Falsely convicted rapist/murderer freed after 18 years in prison

[BaliBabyDoc]

DNA is your friend . . . even in North Carolina

"Finally, my innocence is recognized," Darryl Hunt said Thursday after Gov. Mike Easley issued the pardon. "For so many years I have been trying to prove my innocence only to be told I was lying and to finally have it official means a lot."

Hunt was twice convicted of the 1984 murder of Deborah Sykes, who was raped and killed as she walked to her job as a copy editor at the now-defunct Winston-Salem Sentinel.
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Evelyn Jefferson, Sykes' mother, said she still believes that Hunt was somehow involved in her daughter's death despite the DNA evidence.

"I actually thought Governor Easley was more intelligent than that," she said from her home outside Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Hunt was freed December 24 after DNA testing in the Sykes' case identified the new suspect, Willard Brown. Brown has since been charged with murder, rape, kidnapping and robbery. No court date has been set for Brown, who is being held without bond.

I really feel for the mother . . .

 

[BugsBunny1078]

One more reason to get rid of the death penalty. If the man had been a Texan he would have been executed already.

 

[chrisms]

I agree. I used to support it, as some real criminals deserve the punishment, but the risk of an innocent man being killed by the state is one this country should never take.

 

[chess9]

Bugs:

Please don't say such rational stuff here. I almost choked to death on my lunch reading your post. Isn't that an unusual position for someone of your political persuasion?

Regardless, I agree.

-Robert

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
One more reason to get rid of the death penalty. If the man had been a Texan he would have been executed already.

Thats just a stupid statement. Obviously you don't know anything about the Texas justice system or the death penalty.

 

[chess9]

DigitalSM:

Oh, is it taking Texas longer than 18 years to execute murderers?

-Robert

 

[Spencer278]

Isn't texas still using public deffenders that sleep thrue the majority of a trial?

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
DNA is your friend . . . even in North Carolina

"Finally, my innocence is recognized," Darryl Hunt said Thursday after Gov. Mike Easley issued the pardon. "For so many years I have been trying to prove my innocence only to be told I was lying and to finally have it official means a lot."

Hunt was twice convicted of the 1984 murder of Deborah Sykes, who was raped and killed as she walked to her job as a copy editor at the now-defunct Winston-Salem Sentinel.
-----
Evelyn Jefferson, Sykes' mother, said she still believes that Hunt was somehow involved in her daughter's death despite the DNA evidence.

"I actually thought Governor Easley was more intelligent than that," she said from her home outside Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Hunt was freed December 24 after DNA testing in the Sykes' case identified the new suspect, Willard Brown. Brown has since been charged with murder, rape, kidnapping and robbery. No court date has been set for Brown, who is being held without bond.

I really feel for the mother . . .

I don't.
The real killer/raper was caught, so at least real justice will be done, but she still thinks the other guy is guilty. IMO that's stupid, and even if he was, he's served 18 years in prison, which he didn't (according to evidence) deserve.
The mother should be glad that real justice has been done.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Isn't texas still using public deffenders that sleep thrue the majority of a trial?

Actually no. Most places do NOT have public defenders, which are county lawyers. They have court appointed attys, which are private lawyers that pay(or in some cases do not pay) to be placed on a list.

And last I checked, indigent defense is piss poor in EVERY state not just Texas. However, even with all the problems Texas has(which every other state also has), Texas has the 5th lowest reversal rate among death penalty states.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Isn't texas still using public deffenders that sleep thrue the majority of a trial?

Actually no. Most places do NOT have public defenders, which are county lawyers. They have court appointed attys, which are private lawyers that pay(or in some cases do not pay) to be placed on a list.

And last I checked, indigent defense is piss poor in EVERY state not just Texas. However, even with all the problems Texas has(which every other state also has), Texas has the 5th lowest reversal rate among death penalty states.

I'm not sure having a low reversal rate is a goodthing.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: chess9
DigitalSM:

Oh, is it taking Texas longer than 18 years to execute murderers?

-Robert

It taks 2-24 years. Depending on circumstances of the case. The death row inmate in Tezas who is "retarded", has had on going case since 1980. His case still isnt over. There are a select few cases, that drag on forever.

You can't just say this guy would have been executed in Texas already since, there have been people released after 15+ years. IIRC there was a guy in 2000, that after post conviction DNA testing took place, he was released.

Also note, these cases, are those dating back BEFORE DNA testing. People convicted from the mid-late 1990's to present, already had DNA evidence. So to say, lets get rid of the death penalty based on a few 1980's cases, isnt the best arguement. People today are ALOT less likely to be wrongfully convicted, than those in the 1980's, early 1990's.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Isn't texas still using public deffenders that sleep thrue the majority of a trial?

