Va. man wrongfully convicted of attempted rape is pardoned

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LARRY O'DELL

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday pardoned a Virginia man who has spent 29 years in prison for an attempted rape that authorities now say he did not commit.

Michael Kenneth McAlister, 58, was exonerated just five days ahead of a hearing that could have led to his indefinite confinement as a violent sex offender under the state's civil commitment law.

"My staff and I have carefully and thoroughly reviewed the documentation in this case and concluded that a pardon is appropriate in light of the overwhelming evidence, including a recent confession by another individual, pointing to Mr. McAlister's actual innocence of the crime for which he was convicted," McAuliffe said in a written statement.

McAlister's sister, Denise Haas, said the family was ecstatic.

FULL story at link.



This Aug. 22, 2013 photo provided by the Virginia Deptment of Corrections shows Michael Kenneth McAlister. Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, pardoned a Virginia man who has spent 29 years in prison for an attempted rape that authorities now say he did not commit. (Virginia Deptment of Corrections via AP)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f4bede5a6b604ccb98832581793a2c0b/va-man-wrongfully-convicted-attempted-rape-pardoned

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. why 29 years for attempted rape?

[joshcryer]

3. He was mistaken for a serial rapist.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/va-prosecutor-innocent-man-faces-life-behind-bars-unless-mcauliffe-pardons/2015/04/07/d1cef37a-dc74-11e4-be40-566e2653afe5_story.html

The real guy who did it (guy on the left in the photo) has 3 life sentences.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. ok. they look very much alike

[Diclotican]

2. Omaha Steve

Omaha Steve

So then - then this innocent man need to get a home - and a hefty paycheck from the State who put him behind bars for 29 years - I would say - 29 million dollars, one million for each year he was behind bars is a suitable payback for what he have been experiencing in prison.. Not to say he deserve all type of professional help he can get - being able to cope with the outside world, who kind of have changed in the 29 years he have been in a prison.... Of course paid for by the same State who put him behind bars in the first place...

But even if he was paid a large sum, and getting the necessary help to get I'm adjusted to the world outside of the prison - he would still have 29 years he can not get back - and I suspect neither the prosecutor - the judge who threw him behind bars - and others who helped him on his way to a prison would get any punishment for what they did wrong - for them it is at worst a speed bump on their records - nothing to worry about as it never cost them anything....

Maybe - when the prosecutor - the judge and others who did things wrong - had to answer for the wrongdoing they did - then, maybe prosecutors, the jugde, police officers and others would be more honest - and get the right one in custody - instead of getting the wrong man - again and again - and again for that matter.. It is far to many histories out there, about innocent people being kept in a prison - for years - maybe decades even after the prosecutors office - the judge, and police officers was in the know about the wrongdoing they was responsible for... in old Mesopotamia - they had a old king named Hammurabi - who gave his people the first law binding system who gave most people a more just law than before - specially as it made clear, the laws was for everyone - rich or poor - powerfully or weak - and it stipulated, by others - that if anyone accused another man of a criminal offense - and the evidences against it was not proven - the one who accused was given the same punishment as stipulated by LAW - and that made a step decline in court's workload - who because of all type of frivol suits already for 4000 years ago was overworked - and they doesn't had the benefit of computers back then.. Maybe it is time, to at least make the geest of that back in law - as it would do wonders to corrupt or dishonest prosecutors, Judges, and other who was not doing their job - if a prosecutor was sentenced to 29 years hard time - I suspect most prosecutors would get the message - the same if a judge was put behind bars for 29 years...

Diclotican

[joshcryer]

5. I think they just messed up.

They didn't know about the other serial rapist until after the conviction, and they tried to get it over turned for years. It seems this is more a case of getting a conviction overturned when new evidence comes out is extremely difficult. There are a lot of cases like that out there.

Eyewitnesses are imperfect, and it just so happened this guy looks almost identical to the actual rapist who was terrorizing that neighborhood.

[joshcryer]

4. Just read a lot about this case. No win scenario.

He looks pretty much exactly like the serial rapist, the witness picked him out, he lived in the area and had no alibi. It's pretty much an open and shut case.

Pretty damn unfortunate. Even if they didn't fuck up the photo lineup like they did he could still be in jail. Coin toss.

[RebelOne]

7. Bet he already has plenty of lawyers knocking on his door wanting to represent him. n/t