02.07.08
What Is Williamson County Known For?
Watch KXAN tonight to find out, Williamson County: Tough On Crime:
Ask anyone who has lived in Central Texas for a good long time: “What is Williamson County known for?”
Don’t be surprised if the answer comes back: “Tough on crime.”
KXAN Austin News’ Jim Swift will present a special report at 6 p.m. Thursday on the county’s reputation and the people behind it.
The current Williamson County district attorney, John Bradley, is the latest in a long line of county officials who push for heavy prison terms for the county’s most serious offenders.
“There are some knuckleheads out there who don’t get it and who are dangerous and need to be kept away from society as long as possible,” Bradley said. “And we focus upon those, and for about 50 people a year, they get sentences of 20 years or more.”
But there are those who say Williamson County’s approach to criminal justice often leaves out the “justice” part.
“The measure of a good district attorney is not how tough he is, but how fair he is,” said Austin lawyer Keith Hampton.
Hopefully this report won’t be so much about making sure “knuckleheads”, as our esteemed DA put it, serve long prison sentences. But about the injustices that are happening.