Philly man wins release from prison after more than four decades

[The Straight Story]

Philly man wins release from prison after more than four decades

A federal court Thursday ordered the release of Louis Mickens-Thomas, 82, who has spent more than 40 years in prison. Mickens-Thomas was convicted of the murder of 12-year-old Edith Connor back in 1964 largely on the word of a crime lab worker who was later discredited.

The former shoe repair man has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

A team of lawyers, activists and scientists have believed for years that Thomas was wrongly convicted.

On Thursday, three federal judges with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that Mickens-Thomas can be released from Graterford prison as soon as his lawyers demonstrate that they can find suitable housing for the 82-year-old.

"We've already found that," said James McCloskey, who heads Centurion Ministries, a group devoted to helping exonerate the wrongly convicted and a longtime champion of Thomas.




http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20110121_Philly_man_wins_release_from_prison_after_more_than_four_decades.html

[Renew Deal]

1. How can you make this right for an 82 year old man?

At least he got to live long enough to see his name cleared.

[NightWatcher]

2. Which is one reason I'm against capital punishment

[Pithlet]

10. Yep. It's my number one reason.

Having the death penalty option on the table means innocent people will die. There's no way around it. It's why it will never be acceptable to me.

[hlthe2b]

3. This reminds me of the case of the man whose sister went to law school

in a desperate attempt to free her brother, who had been railroaded to what was essentially a life sentence by crooked prosecutors. I can't remember if the original conviction was for murder or rape... He literally waited 18 years through his own appeals and then for his sister to go to law school and to learn about DNA, which, with the help of Barry Scheck's group (Innocence Project) miraculously found testable evidence and proved his innocence. He won a major settlement but, out only six months died from a freak fall. I think the sister continues to occasionally work with the Innocence Project, though she never practiced law again.

I wish I could remember the names and further details. It was a fascinating story that I think I learned about on a public radio broadcast some time ago.

Just think of all the innocents behind bars who can never be freed because no biologic evidence exists or has been lost (or authorities refuse to allow it to be tested) So, incredibly horrible to imagine.


Forty years behind bars--heavens.


On edit, this was the story http://truthinjustice.org/ken-waters.htm
Apparently was made into a movie with Hilary Swank--news to me....

[NYC Liberal]

4. Kenny Waters. They made a movie about it recently with

Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell.

[hlthe2b]

6. Yes.. I just learned this doing a google search...

I guess the movie didn't make too much of a splash (or else I've just been too preoccupied to notice)...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. Horrible. The time, the family, the memories...all stolen

Good to hear people are standing by ready to help him.

[struggle4progress]

7. Court in Philadelphia weighs freedom for convicted killer, 82 (12 Jan 11)

January 12, 2011|By Troy Graham, Inquirer Staff Writer

... his life sentence was commuted in 1995 after legal advocates exposed scientific errors in the case.

The parole board did not release Mickens-Thomas until 2004, and then only after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ordered it, calling the board's actions "vindictive."

Mickens-Thomas' parole was revoked 15 months later for what the state called "an escalating pattern of high-risk behavior," including kissing the woman at church.

His parole officer has noted the violations would have earned most inmates one or two months in jail, said his lawyer, David Rudovsky ...

http://articles.philly.com/2011-01-12/news/27023985_1_louis-mickens-thomas-parole-board-parole-officer

[struggle4progress]

8. US court grills Pa. parole board over inmate, 82

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Tuesday, 2:13 PM

... "You're a brave man to be here," 3rd U.S. Circuit Judge Maryanne Trump Barry said to Chief Deputy Attorney General John Knoll. "Why, precisely, is Mr. Mickens-Thomas being denied parole all these many years later?" ...

According to Knoll, his actions during his 15-month stint in Allentown while on parole raised red flags. Asked for specifics, he said Mickens-Thomas sought out vulnerable women in rainstorms, to offer them an umbrella _ and a ride home.

"What can this man do to ever get over the 'kissing the lady in the church' and 'handing out umbrellas in the rain?' " Barry asked ...

"You have an 82-year-old man," Roth said. "Do you want him to litigate for another five years, and see if he's still alive?" ...

http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=6245051

[Peter1x9]

9. They need to put the crime lab worker behind bars.

n/t