DNA to free another inmate

[madmusic]

Source: Winston-Salem Journal

Winston-Salem man has served 14 years after being convicted of raping 2 girls

By Michael Hewlett | Journal Reporter and Scott Sexton | Journal Columnist

Published: September 2, 2009

A 49-year-old man who has served more than 14 years of a life sentence for raping two teenage sisters will be released today after DNA tests determined that he wasn't the attacker.

Read more: http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/sep/02/020606/dna-to-free-another-inmate/news/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I can imagine how overwhelmed he must feel...

14 years gone...

Now they have to find the real rapist...

[create.peace]

2. every time, though, the incarceration time seems to be getting shorter, i hope they can 'catch up'

so that this evidence will come out in every trial.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. And what a good thing that would be...

[create.peace]

4. it seems to be coming, and i think it is changing people's attitudes about the death penalty.nt

[Spangle]

10. Till one hears about folks getting out of jail

who should have died for their crimes.

So there is a catch twenty two in this problem.

[madmusic]

12. How many exonerated by DNA went on to commit a capital offense? nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. LIfe skills learned in jail don't really qualify you for a decent job;

.
.
.

So probably MANY that have been incarcerated wrongly go and commit a crime -

out of desperation or vengeance -

who knows?

I know people with mean streaks a mile wide that NEVER have been incarcerated -

14 years wrongly?

They might just get a wee bit mean.

The "judicial" system CREATES criminals IMO

[tabasco]

19. Yes, people who have been persecuted are dangerous.

What kind of fucked-up idea is that, moran?

[superconnected]

21. Apparently you've missed a few of the exonerated.

Yes most should be innocent, a few who have past murders and were at the scene of the crime have been exonerated and are still questionable. If you keep reading about the exonerated you start seeing how they could have been convicted in the first place. Not all are just strangers who got fingered them in a lineup. And yeah, just because they have a history doesn't mean they did it, however some times, it still looks like they did.

[tabasco]

23. Wow, since I've missed so much ...

how about providing links to cases in which DNA-exonerated defendants were still suspects?

[Hansel]

14. What crime? The DNA proves they didn't do what they're convicted of.

If they committed another crime, then the DA should have brought provable charges.

[tabasco]

18. Huh?

I really don't grasp what you're saying.

What is the "catch-22" of releasing innocent people from jail?? :dunce:

[kimmylavin]

5. Good.

14 years - I can't even imagine...

[bluestateguy]

6. This is why I hate cops and prosecutors

"Oh, oops! Gee, uh, we 'regret' that"

[Hansel]

15. I haven't heard too many say they regret anything

Most of them tend to still try to argue that the person was guilty and they stand by the conviction.

[Zavulon]

28. We should just get rid of them all..

Who are we to lock up criminals? Just get rid of all of those pesky cops and prosecutors and let people do whatever they want. Sure, crime will go through the roof, but if there's a chance that a few innocent people might get locked up by mistake, no criminal should ever go to jail. :eyes:

Seriously, what do you expect them to say? "We're so sorry that we're going to commit group suicide to apologize?"

[robo50]

7. I'm sorry, 14 years ago was the OJ trial days

DNA was around then... what took them so long?

How about sending a judge and prosecutor to jail for every day served on a false conviction later overturned later by DNA?

I bet we'd empty the prison of all false convictions nationwide within 6 months.

[Gator_Matt]

8. Did anyone look at his criminal record?

He had committed two prior rapes with similarities to this case. He was identified by the two victims. He fled the state and had been in and out of prison since 1978. One DNA test was inconclusive. Plus, for his defense attorney to be openly shocked, it tells me that he probably confessed.

I don't blame the judge or the prosecutor. I'd like to see the work done for that one analysis that clears him. Make sure it wasn't a mixup of samples in the lab before letting him loose.

[madmusic]

11. he probably confessed?

What thin air did you pick that out of? Even if he did, "In about 25% of DNA exoneration cases, innocent defendants made incriminating statements, delivered outright confessions or pled guilty."

http://www.innocenceproject.org/understand/False-Confessions.php

[Zorra]

9. Sooo....why is DNA testing not mandatory when requested by a defendant?

It would sure save a lot of taxpayer time and money if it were.

[shanti]

16. i didn't even need to see a photo

to know what mr. abbitt looked like :( sooooo many black men unjustly accused...

[saigon68]

17. Witness,"Its that Black guy at the defendant's table"

The Jury, "Guilty"

My take --it works every time, scary dark men put away by the system.

Fear perpetrated by Fixed news and various evil politicians.

[LisaL]

29. Who would you have at the defense table when two girls

identified him, according to the OP article? His own original lawyer is quoted as being surprised because the evidence against him was strong.

[robcon]

20. DNA has been a godsend for justice.

n/t

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. +1

[Ignis]

22. "Why do you oppose the death penalty?"

BECAUSE WE KEEP LOCKING UP INNOCENT PEOPLE!

:grr:

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. and the real attacker gets away because they focus on the 1st black man they stumble upon

[LisaL]

26. According to the article, he was identified by the two girls.

His name was Joseph and he lived nearby. So it's not like police randomly stumbled upon him. His own original defense lawyer is quoted as "surprised" because the "evidence was strong against him."

[Zavulon]

27. Yeah, that's it. It has to be racism.

:eyes: