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Brothers wrongfully convicted of murder awarded $75 million after each serving 31 years in prison
CBS NEWS ^ | MAY 17, 2021 | CAITLIN O'KANE

Posted on 05/17/2021 2:42:19 PM PDT by deport

Two North Carolina men who were wrongfully convicted in a rape and murder of an 11-year-old were awarded $75 million total in compensatory damages Friday, according to the Associated Press.

Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, who each spent 31 years in jail for a crime they did not commit, were each awarded $1 million for every year spent in prison. In addition to the $31 million each, the eight-person jury awarded them $13 million in punitive damages,

More than three decades after they were convicted of the rape and death of Sabrina Buie in 1983, new DNA evidence showed another man was responsible.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Society
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

This is why, and many here will disagree, that while I am pro-life, I have reservations about the death penalty.

Those poor men. Hope they go on a really nice vacation. Meet some women.


21 posted on 05/17/2021 3:06:43 PM PDT by proud American in Canada (Fear is a reaction; courage is a decision. Winston Churchill )
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To: dinodino

“What’s the “other side of the story?” They were exonerated by DNA evidence. What more do you need to know?”

They weren’t exonerated by DNA evidence, they were exonerated by someone’s interpretation of such...and there is a far less than perfect history there.

To answer your question, I’d like to know what evidence was used to convict them. If it were circumstantial, I’d likely agree with them getting cleared - if 20 witnesses, I might think differently.

In any case, I’ve been played by the media enough times to NOT immediately believe what they say.


22 posted on 05/17/2021 3:07:35 PM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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To: deport

“McCollum was 19 and Brown was 15. McCollum was sentenced to death, becoming the longest-serving inmate on North Carolina’s death row. Brown was sentenced to life in prison.”

Compare that to the two ferals who killed the Uber eats driver after they car jacked him.........

https://www.the-sun.com/news/2641762/ubereats-driver-murder-girls-prison-plea-deal/


23 posted on 05/17/2021 3:08:22 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary Clinton remains free equal justice under the law will never exist in the USA)
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To: SkyDancer

Not the lawyers, but they will be inundated by friends and family sucking them dry.


24 posted on 05/17/2021 3:08:23 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: deport

Well deserved. I hope they can get somebody trustworthy to manage their money.


25 posted on 05/17/2021 3:08:48 PM PDT by Jonty30 (Just because I coughed on you does not mean that I have covid. It means that we have covid. )
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To: deport
the eight-person jury awarded them

and the taxpayers in North Carolina paid.

ML/NJ

26 posted on 05/17/2021 3:09:26 PM PDT by ml/nj (DITCH MITCH !!)
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To: deport

Once you accept that our justice system is very corrupt things like this make perfect sense


27 posted on 05/17/2021 3:09:50 PM PDT by stockpirate (Rebellion to tyranny is obedience to God )
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To: SkyDancer

No doubt. Stupid lottery winners run through their money within a year.

They should instead pay off all debt, put some aside for their children, etc. Then go on a fancy vacation.


28 posted on 05/17/2021 3:10:09 PM PDT by proud American in Canada (Fear is a reaction; courage is a decision. Winston Churchill )
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To: NEMDF

It’s nearly impossible to prove malfeasance. There is also a good chance that those who did prosecute the case died over 31 years.


29 posted on 05/17/2021 3:10:25 PM PDT by Jonty30 (Just because I coughed on you does not mean that I have covid. It means that we have covid. )
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To: deport

The state should pay.

A million dollars per year is not enough compensation for being in prison.


30 posted on 05/17/2021 3:15:18 PM PDT by Meatspace
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To: Wuli

That is so true.
It seems many judges, line prosecutors and DA’s seem to have forgotten that their job is to see that JUSTICE is done, not that they win the case.


31 posted on 05/17/2021 3:17:49 PM PDT by fatman6502002 ((The Team The Team The Team - Bo Schembechler circa 1969))
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To: BobL

“They weren’t exonerated by DNA evidence, they were exonerated by someone’s interpretation of such...and there is a far less than perfect history there.

“To answer your question, I’d like to know what evidence was used to convict them. If it were circumstantial, I’d likely agree with them getting cleared - if 20 witnesses, I might think differently.

“In any case, I’ve been played by the media enough times to NOT immediately believe what they say.”

__________

^^This^^.

Unfortunately.

Just as there are freakshow prosecutors perfectly willing to frame and jail clearly innocent men, there are freakshow exonerators perfectly willing to canonize and spring **from** jail clearly guilty men.

Hence the need for more and more specific information IN EVERY SINGLE CASE.

The corruption and virtue signaling industries are displacing seemingly every worthwhile line of work. It’s really becoming suffocating.


32 posted on 05/17/2021 3:18:08 PM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: BobL

Ditto. Trust but verify. The left even easily turns Freepers into bleeding hearts. If this is justice and truth amen. I have seen so many stories where face value was hiding lies and agenda.


33 posted on 05/17/2021 3:23:48 PM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: proud American in Canada

“They should instead pay off all debt, put some aside for their children, etc. Then go on a fancy vacation.”

They’ve been in prison for 31 years. What debt?


34 posted on 05/17/2021 3:25:09 PM PDT by dljordan (Slouching towards Woketopia)
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To: proud American in Canada

If a deal could be struck where we end all abortions but we also have to end all capital punishment, that would be a deal I could live with, easily.


35 posted on 05/17/2021 3:26:51 PM PDT by ScubaDiver (Reddit refugee.)
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To: SkyDancer

Yep. $75M buys a lot of stuff, but it can’t buy time.

With respect to what the lawyers get paid, I’m reasonably certain most states cap contingency fees, so there’s that at least.


36 posted on 05/17/2021 3:29:30 PM PDT by ScubaDiver (Reddit refugee.)
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To: BobL

Good grief. The only travesty is they only got 31 million. They should get a billion each. So sick and tired of innocent being in prison and then “oops. My bad”. I wonder how many were killed with the death penalty that were innocent. That’s the question you should be asking yourself.


37 posted on 05/17/2021 3:29:38 PM PDT by napscoordinator (Trump/Hunter, jr for President/Vice President 2016 )
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To: shanover

“Ditto. Trust but verify. The left even easily turns Freepers into bleeding hearts. If this is justice and truth amen. I have seen so many stories where face value was hiding lies and agenda.”

Thanks. Just today we’re getting evidence that the ‘insurrection’ was a false flag. How long has the media known it and why didn’t they tell us.

In this case a jury was CONVINCED they were guilty, what was that based on? I was around in 1990 and while the cops weren’t perfect angels towards blacks, it also wasn’t 1950s America, so I’d like to hear their side too.


38 posted on 05/17/2021 3:29:43 PM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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To: napscoordinator

“I wonder how many were killed with the death penalty that were innocent. That’s the question you should be asking yourself.”

Do you agree that Trump colluded with Russia? CBS told us that also. I’m SICK of trusting them.


39 posted on 05/17/2021 3:31:47 PM PDT by BobL (I shop at Walmart and eat at McDonald's, I just don't tell anyone, like most here.)
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To: deport

No amount of money will get them those three decades back - still, good to see that they’ll at least get some compensation to live out the rest of their lives comfortably.


40 posted on 05/17/2021 3:32:21 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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