Tulia, Texas
Encyclopedia
Tulia is a city
in, and county seat
of, Swisher County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 5,117 at the 2000 census
; in the 2005 census estimate, it had fallen to 4,714. The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 87
and Texas State Highway 86, approximately two miles east Interstate 27
. Tulia is a center for farming and agribusiness activities.
" who made his living traveling through impoverished rural Texas offering to work undercover cheaply for short periods of time for underfunded police departments. Coleman claimed to have made over one hundred drug buys in the small town. He never recorded any of the sales, but claimed to have written painstaking notes on his leg under his shorts and upper arm under his shirt sleeve when nobody was looking.
During the roundup, no large sums of money, illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or illegal weapons were found. The accused drug dealers showed no signs of having any income associated with selling drugs. The drugs Coleman claimed to have bought from the accused did not have the fingerprints of the accused on them or their baggies. No independent witnesses could corroborate Coleman's claims. In his testimony, Coleman gave inaccurate descriptions of the "dealers" he had allegedly bought cocaine
from. One suspect had his charges dropped when he was able to prove he had been at work during the times he had supposedly sold Coleman cocaine. Another produced bank and phone records indicating she was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
at the time of her alleged crime. Many of the accused, however, seeing the long sentences dealt by all-White juries in earlier cases, pleaded guilty
in return for lighter sentences, despite their proclaimed innocence. The remaining defendants were convicted solely on the basis of Coleman's testimony. John Cornyn
, the state attorney general, awarded "Lawman of the Year" to Coleman.
Amarillo civil rights attorney Jeff Blackburn began investigating the Tulia defendants' cases, along with civil rights organizations and a handful of attorneys from firms around the country. Eventually the case became a cause célèbre
, and money was raised to legally challenge the cases. Many had already served several years in prison before this process gained momentum. By 2004, Blackburn and his team had freed most of the "Tulia 46" and a $6,000,000 collective settlement was reached to avoid further litigation in civil court. Local authorities remain defiant, promising their town will not become a "slot machine" in the face of a new lawsuit stemming from an alleged incident of police brutality
during the sweep by a man who was not charged.
and Emily Kunstler
in 2003, and won the Best Documentary Short award at Woodstock Film Festival
.
Another documentary, titled Tulia, Texas, filmed by Cassandra Herman and Kelly Whalen, premiered in 2008 at the South by Southwest
Film Festival in Austin and aired on PBS February 10, 2009.
Presently, the Tulia 46 drug sting event is in movie production Tulia by Paramount Pictures
, directed by John Singleton and starring Billy Bob Thornton
and Halle Berry
, scheduled for release in 2014.
Federal laws titled after Tulia have twice been introduced in the United States Congress, but not enacted, to increase the evidentiary standard required to convict a person for a drug offense and to require screening of law enforcement officers or others acting under color of law participating in drug task forces.
The 1999 drug arrests were also explored in the documentary 'American Drug War: The Last White Hope
'.
In addition, the town of Tulia, TX also inspired TX country music singer/songwriter Shawn Fussell to compose a song 2007. The song was recognized on the Texas Country Music Chart and Shawn Fussell continues to perform the song Tulia, TX live on his touring schedule.
in the Texas Panhandle
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 5,117 people, 1,698 households, and 1,222 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,447.6 people per square mile (559.7/km2). There were 1,898 housing units at an average density of 537.0 per square mile (207.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.45% White, 8.40% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 22.12% from other races
, and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.63% of the population.
There were 1,698 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 113.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,794, and the median income for a family was $32,415. Males had a median income of $24,857 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,956. About 16.0% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.
.
Schools that serve Tulia include Highland Elementary School (EE-2), W.V. Swinburn Elementary (3-5), Tulia Junior High School (6-8), and Tulia High School (9-12).
Tulia High School
Mascot: Hornets
Colors: Maroon/Gray/Black
Website: www.tulia-isd.net
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in, and county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of, Swisher County
Swisher County, Texas
Swisher County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 8,378. Its seat is Tulia. The county is named for James G. Swisher, a soldier of the Texas Revolution and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,117 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
; in the 2005 census estimate, it had fallen to 4,714. The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 87
U.S. Route 87 in Texas
In the U.S. state of Texas, U.S. Highway 87 is a north–south U.S. Highway that begins near the Gulf Coast in Port Lavaca, Texas and heads north through San Antonio, Lubbock, and Amarillo to the New Mexico border near Texline....
and Texas State Highway 86, approximately two miles east Interstate 27
Interstate 27
Interstate 27 is an intrastate Interstate Highway, located entirely in the U.S. state of Texas, running north from Lubbock to Interstate 40 in Amarillo. These two cities are the only control cities on I-27; other cities and towns served by I-27 include New Deal, Abernathy, Hale Center, Plainview,...
. Tulia is a center for farming and agribusiness activities.
History
Its site was originally on the acreage of the Tule Ranch division of the JA Ranch. In 1887 a post office was established in James A. Parrish's dugout on Middle Tule Draw nine miles west of what is now the site of Tulia. Evidently the name Tule, after the nearby creek, had been selected for this post office, but at some point a clerk's error changed the name to Tulia. By 1900 Tulia was prospering as a stopping point for freight-wagon traffic en route to the railheads of Colorado City and Amarillo. A booming new era began with the extension of the Santa Fe line to Tulia in December 1906. With it came more settlers. In the mid-1980s local industrial plants manufactured products such as clothing and farm implements, and there were four large cattle-feeding enterprises nearby.1999 drug arrests
Tulia gained notoriety following a drug sting in July 1999 that rounded up 46 people, 40 of whom were African Americans. The remaining detainees were white people known to have ties within the black community, and in fact lived in the "Black" part of town. Nearly one-third of Tulia's Black males were arrested, about 15% of the town's Black population. All charges were based on the word of undercover officer Tom Coleman, a so called "gypsy copGypsy cop
In law enforcement, the phrase gypsy cop is slang for an itinerant lawman, a peace officer who floats from department to department regardless of, or because of, misconduct or poor job performance....
