tagged w/ Criminal Justice System
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Since 1991, 218 people have been exonerated through DNA testing, and in more than three-quarters of the cases, mistaken eyewitness identifications were crucial in the wrongful convictions.
In the midst of being raped, Jennifer Thompson-Cannino told herself to pay attention to details that would allow her to identify her attacker.
She was able to give police in North Carolina a description that led to a sketch of the suspect. Then she identified a man from photographs, picked him out of a lineup and told jurors she was certain he was the rapist.
That man, Ronald Cotton, received a life sentence and spent more than 10 years in prison before DNA testing cleared him of the crime.
Now victim and the innocent man she helped convict are writing a book together.
Thompson-Cannino, who is white, had mistakenly picked out one black man; another was guilty of the crime.
"Between the composite sketch and the photo identification, I had messed it up," she said, recalling the 1984 rape and its aftermath. "By the time I got to the physical lineup, Ron Cotton had become my attacker and that was that."
And as she came to learn, she was not the only one to make a mistake so devastating that it deprived someone else of his freedom.
Since 1991, 218 people have been exonerated through DNA testing, and in more than... more
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After 25 years in and out of prison, a retired gang member from Oakland gets back on track with a career in trucking.After 25 years in and out of prison, a retired gang member from Oakland gets back on... more
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Not if you have a prior felony according to the "clean hands" requirement of a new Florida bill that is set to be signed . The "Wrongful Incarceration Act" is suppose to make it easier for the wrongfully accused to receive compensation for time served. Once released, the exonerated is to receive $50,000 for each year behind bars. However this bill requires that the person has not been in trouble with the law before their wrongful incarceration. For instance, seven men have been released from Florida prisons after DNA evidence cleared them of their crimes, but five of the men aren't eligible for the automatic provisions because they have prior felonies.
While this isn't double jepordy as the legal standard would hold, it is a double punishment for a crime that has already been paid for. If a person convicted of a felony fulfills his punishment, and then is incarcerated again for a different crime that they never committed, how can the state justify taking away their compensation, based on a prior crime that they have already been punished for?
It seems to me that the state of Florida is attempting to avoid paying for the failures of its criminal justice system.
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Peace
Not if you have a prior felony according to the "clean hands" requirement of... more
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The government plans to begin collecting DNA samples from anyone arrested by a federal law enforcement agency — a move intended to prevent violent crime but which also is raising concerns about the privacy of innocent people.
Using authority granted by Congress, the government also plans to collect DNA samples from foreigners who are detained, whether they have been charged or not. The DNA would be collected through a cheek swab, Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said Wednesday. That would be a departure from current practice, which limits DNA collection to convicted felons.
Expanding the DNA database, known as CODIS, raises civil liberties questions about the potential for misuse of such personal information, such as family ties and genetic conditions.WASHINGTON (AP) — The government plans to begin collecting DNA samples from... more
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This video is laugh out loud funny but it's horrible too, because it's real life. One old lady calls the other one stupid and greedy for taking out extra life insurance policies on the homeless man they had killed for the money. The tape is what the defense is using to prove their complicity in the plot. It's a modern-day ancient Greek tragedy being played out before your eyes. Hollywood doesn't get any better than this.This video is laugh out loud funny but it's horrible too, because it's real... more
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Electrocution is unconstitutional according the Nebraska supreme court, "It is the hallmark of a civilized society that we punish cruelty without practicing it."Electrocution is unconstitutional according the Nebraska supreme court, "It is... more
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In the US all executions by lethal injection have been temporarily halted while experts examine whether it is a "humane" form of execution. How does it compare to other forms, and for supporters of capital punishment, is there a more benign method?In the US all executions by lethal injection have been temporarily halted while... more
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After a cellphone went off in his courtroom, a Niagra Falls City Court judge allegedly threatened that "every single person is going to jail in this courtroom” unless the phone was turned in. He then proceeded to rant and send people to jail for 2 hours.After a cellphone went off in his courtroom, a Niagra Falls City Court judge allegedly... more
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3 lead defendants were convicted of murder and were sentenced to more than 30,000 years in prison each, though under Spanish law, the most they can serve is 40 years. 4 others were convicted of lesser charges. But the man who bragged of being the mastermind and 6 other minor suspects were acquitted on all charges.3 lead defendants were convicted of murder and were sentenced to more than 30,000... more
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Tori
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added this
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4 years ago
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After serving two years in prison, Genarlow Wilson was released based on a Georgia state ruling that his sentence for a teen sex conviction was cruel and unusual punishment.After serving two years in prison, Genarlow Wilson was released based on a Georgia... more
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Willie "Pete" Williams had no idea when he was pulled over by Atlanta police in 1985 that the criminal justice system was about to steal away half his life. Willie "Pete" Williams had no idea when he was pulled over by Atlanta police... more
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Thousands rally for six arrested black students in Jena, Louisiana.
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