Travesty of Justice

[SaberGal]

I think it's sad that this is not a "hot topic" on any forum...those that have been wrongfully convicted due to misconduct or just bad evidence deserve at least some acknowledgment of what they have been through. People who have been found guilty, served time for crimes they did not commit, even though later exonerated, have had their lives completely changed forever and that is an inexcusable miscarriage of justice, IMO. Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way?

http://www.innocenceproject.org/

http://www.patrickcrusade.org/wrong_convicted.htm

[Pauli]

I agree... I have not had the time to search out cases to add here.

[Grins]

Hi Saber Gal,
Your forum is needed then. We are just getting started ~

Wrongful convictions

It is a hot topic in Books~R~Us forum here and on many news, real and fictional TV shows and in films. As it should be.
Many law review articles have been written on the subject and it is a basis for many court decisions and laws challenging, amending or eliminating the death penalty.

[SaberGal]

Hi Saber Gal,
Your forum is needed then. We are just getting started ~

Wrongful convictions

It is a hot topic in Books~R~Us forum here and on many news, real and fictional TV shows and in films. As it should be.
Many law review articles have been written on the subject and it is a basis for many court decisions and laws challenging, amending or eliminating the death penalty.

Hi Grins....I appreciate your response and my post was not meant to be disrespectful in any way. I just see so many people posting and found it very disturbing that no one felt compelled to post anything in the "Exonerated" forum that Harlett so generously provided. Since I subscribe to the theory that "better a guilty person go free than an innocent person be convicted" I thought I should post...if for no other reason than to remind others that our system is not without it's flaws and far too many people are wrongfully convicted. Our justice system is a black hole that is nearly impossible to get out of and too many prosecutors with career ambitions take advantage of that without any accountability...IMHO of course.

[packy]

Thanks to you for getting this started, Saber Girl and to HO for providing the forum. I just posted a link to some good resources for information. It also includes links to info about pro bono attorneys and Justice Denied magazine and so many more.

It is scary to think how many innocent people have been wrongfully convicted.

[rockford2]

Thanks to you for getting this started, Saber Girl and to HO for providing the forum. I just posted a link to some good resources for information. It also includes links to info about pro bono attorneys and Justice Denied magazine and so many more.

It is scary to think how many innocent people have been wrongfully convicted.

Many people believe that Jeffrey MacDonald was wrongly convicted and he has many paralegals and pro bono attorneys who work on his case.

[SaberGal]

Thanks to you for getting this started, Saber Girl and to HO for providing the forum. I just posted a link to some good resources for information. It also includes links to info about pro bono attorneys and Justice Denied magazine and so many more.

It is scary to think how many innocent people have been wrongfully convicted.

I think attorneys that work pro bono are truly a godsend. The expenses involved in mounting a viable defense is truly staggering. Many innocent people often plea out just because they can't afford it.

[Roamer]

Many people believe that Jeffrey MacDonald was wrongly convicted and he has many paralegals and pro bono attorneys who work on his case.

I've always believed he was guilty. But that's IMO

[Tracian]

I've always believed he was guilty. But that's IMO
I agree, I don't think JMD is innocent, the best I will give him is that he may have had someone in the house with him.

The over kill of his family and the nicks and cuts he got pretty much wrapped it up for me, along with that PJ top, with this ice pick holes that when folded properly, matched each and every ice pick injury on his wife.

[TLC]

Hi Saber. I can help you if you'd like. I'm very good with the searching tools of these cases.

[rockford2]

I think attorneys that work pro bono are truly a godsend. The expenses involved in mounting a viable defense is truly staggering. Many innocent people often plea out just because they can't afford it.

it's really the paralegals that get my vote for kudos!

[spike404]

The problem with "innocent" people being released from prison, is that a lot of them are not innocent. Often new trials are ordered, but because of clever lawyering, a lot of the evidence from the conviction trial is dis-allowed, and they are released.

I know of one case that a man was released from death row, but a re-trial was impossible, due to exclusion of certain evidence. He was absolutely guilty! What grates me is that his name often comes up as an innocent man, wrongly convicted. What he really is a guilty man who got out on a technicality.

[PatC]

John Grisham's foray into true crime stories with "The Innocent Man" is a prime example of a travesty of justice. It embarrasses me to admit that the cast took place in my old home town of Ada, Oklahoma.

Often we get angry and frustrated at how long it takes for a case to grind its way through the laborious stages of the judicial system to get TO trial, then the lengthy (sometimes) trial and sentencing. But as strung out as that process might be it is nothing compared to the process of getting a person OUT of prison, even when new and compelling evidence is presented. This story of Ron Williamson is heartbreaking. Sadly, he was so broken by the time he was exonerated -- truly an Innocent Man, not just released on some technicality -- he was so broken a man he did not live long as a free man.

