Louisiana's Longest-Serving Death Row Prisoner Walks Free After 30 Years

CNN ^ | Wed March 12, 2014 | Dana Ford

[nickcarraway]

There are many ways to measure 30 years, but for Glenn Ford, the yardstick is simple.

"My sons -- when I left -- was babies. Now they grown men with babies," he said, speaking as a free man for the first time in nearly three decades.

Ford, Louisiana's longest-serving death row prisoner, walked free Tuesday after spending nearly 30 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit.

"My mind's going all kinds of directions, but it feels good," Ford, 64, told reporters outside the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, according to CNN affiliate WAFB.

[RipSawyer]

“Juries are incompetent too.”
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My one experience on a jury resulted in my being made foreman on a jurty trying a civil case. After witnessing the amazing incompetence of most (not all but the majority) of the jury members on that case I trembled at the thought that I might ever face a criminal charge. That was thirty plus years ago and I am sure the situation is far worse now. The only place you are likely to find justice is in the dictionary somewhere between jurisprudence and Jutland.

[Girlene]

I don’t know that that makes it first degree murder.

A reliable informant came forward and said the Robinson guy had admitted to shooting the store owner.

I’d say after 35 years, he has paid his price for involvement in trying to sell stolen goods.

[Eagles6]

If he was involved in a conspiracy,i.e., casing the store and disposing of the loot then he is as guilty as if he had pulled the trigger.

The informant says that Jake Robinson, who is right handed, supposedly admitted to shooting the victim while holding the gun in his left hand. Why would be do that?

Ford is left handed and expert testimony showed the shooter was probably left handed. It's just a little too pat.

Did Ford just happen to visit the victim's shop and then the owner was robbed and murdered shortly after and then a man that he didn't know just happened to give him stuff to pawn that just happened to be loot stolen in the robbery?

Maybe but highly unlikely.

If a complete stranger comes up to you on the street and asks you to pawn some valuable merchandise for him I would suggest you decline.

[Cen-Tejas]

I think the “jury” concept was born hundreds of years ago when people were different than they are now (putting it nicely).

There really should be an IQ test to be on a jury, among other things but I will stop here.

[Girlene]

If he was involved in a conspiracy,i.e., casing the store and disposing of the loot then he is as guilty as if he had pulled the trigger.

If you are speaking legally, I believe different states have different laws on the culpability of other people involved in the crime besides the shooter. In some states, it doesn't matter whether you are the shooter, if you are with them, you are just as guilty. If you are talking morally, I would agree if the plan was to murder the store owner. If the plan was to rob him and one person decides to shoot him instead of leaving, then no, I would say the shooter is guilty of first degree murder, not the other guy with him.

You could be right about the case, but the prosecution seemed confident enough in the informant to release Ford.

But, again, your theory could be right.

If a complete stranger comes up to you on the street and asks you to pawn some valuable merchandise for him I would suggest you decline.

lol, I will keep that in mind.

[Eagles6]

Too many of these cases turn out to be not what they seem and many, even some FReepers don't look past the agenda written articles.

Never know, he might be just a dumb, unlucky guy but...we'll see.