Actually no. Most places do NOT have public defenders, which are county lawyers. They have court appointed attys, which are private lawyers that pay(or in some cases do not pay) to be placed on a list.

And last I checked, indigent defense is piss poor in EVERY state not just Texas. However, even with all the problems Texas has(which every other state also has), Texas has the 5th lowest reversal rate among death penalty states.

I'm not sure having a low reversal rate is a goodthing.

Yes it is. It means everything, Texas, and the US have done, was done accordingly.

 

[chess9]

Digitalsm:

Hmm, so it is likely Texas would have executed him, but not certain. The average length of time on death row in Texas is, what, 8 years?

I wonder how many innocent men Texas HAS executed?

-Robert

 

[chess9]

Having a low reversal rate only means the bar for proving ineffective assistance of counsel is set very high which, I believe, is true for most states.

Odd, isn't it, that those who can afford Roy Black get off, but your average black or Hispanic or poor white guy may as well plead guilty and pray he doesn't fry?

-Robert

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: chess9
Digitalsm:

Hmm, so it is likely Texas would have executed him, but not certain. The average length of time on death row in Texas is, what, 8 years?

I wonder how many innocent men Texas HAS executed?

-Robert

People that can be proven innocent? ZERO.

Actually,no,its not likely. Like I said, its a case by case basis. There HAVE BEEN people released well after 15+ years. If an inmate decides to exhaust ALL of his appeals, it takes a MINIMUM of 15 years. Alot of death row inmates have either confesed and choose never to appeal(2 years), or after a certain point have given up their appeals efforts.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Isn't texas still using public deffenders that sleep thrue the majority of a trial?

Actually no. Most places do NOT have public defenders, which are county lawyers. They have court appointed attys, which are private lawyers that pay(or in some cases do not pay) to be placed on a list.

And last I checked, indigent defense is piss poor in EVERY state not just Texas. However, even with all the problems Texas has(which every other state also has), Texas has the 5th lowest reversal rate among death penalty states.

I'm not sure having a low reversal rate is a goodthing.

Yes it is. It means everything, Texas, and the US have done, was done accordingly.

Or it means that texas is giving the less possible access to the court and free laywers so the defendent doesn't have a chance to win. I would guess most of the difference in reversal rate is from different parterns in who is given the death penalty.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Spencer278

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Spencer278
Isn't texas still using public deffenders that sleep thrue the majority of a trial?

Actually no. Most places do NOT have public defenders, which are county lawyers. They have court appointed attys, which are private lawyers that pay(or in some cases do not pay) to be placed on a list.

And last I checked, indigent defense is piss poor in EVERY state not just Texas. However, even with all the problems Texas has(which every other state also has), Texas has the 5th lowest reversal rate among death penalty states.

I'm not sure having a low reversal rate is a goodthing.

Yes it is. It means everything, Texas, and the US have done, was done accordingly.

Or it means that texas is giving the less possible access to the court and free laywers so the defendent doesn't have a chance to win. I would guess most of the difference in reversal rate is from different parterns in who is given the death penalty.

Everyone has equal access to the courts. As for "free" lawyers. Anyone that can not make bail, or one who isnt allowed bail, gets a court appointed atty.

 

[chess9]

"Everyone has equal access to the courts." Bwuahahaha! That's a nice homily, but I'm afraid competent access costs a hell of a lot of money and not many states are paying private lawyers well enough to see that is done. I've even heard of lawyers going on strike until they get paid a decent wage for their efforts. Are you willing to say that the State of Texas adequately funds the defense of criminals? I didn't think so....

Barry Sheck's Innocence Project has amply demonstrated the failures of our criminal justice system.

Look here:

Text

The problem with this is no cases get looked at AFTER the innocent man has been convicted.

Simply put, the cost of killing one innocent man is not worth the supposed value of putting to death the guilty.

At least not to me.

-Robert

 

[chess9]

Text

Interesting death row case. Will mandatory jury sentencings in death row cases be made retroactive by The Supremes?

-Robert

 

[LordMagnusKain]

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
One more reason to get rid of the death penalty. If the man had been a Texan he would have been executed already.

my thoughts exactly bugs.

that an unusual position for someone of your political persuasion?

I think it's a standard Christian perspective. But i vote republican, better to see a few convicts die at the hands of the masses, than masses of children die at the hands of a few 'doctors'.

for you digit:
This case shows that he could have been executed before the DNA evidence was found. If he was to be executed a little closer to 2 than 20 yeas later he would be dead right now.