[packy]

John Grisham's foray into true crime stories with "The Innocent Man" is a prime example of a travesty of justice. It embarrasses me to admit that the cast took place in my old home town of Ada, Oklahoma.

Often we get angry and frustrated at how long it takes for a case to grind its way through the laborious stages of the judicial system to get TO trial, then the lengthy (sometimes) trial and sentencing. But as strung out as that process might be it is nothing compared to the process of getting a person OUT of prison, even when new and compelling evidence is presented. This story of Ron Williamson is heartbreaking. Sadly, he was so broken by the time he was exonerated -- truly an Innocent Man, not just released on some technicality -- he was so broken a man he did not live long as a free man.

Yes, so sad. I read that and another of the same case by Robert Mayer, "The Dreams of Ada." Some people can be convinced to confess, and in this case they twisted around a dream I believe if I remember correctly.

[SaberGal]

This link is definately worth the time to read - especially for anyone that thinks, like I once did, that Prosecutorial and Police Misconduct is a rare occurrence. Look how long many of these people were incarcerated - some for 20+ years.

http://www.sanfran.com/archives/view_story/200/

[packy]

This link is definately worth the time to read - especially for anyone that thinks, like I once did, that Prosecutorial and Police Misconduct is a rare occurrence. Look how long many of these people were incarcerated - some for 20+ years.

http://www.sanfran.com/archives/view_story/200/

And these were just the tip since they "didn't look at exonerations involving death sentences (the single exception: one inmate whose original sentence of death was reduced on appeal to life without parole; he served another 11 years before new evidence emerged, leading to his release). We left out the 100 to 150 Ramparts cases, which mostly involved shorter sentences, as well as most of the Kern County sex-abuse cases; both would have slanted the sample, especially the findings related to police and prosecutorial misconduct."

[SaberGal]

And these were just the tip since they "didn't look at exonerations involving death sentences (the single exception: one inmate whose original sentence of death was reduced on appeal to life without parole; he served another 11 years before new evidence emerged, leading to his release). We left out the 100 to 150 Ramparts cases, which mostly involved shorter sentences, as well as most of the Kern County sex-abuse cases; both would have slanted the sample, especially the findings related to police and prosecutorial misconduct."

Exactly right that this is just the tip! This was just a handful of cases from one state!

When corrupt prosecutors and law enforcement are not held accountable - are just given a slap on the wrist for misconduct, abuse of power, and unethical practices it makes it that much easier for more innocent people to be wrongly convicted.

IMHO

[wheezer]

This is a great thread. Any help you need on researching let me know.
This is a subject that can not be talked about enough.

[SaberGal]

This is a great thread. Any help you need on researching let me know.
This is a subject that can not be talked about enough.

I couldn't agree more, Wheez....there is another forum I post on that was started in December that we discuss this topic on. Since I don't actively recruit or want to take away from the Missing forum, I haven't advertised it here but PM me if you are interested in learning more about this other forum.

[Texas53]

Saber, I agree. Luckily, we now have the tool of DNA which has helped many wrongly convicted. But if you have someone on trial and they don't have the money or dream team that an O.J. might have, then often there is not the money to take DNA. One thing I did learn when I was married and working for an attorney, eye witness testimony is not good to have. If you don't believe me, take a situation and observe with a friend. Then later compare what you both saw and it won't be the same.

[SaberGal]

Saber, I agree. Luckily, we now have the tool of DNA which has helped many wrongly convicted. But if you have someone on trial and they don't have the money or dream team that an O.J. might have, then often there is not the money to take DNA. One thing I did learn when I was married and working for an attorney, eye witness testimony is not good to have. If you don't believe me, take a situation and observe with a friend. Then later compare what you both saw and it won't be the same.

Eye witnesses are extremely unreliable. I, for one, would make a horrible eye witness - I am very unobservant especially with people/clothes.

Yes, thankfully we now have DNA that has helped to exonerate many of the wrongly convicted. Unfortunately, many old cases where DNA was there but the technology was not - many of the convicted have to fight a battle with the DA's office to get the DNA and have it tested (at the expense of the defense). I don't understand why the DA makes some of these people fight for years - if they are so positive they "got their guy", why the fear of having the DNA tested? And if they aren't sure they put the right person in prison, you'd think the DA would want to correct that as soon as possible, right? I've learned it doesn't really work that way.

JMHO

[wheezer]

Saber, I agree. Luckily, we now have the tool of DNA which has helped many wrongly convicted. But if you have someone on trial and they don't have the money or dream team that an O.J. might have, then often there is not the money to take DNA. One thing I did learn when I was married and working for an attorney, eye witness testimony is not good to have. If you don't believe me, take a situation and observe with a friend. Then later compare what you both saw and it won't be the same.

You are right. They have done study after study. Eye witness accounts are terrible. People are to emotional, things get confused in their minds. It's understandable. I never like to see cases tried on circumstantial evidence, and eye witness accounts. That scares me.