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Man exonerated after 35 years in prison

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Small Town Guy, Dec 17, 2009.

  1. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    In prison for the kidnapping and rape of a 9-year-old boy. Which he didn't do.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091217/ap_on_re_us/us_old_rape_dna

    He "looks forward to eating fried turkey and drinking Dr Pepper."

    I keep hearing the system's set up to stop this from happening. Really? At least the guy wasn't executed before he got his chance to prove his innocence.
     
  2. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Eyewitness testimony remains vastly, vastly overrated. Eyes lie.
     
  3. deskslave

    deskslave Active Member

    Eyewitness IDs are very, very often wrong. People simply don't remember things as well as they think they do.

    And the idea of showing a photo lineup to a 9-year-old is ridiculous. Clearly, he's going to expect that one of the guys in the lineup was that guy that did it. Especially if the detectives are steering him in that direction.
     
  4. Oggiedoggie

    Oggiedoggie Well-Known Member

    I wonder how much news he missed out on from the sports world.

    Perhaps I'll write a column.
     
  5. Brooklyn Bridge

    Brooklyn Bridge Well-Known Member

    We have had three high profile cases in this state, with people exonerated by DNA evidence. One guy servved 18 years for a kidnapping and rape he didn't commit. The victim's testimony helped put him away. They finally got the real suspect. Two other cases remain unsolved.
     
  6. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    You should get 35 years for that comment!
     
  7. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    Solid.
     
  8. zeke12

    zeke12 Guest

    Oggie leaves the yard!
     
  9. farmerjerome

    farmerjerome Active Member

    In our town, the guy found out who did it himself, while in jail for over 15 years, confronted him through the mail and the real culprit comitted suicide.

    That's what got the ball rolling.
     
  10. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I figure we're going to have to wait until a white upper-class kid gets put away for 35 years and then exonerated before "seemed like a solid case at the time" doesn't cut it any more.
    I respect cops, respects prosecutors and the tough jobs they do - but their job is to arrest people, prosecute people and convict them. The more high profile the case, the greater pressure to put someone/anyone in jail.
    If your editor is busting your ass to finish a story for the next day's paper, are you not more inclined to maybe pass on that extra phone call you planned on making or quit waiting for that last call back?
     
  11. Bodie_Broadus

    Bodie_Broadus Active Member

    I have a friend who actually said to me about this kind of thing: "Well, the odds are they have done something in the past that they needed to be imprisoned for, so it all works out in the end."

    I was appalled that he would think, let alone say, something like that.
     
  12. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    Your friend's an idiot. And that's about the nicest thing I can say about him.

    Very few 19-year-olds have done enough to have earned 35 years in the clink.
     
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