I think they wanted to come to see the show, so to speak." "Justice was going to happen" "And the cop really was gog to go to jail." "Yeah i'd like to see him do his time." "He needs to do h time." "My son did his." "He needs to do his time." "That's right." "He's got some paying up to do." "Reporter: now, it's in the hands of the jury," "They are now deliberating." "[Hobson] i was hoping for a prison sentence." "The jury - Even though he was a liar " "Was able to identify with Tom Coleman" "More than they could identify with the Tulia defendants." "[Hobson] there was nothing i could do." "[Blackburn] i wonder sometimes" "How many other Tom colemans are out there." "Only the drug war," "And the kind of institutions that have been created," "Like these task forces, to further the drug war," "Would ever even give this guy the time of day," "Much less a job." "The war on drugs itself" "Is what produced the situation in Tulia," "And nobody, especially around here," "Is willing to go," ""Hey, what's this accomplishing?"" "4-H club members:" "i pledge" "My head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty," "My hands to larger service " "Announcer: the 4-H flag is carried by " "[Gardner] tulians" "Still believe that everyone was" "Guilty as charged." "The reason they still believe that" "Is becau they would not go to the evidentiary hearings." "Because if they had went to the hearing" "They'd have had to accept the evidence." "[Kiker] probably most people think, if they think at all," "That it was just a legal technicality." "And if you think due process is a legal technicality..." "Then they're right." "So there has not been, and probably will never be," "Any public apology, any public acknowledgment" "That anything wrong happen." "When i was first released, me and my dad, we had a talk." "My dad told me, he said, "man, there's no way in the world" ""That you can move around in this world" ""If you can't look deep in your heart" ""And forgive these people for what they have done," "Even though they haven't came and asked you for forgiveness. "" "Pattie brookins: there's still a lot of good people here." "Not all" " I wouldn't say all of the white people is wrong." "But if i had a choice, i wouldn't live re." "We have grandsons, granddaughters, growing up here." "I hope none of them" "Never have to through that, what freddie" "And the other kids had to go through." "Because history always repeats itself, so." "¶ sister, help me ¶" "¶ find my way ¶" "¶ guide my movements every day ¶" "¶ and when i'm in my reverie ¶" "¶ won't you send your sweet love ¶" "¶ home to me ¶" "¶ and i say tear down the walls ¶" "¶ kick open the doors ¶" "¶ i'm going back to where ¶" "¶ i've been before ¶"