" who made his living traveling through impoverished rural Texas offering to work undercover cheaply for short periods of time for underfunded police departments. Coleman claimed to have made over one hundred drug buys in the small town. He never recorded any of the sales, but claimed to have written painstaking notes on his leg under his shorts and upper arm under his shirt sleeve when nobody was looking.
During the roundup, no large sums of money, illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or illegal weapons were found. The accused drug dealers showed no signs of having any income associated with selling drugs. The drugs Coleman claimed to have bought from the accused did not have the fingerprints of the accused on them or their baggies. No independent witnesses could corroborate Coleman's claims. In his testimony, Coleman gave inaccurate descriptions of the "dealers" he had allegedly bought cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
from. One suspect had his charges dropped when he was able to prove he had been at work during the times he had supposedly sold Coleman cocaine. Another produced bank and phone records indicating she was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
at the time of her alleged crime. Many of the accused, however, seeing the long sentences dealt by all-White juries in earlier cases, pleaded guilty
Plea bargaining in the United States
Plea bargaining in the United States is very common; the vast majority of criminal cases in the United States are settled by plea bargain rather than by a jury trial. They have also been increasing in frequency - they rose from 84% of Federal cases in 1984 to 94% by 2001. Plea bargains are subject...
in return for lighter sentences, despite their proclaimed innocence. The remaining defendants were convicted solely on the basis of Coleman's testimony. John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
, the state attorney general, awarded "Lawman of the Year" to Coleman.
Amarillo civil rights attorney Jeff Blackburn began investigating the Tulia defendants' cases, along with civil rights organizations and a handful of attorneys from firms around the country. Eventually the case became a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
, and money was raised to legally challenge the cases. Many had already served several years in prison before this process gained momentum. By 2004, Blackburn and his team had freed most of the "Tulia 46" and a $6,000,000 collective settlement was reached to avoid further litigation in civil court. Local authorities remain defiant, promising their town will not become a "slot machine" in the face of a new lawsuit stemming from an alleged incident of police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
during the sweep by a man who was not charged.
In media
A documentary Tulia, Texas: Scenes from the Drug War was filmed by Sarah KunstlerSarah Kunstler
Sarah Kunstler is a documentary filmmaker and lawyer.- Education :Kunstler graduated from Yale University with a BA in Photography in 1998, and from Columbia Law School with a JD in 2004.- Family :...
and Emily Kunstler
Emily Kunstler
Emily Kunstler is an activist and a documentary filmmaker. Kunstler grew up in New York City's West Village neighborhood.- Education :...
in 2003, and won the Best Documentary Short award at Woodstock Film Festival
Woodstock Film Festival
The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival that was begun in 1999. The festival was first conceived as a part of the Woodstock '99 Music and Arts Festival, with movies being screened as part of that event.-History:...
.
Another documentary, titled Tulia, Texas, filmed by Cassandra Herman and Kelly Whalen, premiered in 2008 at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Film Festival in Austin and aired on PBS February 10, 2009.
Presently, the Tulia 46 drug sting event is in movie production Tulia by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, directed by John Singleton and starring Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
and Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
, scheduled for release in 2014.
Federal laws titled after Tulia have twice been introduced in the United States Congress, but not enacted, to increase the evidentiary standard required to convict a person for a drug offense and to require screening of law enforcement officers or others acting under color of law participating in drug task forces.
The 1999 drug arrests were also explored in the documentary 'American Drug War: The Last White Hope
American Drug War: The Last White Hope
American Drug War: The Last White Hope is a 2007 documentary by writer/director Kevin Booth about the War on Drugs in the United States.- Synopsis :The film states the War on Drugs has become one of the longest and most costly wars in American history...
'.
In addition, the town of Tulia, TX also inspired TX country music singer/songwriter Shawn Fussell to compose a song 2007. The song was recognized on the Texas Country Music Chart and Shawn Fussell continues to perform the song Tulia, TX live on his touring schedule.
Geography
Tulia is located at 34.5358942°N 101.7585159°W (34.5358942, -101.7585159). It is located 46 miles (74 km) south of AmarilloAmarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,117 people, 1,698 households, and 1,222 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,447.6 people per square mile (559.7/km2). There were 1,898 housing units at an average density of 537.0 per square mile (207.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.45% White, 8.40% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 22.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.63% of the population.
There were 1,698 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 113.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,794, and the median income for a family was $32,415. Males had a median income of $24,857 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,956. About 16.0% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city is served by the Tulia Independent School DistrictTulia Independent School District
Tulia Independent School District is a public school district based in Tulia, Texas .In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.-Schools:*Tulia High School...
.
Schools that serve Tulia include Highland Elementary School (EE-2), W.V. Swinburn Elementary (3-5), Tulia Junior High School (6-8), and Tulia High School (9-12).
Tulia High School
Mascot: Hornets
Colors: Maroon/Gray/Black
Website: www.tulia-isd.net
External links
- The Friends of Justice, a group that formed to support the 47 people accused in the Tulia Drug Sting.
- Search the Tulia Herald from 1918-1956
- ACLU Tulia Law Suit
- Tom Coleman probation
- Tulia Independent School District
- sting victim released