Bradley Draws Challenge

Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley for the first time will face a Demo­cratic challenger for his seat in next year's general election – provided, of course, that the incumbent of nearly 10 years decides to run again for the county's felony prosecutor job. Indeed, since being appointed to the position to replace former D.A. and now Judge Ken Anderson, Bradley has never faced an opponent in any election. A Dem candidate still may face long odds of winning in Williamson County, but with the Michael Morton exoneration case hanging over Anderson and Bradley – who long opposed the DNA testing that ultimately demonstrated Morton's innocence in the 1986 murder of his wife, Christine – there may be opportunity to earn votes for veteran attorney Ken Crain, who this week tossed his hat into the D.A.'s race. Crain served as an assistant county attorney before opening a private practice in 1986; he's worked in WilCo since then. "[I]t is completely irrational for a D.A. to oppose DNA or other scientific testing, applying today's technology to old evidence," he said while announcing his bid. "If it proves the person in prison is guilty, it confirms that justice has been served. If it shows that an innocent person is imprisoned, that is something that the district attorney should want to know."

Meanwhile, Anderson was in court, behind closed doors on Monday, answering questions about his prosecution of Morton as part of an ongoing inquiry into whether prosecutorial or police misconduct were responsible for Morton's conviction and life sentence. Former Assistant D.A. Mike Davis and then-WilCo Sheriff's investigator Don Wood have already been questioned by Morton's attorneys.