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Post by lefty on Nov 25, 2008 23:12:04 GMT -5
After doing 20 years in prison Mr. Barnes is a free man, what do you think of that ?
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boomer
Mild Pushover
Posts: 128 
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Post by boomer on Nov 25, 2008 23:20:36 GMT -5
I was wondering when you guys would see this. I think they should hang that Judge and District Attorney. For too long people have been complaining about the railroading and wrongful convictions here in the last 20 years.. it's a sport to try people in the media and ruin people with this twisted legal system here. These people shuld be locked up day-for-day that the Barnes guy had to do. Nothing is good enough for these career losers that talk about giving us safe communities year after year while the fact is that it just gets worse. Aren't you guys tired of the lies and pretending that they are capable and fair?
First they said it was the war on drugs.
FAIL!
Then it was the war on gangs.
FAIL!
Now it's a "war on terror" they use to waste millions for "homeland security" while the fact is they just spend the money to make themselves cushier. The results here speak for themselves. Lets get another 4 trooper blazers to sit at griffis barracks all day unused.. I'm sure we can afford that right?
How we doing on WOT?
All we ever hear is about "the next bogeyman" while they justify outrageous budgets and more cops and cars and guns and locked up people. The "bogeyman" IS THEM!! In ten years here I've never SEEN so many crooked or inept cops and DAs and lawyers. That County Courthouse is run by the last shady DA's self-admitted "mentor" and a bunch of ex-DA flunkies with plenty of their OWN probles and reversed decisions. Meantime Scott the DA will do hoops just to make you think the whole thing was HIS idea! Trust me.. If Barry Scheck had ANY idea how Scott McNamera rolls he would've PASTED the guy right at that press conference. Scheck has spent much of the last 15 YEARS defending people who are wrongfully convicted, little does he know the man right next to him himself permitted fake DNA to be used to decieve a criminal defense attorney here, and that when the attorney realized it they took him off the case. Of course Scott downplayed his end of the blame for the sheep in the media here. Claimed he's a hero for 'bringing it to people's attention'... sure, after it was leaked on a local website.
You people can go on believeing what these fakes tell you on the news but at some point you'll just have to admit that "something's wrong". Time has shown us how ethical Mike Arcuri is, and now his student fill his shoes perfectly.. right down to the claiming victim status when he gets caught. Perfect!
These people disgust me I want to spit in their faces when I see tham at Wal-Mart buying stuff with their ill-earned wealth.
The Criminal Court System here is untrustworthy and now bastardized into a political hit machine many times. I think Dwyer, Donnalty and and the rest of these 'tough law and order" people should be called out and pubically embarrassed for taking money while running a disgusting court system. How many more unjust convictions and lives will be ruined so someone of these pigs can get re-elected. It speaks volumes that the biggest bitches in the system have it worked out so they are immune for their doings.
Sorry to offend but SOMEONE has to start calling a spade a spade around here. There's an "old boys" network running right under your noses pretending they're angels. This system is being used against defendants for political gain RIGHT NOW still! Wake up, I know most of you have lived here all your lives but this isn't how OTHER area's legal systems work. This crowd can't go six months without some big scandal that's not how it is everywhere else.
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Post by golden on Nov 25, 2008 23:25:57 GMT -5
I think it is wonderful! I work with his sister, such a happy time for his family. Check out Syracuse.com they had better coverage than the OD and wktv put together.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2008 4:59:22 GMT -5
Who was the DA at the time Barnes was convicted? I haven't heard the name mentioned at all by local news media.
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Post by dan on Nov 26, 2008 8:20:47 GMT -5
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Post by Clipper on Nov 26, 2008 9:17:18 GMT -5
We tend to go looking for some one individual to blame, but in the justice system, there is a trial process and the verdict comes from 12 of our peers. There is enough blame to go around, but however flawed the system, it is constantly tweeked as technology becomes available.
Instead of "monday morning quarterbacking on friday night" why not simply be happy for the man that he has been vindicated and released from prison. It is done. We can't give the man back the 19 years, but we can make amends and compensate him for the miscarriage of justice.
