It's not everyday that a candidate for Texas governor testifies in favor of a person who has been on Texas death row for more than 20 years.Kinky Friedman testified that he believes Max Soffar is innocent. Kinky has signed a petition calling for a moratorium on executions. Go to the website of TSADP to see a picture of him signing the petition. Though he told an interviewer last year that he did not oppose the death penalty, Friedman said Tuesday that he has changed his position and will campaign against capital punishment.
"The (criminal justice) system is not perfect," he said. "Until it's
perfect, let's do away with the death penalty."
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Friedman testified during the punishment phase of Max Soffar's trial that the defendant should not be executed and questioned the evidence used to convict him.
"I've seen the problems with the lawyers. Everybody's dead. All the witnesses are dead. Tthere's no evidence against him," he said. "And I can't even believe he was brought to trial in the first place."
Friedman, a musician-turned-mystery author-turned-politician, said his court appearance had nothing to do with his run for governor. Known for his trademark black cowboy hat and cigar, Friedman needs to collect more than 45,000 signatures after the March 7 primaries to be placed on the November ballot.