William Bracy and Roger Collins v. James Schomig and Roger Cowan

Five years ago, I argued that Bracy and Collins ought to be given the chance to conduct discovery in an effort to marshal evidence that Judge Maloney’s serial bribe-taking had an impact on their trial. “If their discovery proves fruitless,” I said, “we can at least take comfort in the knowledge that we have given them every opportunity to prove that Maloney’s corruption deprived them of a fair trial.” Bracy v. Gramley, 81 F.3d 684, 699 (7th Cir.1996) (dissent), rev’d in part, 520 U.S. 899, 117 S.Ct. 1793, 138 L.Ed.2d 97 (1997). The petitioners have now had their chance at discovery. If proof…