Trials of Kerry Max Cook
Trial Date Set for Cook’s Civil Case
By Vanessa E. Curry Kerry Max Cook's civil suit against the City of Tyler and a handful of individuals is scheduled to begin Oct. 19, 2026 in a Tyler federal court, a judge ruled Friday. The former death row inmate, who was declared innocent of the 1977 murder of...
City of Tyler remains in, Smith County out as defendants in Cook’s civil lawsuit
A Tyler federal judge presiding over a civil suit filed by former death row inmate Kerry Max Cook declined to dismiss the City of Tyler and a lead investigator as defendants but removed Smith County and former Sheriff J.B. Smith in orders signed Aug. 21....
First Anniversary Status
By Vanessa E. Curry Today marks the first anniversary of Kerry Max Cook’s exoneration, a key decision in the former Texas death row inmate’s efforts to receive compensation for his wrongful conviction. That compensation, however, remains in limbo as Cook continues to...
Full Disclosure: Part 2
By Vanessa E. Curry In my previously published article (Full Disclosure: A Lesson in Libel posted March 19) I gave readers a general overview of what constitutes libel and what a complainant must prove in order to successfully win a lawsuit. I also discussed how a...
Full Disclosure: A lesson in libel
By Vanessa E. Curry In writing Lies and Consequences: Covering the Trials of Kerry Max Cook, I mentally prepared myself for those who would disagree with what I wrote. I predicted the nitpicking by predisposed readers with inflexible viewpoints. What seems to be...
Price of Injustice in Texas
By Vanessa E. Curry On paper, the list of names neatly aligned with corresponding six-figure dollar amounts simply reflects the monetary cost of rectifying the legal system’s worst nightmare. The total tops $23.3 million, a combination of lump-sum payments and...
Judge Reinstates Cook Lawsuit
By Vanessa E. Curry A civil rights lawsuit filed by former death row inmate Kerry Max Cook is back on track after a federal judge agreed to return his amended complaint to the active docket. Judge Jeremy Kernodle signed the order Jan. 22. Cook filed an amended...
Cook lawsuit stalled in federal court
By Vanessa E. Curry Kerry Max Cook’s attempt to hold the City of Tyler and Smith County accountable for his wrongful conviction may have hit a legal road block in federal court that defense attorneys argue should not be lifted. Cook filed a civil rights violation suit...
FYI: Book signing schedule
Vanessa E. Curry, author of Lies and Consequences: Covering the Trials of Kerry Max Cook is scheduled to appear in Tyler on the following times and days for a book signing. Copies of her book may be purchased at these locations and Curry is scheduled to be available...
The End?
https://tylerpaper.com/news/crime/smith-county-court-drops-indictment-against-kerry-max-cook-in-1977-unsolved-murder/article_c53f5cea-8137-11ef-b2f6-2fbb0f5b30cf.html