DNA evidence that freed one man in rape case leads to another's arrest

[Dedpuhl]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/11/19/dna.arrest.ap/index.html


I wonder how many more wrongfully convicted people there are in the prison system...

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Webster's lawyers said he wasn't entitled to compensation from the state for his time in prison, and he has no family, job or home.

Two Baltimore-area state senators have pledged that if neither the governor nor the governor-elect takes steps to compensate him, they will push for a bill that pays him for his time behind bars.

Think that might give a little scandal, if they turn down requests for compensation in this case?

 

[gopunk]

wonder if i'm the only one who thought "book deal"

 

[Tominator]

Originally posted by: Dedpuhl
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/11/19/dna.arrest.ap/index.html


I wonder how many more wrongfully convicted people there are in the prison system...

Probably thousands. This is pretty commonplace and rarely makes the news. Every time the court system ruins an innocent life it should be headlines!:|

 

[CaesarX]

Originally posted by: Dedpuhl
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/11/19/dna.arrest.ap/index.html


I wonder how many more wrongfully convicted people there are in the prison system...

More than any of us can imagine.

 

[spaceman]

20 years of someones life wasted for a crime he didnt commit.
how does the govt, reimburse someone for something like this?

 

[bmacd]

Originally posted by: ncircle
20 years of someones life wasted for a crime he didnt commit.
how does the govt, reimburse someone for something like this?

offer them a government job if they truely are, in fact, innocent. Besides, even if they were guilty, i'm sure nobody would notice another crook in our government.

-=bmacd=-

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Tominator

Originally posted by: Dedpuhl
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/11/19/dna.arrest.ap/index.html


I wonder how many more wrongfully convicted people there are in the prison system...

Probably thousands. This is pretty commonplace and rarely makes the news. Every time the court system ruins an innocent life it should be headlines!:|

Unfortunatly a lot of stupid laws stay on the books for this very reason. It sounds good until it affects you of someone you know personally..

-Assest forfieture without judical review for drugs or IRS problems
-Patriot act (if that is'nt the biggest slap in the face misnomer I don't know what is)
-Three stikes laws
-Manditory sentences without consideration for mitigating circumstances

 

[OutHouse]

This is one of the reasons i have been taking a second look at my stance on the death penetaly. there are way too many innocent people locked up.

 

[Vette73]

The only problem I see now is this guy spent more than half his life in jail. He may have entered a regular person, but 20 years of jail to a 16 or 18 year old will change that person.
And now he has no family, home, or job. Unless he gets some help he may end up back in jail. Not because he is a criminal, but without help where will he turn?
I hope the state does something to help. I hate to see a month from now him being arrested for shoplifting or even worse.

 

[vegetation]

It happens a lot. Basically, if you can't afford your own attorney, you're screwed. And that doesn't necessarily apply to the poor and unemployed either, even a person making average 30-40k could hardly afford a criminal defense these days.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: Tominator

Originally posted by: Dedpuhl
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/11/19/dna.arrest.ap/index.html


I wonder how many more wrongfully convicted people there are in the prison system...

Probably thousands. This is pretty commonplace and rarely makes the news. Every time the court system ruins an innocent life it should be headlines!:|

Unfortunatly a lot of stupid laws stay on the books for this very reason. It sounds good until it affects you of someone you know personally..

-Assest forfieture without judical review for drugs or IRS problems
-Patriot act (if that is'nt the biggest slap in the face misnomer I don't know what is)
-Three stikes laws
-Manditory sentences without consideration for mitigating circumstances

The prison/judicial system is big business. So big, it is obviously out of control. People working in the system are overzealous in their attempts to stuff the system with people to fatten their pockets even more. It is far more lucrative to go after easy targets to put behind their bars than real criminals. I know from personal experience. :| :disgust:

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: ncircle
20 years of someones life wasted for a crime he didnt commit.
how does the govt, reimburse someone for something like this?

Yeah, really. One hell of an apology I'd hope, and more push for more DNA testing. I am amazed that there are people out there that actually oppose DNA testing of prisoners, specifically death-row inmates. In some cases, it seems that the death sentence may be the only way to rid society of a particular person who proves that he/she will not become a good citizen, but the thought of putting innocent people to death is just horrible.

From the article:
"Webster, who has been living in temporary housing since his release, has been following up on job offers since his exoneration became public, according to the state public defender's office. He has declined requests for interviews."
I think the government should house him and help find him a good job and get his life on track again. They took enough of it away already.

It happens a lot. Basically, if you can't afford your own attorney, you're screwed. And that doesn't necessarily apply to the poor and unemployed either, even a person making average 30-40k could hardly afford a criminal defense these days.

That's sad too, how money can buy "justice." Perhaps a lawyer should purely be a government job, with tax dollars paying their salaries (reasonable pay rates here too). Of course there could always be the problem of the "conspiracy theories" then; don't know....maybe there is no good solution to it. I guess the high fees that lawyers charge doesn't help much either; we had to hire a lawyer once for something comparitively small, and I don't remember how much that cost, but it was really very little.
<sidenote>
We had to get my mother on disability; she was completely unable to work due to a chronic illness, but social security would not recognize it for whatever their arcane reasoning was. We finally did get it though; now she does what she can with research programs - chronic fatigue syndrome. And no, it isn't cured by a good diet and exercise; she had both of those, moreso than me, so don't go suggesting that.
</sidenote>