“font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>Recently the Kansas City Star featured a front-page article on the legal handiwork of former prosecutor and Congressman Kenny Hulshof. In my opinion, Hulshof is to rural Missouri what Nels Moss is to St. Louis: desecrators of justice. The legal malfeasance of Moss has been exposed by groups like the Center for Public Integrity. Most exposes on these two (and others like them) stop short of advocating – as I do – that their behavior is criminal and should subject them to criminal charges, prosecution and the appropriate punishment.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Both former prosecutors have a string of convictions that have unraveled over the years with the perfection of DNA testing and a brighter spotlight on nagging contradictions at the time of these trials. Many of the victims of these two rogue prosecutors have served lengthy sentences, and some have already been executed. Hundreds of families have been negatively affected, both those whose loved ones were falsely accused and convicted as well as those who were left with no justice when the alleged perpetrator was exonerated and the true criminal not pursued.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The Star points out that the stink of prosecutorial misconduct permeated at least a dozen murder cases associated with Hulshof. Ditto for the trials of Moss. Both have been accused of withholding evidence, destroying evidence, altering evidence, intimidating witnesses, intimidating juries, lying to juries and the list of despicable acts go on.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>I have been asked many a time why a prosecutor would stoop this low, or how do these upholders of the law sleep at night? These kinds of prosecutors see black, brown and white poor folks as collateral damage in their quest for higher offices. The lives of these unsuspecting victims are dispensable when it comes to racking up wins so that one can promote oneself as a stand-out champion in the so-called war on crime. In the process, rogue prosecutors (and rogue cops who aid and abet the state) cross the line to become criminals themselves.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>In the arena of prosecution, it is not a good thing to have your convictions overturned by higher courts. This happened on more than one occasion for Moss and Hulshof, who let the reversals roll off them like water on a duck’s backside. Never once have they admitted wrongdoing, even in the face of the most obvious examples of unethical practices.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Dale Helmig, one of Hulshof’s victims, was recently exonerated of the charge that he killed his mother in 1993. Helmig is the 20th inmate to be released from a Missouri prison over the past three decades on an overturned conviction. This should be a troubling fact for the legal system and for citizens who never know when they will be caught up in the web of a prosecutor who sees them only as fodder.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>One victim of Moss’s prosecution has lived to celebrate his 40th birthday. Reginald Clemons is one of four co-defendants in the infamous Chain of Rocks Bridge tragedy that Nels Moss believed would catapult him into the seat of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>In planned “Flashing for Justice” activities across the country on August 30 to celebrate Reggie’s birthday, it’s a good opportunity to raise the serious issue of wrongful convictions. It’s past time to hold rogue prosecutors like Kenny Hulshof and Nels Moss accountable for the crimes they have committed; it’s time to take away their shields of impunity.
