tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post7162070058443644367..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: When DNA exonerations end, innocence problems will continueGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-9109444942610565222008-04-19T11:44:00.000-05:002008-04-19T11:44:00.000-05:00Dallas County’s systemic problems with the adminis...Dallas County’s systemic problems with the administartion of justice is despicable. I pray that the case of Lakeith Amir-Sharif and others helps to bring the glass of injustice known as the Texas Judiciary to it’s knees. Every legislator, police officer, prosecutor and judge should hold their heads down in shame for what is going on there in dallas County. <BR/><BR/>The conviction of innocent persons for crimes they did not commit calls into question the integrity and legitimacy of our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the conviction of the innocent occurs far more often then many are willing to admit. Many police officers, prosecutors, judges, government officials, and even average citizens believe that these cases coming out of Texas are anomalies. In fact, I recently read somewhere a comment by a blogger from another state that said “there were undoubtedly some who still believe, despite several exoneration through DNA testing, that some of those recent exonerees from Dallas County were nonetheless guilty”. Obviously, the bloggers’ common sense has taken an extended leave of absence.<BR/><BR/>Moreover, some government and criminal justice officials argue that the exposure of cases of wrongful conviction demonstrate that the system functions well. Not so, and I’ll point to 50 years of evidence and two men who were stripped of their freedom at the prime of their lives, labled a criminal for a crime they did not commit, forced to serve most their lives in prison for which no monetary compensation, no perfuncutory apology, no hand shakes and no apperances on the t.v. show circuits can ever reverse the pain, emotional turmoil caused by being wrongfully convicted.<BR/><BR/>Something must be done and done soon. Dallas County is just a reflection of the national crisis affecting the integrity and fairness of our justice system.<BR/><BR/>Not!!!! 23 years after the fact (Thomas McGowan) and 27 years after the fact (Charles Chatman) If this were in fact the case, many innocent people would not be spending years in prison for crimes they did not commit. This faulty logic serves as a major impediment to the recognition, exposure and prevention of wrongful convictions. <BR/><BR/>http://www.voiceofwitness.com/sjmain.html<BR/><BR/>http://youtube.com/watch?v=dWrRap7FAZw<BR/><BR/>http://youtube.com/watch?v=nrFifvU9WjQAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-29728190809476668032008-04-17T19:50:00.000-05:002008-04-17T19:50:00.000-05:00This is me jumping up and down in the corner! The ...This is me jumping up and down in the corner! The issue I see every day with the ex-offenders I work with is the abuse of plea bargains in our urban areas. No one wants to go to trial, not the ADA, not the court appointed attorney, and not the judge so we have men and women pleading guilty to the best deal that can be cut between the two attorneys. The defendant is told to just "stand up and say you did it". Later, if the person has regets, it's too late. I'm working with a woman who is sitting in prison for another 10 years because she was talked into taking a plea - a bad one - and the issue of domestic violence came up. Well, that's enough, I'm sitting back down.Debbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00644206940669132219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-20848241533548312312008-04-16T09:21:00.000-05:002008-04-16T09:21:00.000-05:00Thanks Grits!I'm not a regular here, but I like wh...Thanks Grits!<BR/><BR/>I'm not a regular here, but I like what I've seen of your blog posts. <BR/><BR/>You wrote; <I>"DNA exonerations have allowed us to go back and look at why these cases happened"</I>, in which you followed up listing various causes that attribute to the problem of wrongful convictions. You then go on to tell us that there were many ADA's and LE personel there you chatted on the topics with. This leads me to a question.<BR/><BR/>Was there any discussion regarding abuse of authority? <BR/><BR/>kbpkbphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11814695387546108048noreply@blogger.com