still rampant, 30 years ago
Anthony Ray Hinton walked off Death Row a free man, but we may never know the names of those who were wrongly convicted and executed.
“Everybody that played a part in sending me to death row, you will answer to God,”
The man is spot on.
It’s a shame that anyone would ever have to spend 30 years in jail to then be told later that they shouldn’t have spent that time in jail! Good grief!
“If the journalism in this piece is accurate, then it is an utter travesty and gives fodder to people who say racism is still rampant in America. “
He should sue for damages, and for criminal negligence on the part of the State. He won’t get back the 30 years, but seeing some of them go to jail and to have a bunch of money so at least the rest of his life will be a big departure from the past. If all is as reported, here “a Black life didn’t matter, and it should have.”
This is why I cannot support the death penalty. We cannot trust the government.
and lie detectors work both ways....but they can not be entered in as evidence in any case either for the prosecution or against it....
“The experts did not say it did come from the pistol or that it didn’t come from the pistol.”
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Prosecutors scrambled to find long-lost evidence and rouse witnesses — some of whom might have died.
We don’t really know what happened. It is hard to build a case after 30 years. I would imagine most half-way descent lawyers could get someone off a murder conviction of 30 years ago if a lot of the witnesses have died and the evidence compromised.
All that said, from what little we know about the case now, I am not sure I could have convicted him.
But we need to remember that there were 12 jurors that heard the evidence then and all agreed that, beyond a reasonable doubt, that they man committed murder.
So do I believe he’s innocent? I don’t know.
This man was to get a new trial ..but the DA said they could not because after 30 years all the evidence is gone, witnesses are dead. No one is saying he's not guilty.
Even the mans own lawyer is saying he won't qualify for compensation from the state because of this....
It’s amazing to me how many conservatives who rightly doubt the government’s ability to spend $10 wisely, trust the government to decide to end someone’s life.
For an innocent man to be convicted of a crime he didn't commit is a travesty. We also know that the guilty walk every day.
FReepers, of all people, should know to do their own research before commiting.