Prosecutor in Anthony Graves case disbarred

[TexasTowelie]

The former district attorney who successfully prosecuted Anthony Graves for capital murder, sending Graves to prison for 18 years for a crime he did not commit, has been disbarred, according to state bar officials.

Former Burleson County District Attorney Charles Sebesta Jr. lost his law license after an administrative hearing into Graves' case.

Graves was freed from prison four years ago after serving more than 18 years for the 1992 murder of six Burleson County residents. On two occasions, he was scheduled to be executed.

In a ruling issued Thursday, the disciplinary panel found that Sebesta failed to provide several items of exculpatory evidence to the defense during Graves' trial, presented false testimony to the jury, made a false statement of material fact to the trial judge and engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Prosecutor-in-Anthony-Graves-case-disbarred-6323681.php

[Gothmog]

1. This is good news

[samsingh]

2. i think prosecutors like this should get the same sentence as the innocent person

18 years in prison.

[TexasProgresive]

3. Beat me to it - just heard it on KBTX

I don't know if I agree that the prosecutor should receive the same sentence as Mr. Graves but 20 years would be acceptable.
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Former-BurlesonWashington-County-DA-Disbarred-for-Wrongful-Death-Row-Conviction-307148141.html
AUSTIN - The former prosecutor who won a wrongful conviction of Anthony Graves for capital murder, sending him to Texas death row where he was nearly executed twice, has been disbarred.

In a ruling released Thursday, the State Bar of Texas found that Charles Sebesta committed "professional misconduct" as Burleson County District Attorney when he prosecuted Graves in 1994 for a family's murder. Graves' co-defendant, Robert Carter, who was executed in 2000, admitted he was the lone killer.

The bar complaint against Sebesta was filed by Graves, who was freed in 2010 after serving 18 years in prison, 16 of them on death row. Graves said his complaint was "nothing personal," but an attempt to correct the criminal justice system.