Reply #79: Al Sharpton made a name for himself off Tawana [View All]

[IndianaGreen]

and found himself civilly liable.

The relation to this case is that an accuser made false allegations that resulted in permanent harm to the accused.

If you have another example of a false rape claim resulting in indictments, convictions, executions of innocent defendants, I'd love to hear it.

It happens all the time, together with false claims of child abuse. Black defendants have been imprisoned and sentenced to death because of false rape claims. Only DNA science was able to get them out of death row, after DNA evidence showed that they were innocent. It can happen to anyone!

Does DNA Technology Warrant a Death Penalty Moratorium?

by Barbara McCuen
Wednesday, May 3, 2000

On January 31, Illinois Governor George Ryan (R), a death penalty supporter, put a hold on executions in the state after 13 inmates on death row had their convictions overturned. Since the state reestablished the death penalty in 1977, Illinois has released more prisoners from death row after proof of their innocence than it has put to death?13 overturned convictions and 12 executions. In recent years, journalists rather than lawyers in the system have been largely responsible for pursuing the exculpatory evidence. A Northwestern University journalism professor and his graduate students conducted investigations resulting in the overturning of three murder convictions, one of them days before the scheduled execution.

The moratorium has a number of supporters who back the death penalty, but want to ensure that it is justly applied. Crime solving using DNA technology has made tremendous strides over the past two decades. Many of the overturned Illinois convictions were supported by DNA testing and other evidence. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D) has introduced legislation that would make DNA testing less complicated for death row inmates and improve the counsel they are afforded at the state and federal levels.

http://speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1231b-1.html