CONVICTED OF MURDER 20 YEARS AGO

[thelma]

I do agree that only God should have the final decision on when someone's life should be ended.

BUT - what about rabid animals? We have no qualms about putting them out of their misery.

I've watched and read enough books to realize that some people's genes create a very sadistic, violent and total lack of empathy or compassion for others individuals that think nothing of hurting and killing other human beings.

I find it hard to justify that these people are also children of God and he thinks they are deserving of life.

We could go on and on debating the religious side of this argument over the Death Penalty without changing each other's opinions.

I'm as religious as you are, Frank, and my faith has gotten me thru some very traumatic events in my life. BUT - IMO, there are some people that are not fit to continue their reign of terror on Society and should be put to death when their guilt has been proven 100%.

[frankcor]

There is much we agree on, Thelma. And we can both appreciate and respect each other's position. I'm satisfied with that.

[bobbbiez]

Swimmy, in this matter of the death penalty I will agree with you completely and for the reasons you have listed.

Not to get into my religious beliefs why I am against it, but because I have learned through my many years that the system in this matter has made far too many mistakes and not just because of the new DNA procedures but for other reasons that many do not want to believe takes place.

All I can state is one should NEVER put all their faith into our legal system. It is the only one we have and we have to accept it, but it is far from being flawless. Don't ever believe any crime can be that cut n dry. If you do, then I have a bridge in my backyard to sell you.

[dgriffin]

This is an interesting case, as are many of those taken on by the Innocence Project. Except by proving someone else did it, how do you "prove" a person did NOT do the crime? What does anyone think would be overwhelming evidence to exonerate the young man? You could successfully attack the validity of evidence that was used to convict him, but that would not prove he didn't do it. Help me out here.

[bobbbiez]

Dave, I can only speak of the case where my son's friend was convicted of killing his parents 20 years ago and was recently released due to the hard work of the Innocence Project.

After many, many years of appeals they finally reopened his case and he was found not guilty. Not only was he found not guilty, but they also found the real killer who was his parent's business partner.

Why was he found guilty in the first place? The Prosecutor's misconduct and the conflicting testimonies of the Investigator's reports to get a quick conviction was the reason that the real killer stayed free and this young man was sent to prison at the age of 17 years old.

When I state "NEVER' put all your faith in our Justice System, I say that because there are too many cases like this young man's. We, the public, don't always hear about many, because when the "higher ups" screw up royally the headlines are not as big as the convictions.

Pretty awful and sad that 20 years was taken out of this young man's life. Something no one or any amount of money can ever give him back.
Taking it one step further, and what I want you all to think about. What if he was given the death penalty?
Please don't come back with, "well it's only one life when many are truly guilty." How the hell does one really know that in the first place? As I stated before, one can never be that sure any case is that cut n dry.

If it could happen to this young man and many others, you all have to realize, it could happen in your own families also. Then I'm sure you would all develop a different of opinion on the death penalty when it hits directly in your own back yard.

One innocent life taken is enough for me.

[dgriffin]

May 15, 2008 12:32:05 GMT -5 bobbbiez said:

If it could happen to this young man and many others, you all have to realize, it could happen in your own families also. Then I'm sure you would all develop a different of opinion on the death penalty when it hits directly in your own back yard.
/

Yes, I'm sure I'd feel the same, and I certainly am upset that the young man's life was essentially taken from him. In his case, they did find the murderer and I suppose proved the case against the business partner.
But what I was wondering about was proving a negative. Specifically, I was wondering how many Innocence Project type cases offer proof positive that the accused was not guilty and how many cases simply invalidate the evidence that was offered during the trial.

[wcup102]

Yea that poor guy fromthe Innocence project. He was so sitraught over the whole thing he now smokes pot. Matter fo fact, his girlfriend/fiance was arrested that morning, Law Day, at the courthouse as she was coming in. She was holding his pot, according to her. I wasn't there, I was elsewhere in the building, but walked in during the arrest processing. She said she was holding it for him. Poor guy!!!LOL

[bobbbiez]

wcup102, who are you referring to with all the statements you just made. If you are referring to the boy I'm talking about then you're full of sh-t!!

Number one, he doesn't have a girlfriend.
Number two, he was not released any where near this area. He isn't even from this area.

Please clarify the hear say you just posted.

[bobbbiez]

Dave, trying to answer your question. A spokesman for the Innocence Project, stated that 10 of N.Y. 23 DNA exonerations, the actual perpetrator was later identified. Nine of those 10 cases went on to commit additional crimes such as rape and murder while the innocence person sat in prison.

Does that help you at all?

[dgriffin]

Bobbiez, yes that helps. So the actual perp was identified (and hopefully prosecuted, but we don't know) in 10 of 23 cases. I'll do a little more research, but it seems that in 13 of 23 cases, somehow DNA was used to invalidate the evidence presented at trial. I'm making too a large jump in logic, actually, so I'll do a little research and get back to you.
Here's where I'm going, Bobbbiez. Despite the case you cite and your personal knowledge of it, I've always wondered just how fully "exonerated" the accused becomes in most of these cases.
For example, a "fully exonerated" case might involve a semen mismatch in a rape case, when the DNA found on the victim and now finally analyzed definitely does not match the accused. An example of a "not so exonerated" case might occur when DNA or other technology destroys the value of evidence offered at the trial and forces the state to release the prisoner, even though a reasonable person could still conclude he is guilty.
I like to get into such things and dig. It's my nature.

[Clipper]

Geez, take a pill sunshine! If the man you are talking about was not released in this area, he surely can't be the one that Wcup is talking about can he???

Save the hostility for your neighborhood adversaries, haha!

[bobbbiez]

Sorry Clipper, but I don't do pills. You'll just have to handle me the way I am. Besides, I've been told I'm just like someone else here on the forum. Wonder who that might be?

Besides, not aware of anyone released by the work of the Innocence Project here in this area. Just would like to know who he was referring to. ;D

[Clipper]

lolol! Ask him nice and he might tell ya! hehehehe! Jump all in his shit, and all you will accomplish is to start another Thelma/Clipper war of words.

I haven't the faintest idea who they might think you are like on the forum?

Surely you cannot be speaking of ME??? Meek and mild mannered ME???

[bobbbiez]

Sh*t Clipper, I was asking nicely. You know me well enough to know that.

I'm not one for mixing words and will always keep it real.
Never worried about being in a popularity contest and know I've made alot of enemies along the way, especially working with City Officials to improve things in this city, but so be it.

Had one Official secretly tell me my name is not Barb but "bitch" in certain departments and I told him that was a great compliment, because it took me years to perfect it. ;D

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You, meek and mild mannered? ;D ;D

Besides, wcup should know by now, I don't mean anything personal against him. It was the "hear say" I was speaking of anyways.
Hey wcup, don't be so thin- skinned. I'm easy and still luv ya.

[bobbbiez]

Dave, from what I have read, Eric Ferrero, is a spokesman for the Innocence Project and might be a person of interest for you to get some farther info from.

Let me know what your research comes up with.