We all need to do what Mr. Barnes says he is going to do, that is to get on with life, and put it in the past.
I only hope that the true guilty party is found and prosecuted. Only that will bring closure to the family of the victim. The Simon family was also dealt a great injustice when Barnes was wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn't commit, and some sick perverted bastard is still walking free after all these years.
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Post by denise on Nov 26, 2008 9:55:52 GMT -5
Obviously, it is terrible that the wrong person was convicted and had 20 productive years of life taken away from him. I don't think anyone in the Oneida County judicial system can make up for that. How can Mr. Barnes possibly be compensated?
Putting that aside, the person who killed Kim Simon is still out there thinking all this time that he/she/it got away with it. How does the investigation go on from here? I feel bad for the girl's family. They will have to relive the awful tragedy all over again.
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Post by Clipper on Nov 26, 2008 11:08:43 GMT -5
Well, being just out of prison, and having to readjust to society, any compensation the state can give him is better than nothing. SOMEONE should pay SOMETHING for the miscarriage of justice. I think that there is an amount that is paid by the state, such as 100K or something, but I could be wrong. I thought I had read that somewhere over the years.
Being an ex inmate, whether guilty or not, is going to be a shadow hanging over him when it comes to employment or whatever. His life is 19 years behind in progressing towards a family, a home, a career, and all the rest of the things he would have if he had not been incarcerated for 19 years for a crime he didn't commit. Sadly the stigma will be a factor in the minds of the ignorant.
I can only wish the young man good luck, and hope he is successful in his every endeavor.
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Post by bobbbiez on Nov 26, 2008 19:31:14 GMT -5
 Just can't pass this one by. Sorry Clipper, there is no compensation for all the years this "boy" was incarcerated. NO amount of money can repay him, his Mom and the rest of his family for having their loved one taken away from them for nineteen years. Think about it, 19 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's only "words" to us but this "boy" and his family had to live it for all of those years. Just try to imagine it as one of your family members. I don't even want to. It's too horrible of a thought. Miscarriage of justice? Have a feeling they're going to find out it was a big cover up for the guilty parties.  Gotta go. I'm out of here.
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Post by dgriffin on Nov 26, 2008 20:33:42 GMT -5
Putting that aside, the person who killed Kim Simon is still out there thinking all this time that he/she/it got away with it. How does the investigation go on from here? That's what I was wondering, too. I'm no expert, with probably no more than 4 and 1/2 episodes of CSI under my belt (and they really get under my belt ... yukkk) but I guess I'd start with the DNA that was analyzed to a degree that exonerated Barnes. Authorities might be able to match it to known felons. The state has begun taking DNA samples from those convicted of felonies, I believe, and a person deviant enough to do the crime might already be in the system, or someday will. Trouble is, the perp would be middle aged by now and if he (I assume a male) is not already in the DNA records, there is less likelihood he ever will be. Most violent felonies are committed by men in their younger years. Let's hope the perp commits any other kind of felony, like tax evasion, that injures no one but gets him caught. |
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Post by dgriffin on Nov 26, 2008 20:57:32 GMT -5
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Post by tanouryjr on Nov 27, 2008 1:21:01 GMT -5
Interesting take on this. I have to second the sentiments of bobbie on this one. I attended this hearing yesterday. Although I was only 6yrs old when it happened, I have always been fascinated by the case. I have several family members that went to school with Steve and Kim. My father told me years ago about an interesting coversation he overheard from a UPD officer at the time. Everyone I've ever talked to has maintained that he was innocent. Even a friend of the family that didn't get along with him in high school.
The hearing and press conference was much more emotional than I expected. This man was surprisingly quiet and seemed to be very humble. He didn't express any anger. But watching him walk in (then out) of court was mind blowing. The only pictures I've ever seen were from when he was a kid. I still have some of the original articles in a box with old articles of my father. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose twenty years of your life for something you didn't do. He is a bigger man than I am. I would be furious!
the problem here was that ALL of the evidence was circumstantial, and not even strong circumstantial evidence at that. Witnesses lied, the jean print on the truck could have been anything (maybe not even a jean print). There are many theories and rumors, but I'm pretty confident that something will break here. One thing we need to ALWAYS keep in mind is that a person is "innocent until PROVEN guilty." I know what it's like to be wrongfully accused. It's not fun. Unfortunately, many prosecutors and jurors go in with the mindset that the accused must prove his/her innocence. That's not the case. The burden is on the prosecution. hopefully much of what I've learned comes to light here and is uncovered. Many questions need to be asked of the DA at the time (Donalty) and investigators. I wish I was a reporter right now. I saw him on CNN today too.
