Posted on 10/08/2012 8:48:04 AM PDT by Altariel
NEWTON, N.C. — A man who spent almost 24 years in prison after he was convicted of rape has now been found innocent of the crime.
A three-judge panel ruled Friday that Willie Grimes did not rape and kidnap a 69-year-old woman from Hickory in 1987.
Grimes' lawyer presented evidence during the weeklong hearing that showed police did not question a half-dozen people who said Grimes was somewhere else when the rape happened. They also showed that two fingerprints found at the home where the rape happened were linked to another man, who has been charged with several rapes during the 1970s.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
Poor man. It is a bloody shame that the prosecutors can’t themselves be prosecuted for this kind of injustice.
Well as long as no police or other government officials are inconvienced, no harm no foul, eh < /sarcasm>
Well, there's still a CHANCE he might be guilty. For that reason police should be dispatched to his house to shoot his dog. I mean, everyone is guilty of SOMETHING.
LOL!
This is one of my biggest fears in life. False imprisonment that is.
Right up there with slow painful death or ride sharing with an opinionated Obama supporter.
It’s because prosecutors want quick ends to hard cases so that they can show the people of NC that the people were smart to elect those prosectors.
There's just nothing more heinous than imprisoning someone for a crime they didn't commit.
If you or a loved one is ever even peripherally implicated in a crime NEVER speak to the police; let your attorney speak to them. The police are never interested in sorting out the innocent and the guilty. The police are only interested in lining up candidates for prosecution. If you can be made to fit the bill, you’re going to trial if they can possibly arrange it. If you say you were there but didn’t do it, all they hear is you were there.
True justice would demand that the prosecutor, investigators, etc should immediately be thrown into prison with a sentence of 24 years without parole. ALL their assets should be seized and given to this man. This should be done with NO trial.
Very little is more heinous that incompetent, power hungry prosecutors.
There must be more to the story .... there had to be SOME evidence of guilt.
His lawyer could have subpoenaed these half-dozen people to testify in court.
What was his lawyer -- a potted plant???
Here in Texas, the Code of Criminal Procedure specifically states that the job of a prosecutor “is not to convict, but to ensure justice is done”.
I wish I could say they all comply with that. My personal opinion, having been prosecutor, defense counsel and judge at different times both on active duty and as a civilian attorney, is that NOBODY should be allowed to be a prosecutor until he/she has been a defense counsel. Impractical, but it would at least let them see both sides before giving them the 10-pound hammer of the State.
What was his lawyer — a potted plant???
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Probably court appointed .. if you’re poor you have no chance. Court appointed lawyers are bottom of the barrel and have no budget to work with .. add to that they themselves want to be on the prosecution side someday and it’s a recipe for disaster.
The prosecutor didn’t likely tell the defense about these witnesses.
Nothing on earth can ever give him back the 1/3 of his life that was stolen by the government.
You are naive I’d you think many prosecutors care about justice. They just want convictions even I’d they have reason to believe the accused is likely innocent. It’s just a game to them.
Why? Are you not familiar with the Duke lacrosse case?
Why? Are you not familiar with the Duke lacrosse case?
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