Perry vetoes bills on criminal justice

Measures dealt with probation, prison system

By TIM EATON

AUSTIN - When Gov. Rick Perry vetoed several criminal justice bills, he earned jeers from some organizations for a short-sighted approach to easing the strain on the crowded prison system.

He also heard cheers from district attorneys who praised him for his serious approach to crime.

Groups that banded together to oppose Perry's vetoes included the American Civil Liberties Union, the Restorative Justice Ministries Network, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Ministry Advisory Council. Several district attorneys made most of the noise in favor of the vetoes.

One bill would have shortened probation terms and another would prohibit prosecutors from contacting unrepresented defendants. Another vetoed bill would have given an offender credit for the time between being released and when probation or parole was revoked.

"During the session, Gov. Perry said that the criminal justice system needed to be fixed, and now he has abandoned that duty," said Ana Yanez Correa, the Southwest legislative liaison for League of United Latin American Citizens.

Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley stood on the opposite side, saying Perry's veto of a bill to shorten the terms of probation and allow for early release represented a combination of toughness on crime and fiscal responsibility.

In an explanation of the veto, Perry wrote that the legislation "would shorten the probation for those who are convicted of assault on a peace officer and taking the weapon away from a peace officer. I will not sign legislation that reduces penalties for offenses against law enforcement officers."

Nueces County District Attorney Carlos Valdez said he opposed the bill all along.

"It's already too lenient," Valdez said. "We need to have the types of programs that are available on probation."