One thing that is really burning my ass is the comments made by the former Sheriff. I think McNamara handled this well, but how in the world can Hassenuer make those comments? Even if he still has a belief like that, as a former Sheriff, he should show some respect for the rule of law. The conviction has been vacated. Although the charges are still pending, he is back to the "innocent until proven guilty" stage. He should have used better judgement before making statements like that, at a time like this. I have met Bill a few times and have always thought of him as a gentleman. He still may be, but I wish he had some better PR skills.
I would like to wish the Simon and Barnes families a VERY Happy Thanksgiving. I will keep them both in my prayers and wish for the real killer to be brought to justice.
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Post by tanouryjr on Nov 27, 2008 1:44:34 GMT -5
The O-D has a pretty good video over here... www.uticaod.com/specialreportsThey have a YouTube channel, I wish they would post it there so that it could be embeded on other sites. Or if they would use another player that allows embeding. You would think they would WANT to allow that in order to drive more traffic to their site. |
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Post by lucy on Nov 27, 2008 7:32:21 GMT -5
This case has two emotions one is sad and the other is happy. I was only 5 when this happened but as it made its way to the papers during the year it peaked my interest. I talked to a few people that either know the family or lived around there at the time that this has happened and they all felt that he was innocent from day one. My grandmother knew his family, and a few of my friends were in their 30's at the time and know this case rather well. What I can gather from them is that what it comes down to they needed to blame someone for the death of Kimberly Simon. I'm thinking that maybe they concentrated on one person, and didn't look at all suspects throughly. That is how the people that I discuss this case with feel. I hope that they do find the real killer and lets hope that this person hasn't done any harm to anyone else. I feel sad for the Simon family this has to be really hard on them. At the same time I feel happy for Barnes and his family. His family and friends stood behind him and he is one lucky man to have that. Now to be free I feel both sad and happy for him. Sad he was in jail for 20years, missing out on life that some take for granted, and happy that he can enjoy his life once the charges are dropped.
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Post by Swimmy on Nov 27, 2008 10:54:51 GMT -5
I was too young to know about this case and do not know this case well enough to comment on it.
Boomer, I thought your comments were rather interesting. What crime were you wrongfully convicted of? For someone with so much bitterness and anger, I imagine it was a rather serious crime.
Larry, circumstantial evidence is by far more damning than direct evidence will ever be. Legally, there is no difference between circumstantial evidence and direct evidence. Both forms are given equal weight and it becomes a matter of credibility. Most criminal convictions are based on circumstantial evidence. It pisses me off when people say "it's all circumstantial" because it's such bullshit! Circumstantial evidence -- DNA -- exonerated this man from the rape conviction, not direct evidence. So circumstantial evidence is fairly powerful and will always change the course of a case. Fingerprints, circumstantial. Blood spatter on a defendant's clothes, circumstantial. Matching the DNA from that blood spatter to the victim's blood, CIRCUMSTANTIAL! Seeing the defendant's truck outside the bank and watching the defendant enter into the bank but run out seconds later with a two large bags, cash trailing behind him and the bank's security alarm sounding, circumstantial evidence that the defendant robbed the bank. The bank teller who saw the defendant take the money bags, direct.
There does not have to be direct evidence in a case for a conviction. An eyewitness who saw the crime be committed is direct evidence. But psychological studies have shown that such eyewitness testimony is not always reliable or accurate. But circumstantial evidence usually stands up to the test of time, unlike witnesses' memories, for example, the DNA circumstantial evidence in THIS case.
It is unfortunate that the system failed to bring out the truth until now, but at least the truth came out, even if 20 years too late.
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Just can't pass this one by.
