Texan Declared Innocent After 30 Years in Prison

[Warhammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110104/ap_on_re_us/us_dna_exoneration_texas#mwpphu-container

DALLAS – A Texas man declared innocent Tuesday after 30 years in prison could have cut short his prison stint twice and made parole — if only he would admit he was a sex offender.

But Cornelius Dupree Jr. refused to do so, doggedly maintaining his innocence in a 1979 rape and robbery, in the process serving more time for a crime he didn't commit than any other Texas inmate exonerated by DNA evidence.

"Whatever your truth is, you have to stick with it," Dupree, 51, said Tuesday, minutes after a Dallas judge overturned his conviction.
Nationally, only two others exonerated by DNA evidence spent more time in prison, according to the Innocence Project, a New York legal center that specializes in wrongful conviction cases and represented Dupree. James Bain was wrongly imprisoned for 35 years in Florida, and Lawrence McKinney spent more than 31 years in a Tennessee prison.

Dupree was sentenced to 75 years in prison in 1980 for the rape and robbery of a 26-year-old Dallas woman a year earlier. He was released in July on mandatory supervision, and lived under house arrest until October. About a week after his release, DNA test results came back proving his innocence in the sexual assault.

All I have to say is that according to the article, the Texas justice system did a horrible thing to this man. The man was given no reasonable doubt. The woman who was raped pretty much looked at some photos, said "He did it" and the prosecutors did not hesitate to lock his ass up. Maybe there were some racism behind the prosecution. Maybe not. All I can is that I am ashamed that such a poor and incompetent Texas justice system allowed this man to spend 30 years of his life in prison. It makes me sick. He deserves more than 2.4 million.

 

[Morg]

I heard Texas now leading the count of finding convicts being innocent from DNA

 

[Warhammer]

I heard Texas now leading the count of finding convicts being innocent from DNA

Fantastic news.

 

[LOBO3315a]

It is good that he is getting the justice he deserves. 2.4 million is a paltry sum compared to what was taken from him.

However, no matter how good the system is, there will always be injustices. That doesn't mean that people shouldn't be punished for crimes they are found guilty of. It just means the work by organizations like the DNA Innocence Project are worthy endeavors.

Maybe we should celebrate that situations like this are the exception, rather than the rule? I'm sure the DNS Innocence Project finds a lot more people that should be behind bars rather than stories like this.

 

[Paroxysm]

There're certain mistakes you can't take back or make reparations for.

 

[Schlosser85]

How do you possibly repay someone for taking away 30 years of his life?

 

[chaseter]

80k a year for 30 years in prison is pretty crappy.

 

[Harls]

That sucks.... you can't give someone enough of anything to make up for those years lost.

 

[Wylie Times]

I heard Texas now leading the count of finding convicts being innocent from DNA

Which is terrifying considering Texas leads the nation in executions.....

*edit*

and that man has a level of integrity that most can only dream of having. There have been similar cases where people have admitted to things they didn't do just to get lesser sentence.

The American justice system is far more flawed that the general public realizes.

 

[Cosmic]

Tragic.

 

[terry78]

Yeah, the money is good, but look at all the **** he missed since 1981, man. I know he had newspapers and tv and what not, but he couldn't experience it.

 

[Raiden]

80k a year for 30 years in prison is pretty crappy.

I agree. The state of Texas should've compensate this innocent man for alot more money than just 2.5 mil.

 

[E-Man]

Which is terrifying considering Texas leads the nation in executions.....

*edit*

and that man has a level of integrity that most can only dream of having. There have been similar cases where people have admitted to things they didn't do just to get lesser sentence.

The American justice system is far more flawed that the general public realizes.

The bad thing about it is that Watkins, the DA, has been taking crap from people about getting all of these innocent guys free. Some people just want guys to be guilty no matter what, and that is the source of all that's wrong with the justice system. It's too much finger pointing going on.

 

[Wylie Times]

The bad thing about it is that Watkins, the DA, has been taking crap from people about getting all of these innocent guys free. Some people just want guys to be guilty no matter what, and that is the source of all that's wrong with the justice system. It's too much finger pointing going on.

There are cases also where guys get set free because of DNA evidence clearing them and the original prosecutor still claims they're guilty.

 

[Hurm...]

Wow, I don't even know what to say...

That's ****ing awful. 30 years, man.

 

[Morg]

80k a year for 30 years in prison is pretty crappy.

How much less after taxes?

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Yeah, the money is good, but look at all the **** he missed since 1981, man. I know he had newspapers and tv and what not, but he couldn't experience it.

He probably 'experienced' all kinds of things in prison too. How do you pay for that? If someone gets raped by a Mcdonald's employee in Mcdonalds while other employee's watched, that person would probably get something more than 2 million.

 

[Warhammer]

How much less after taxes?

The money he gets is nontaxable.

 

[Mace Bloodstone]

The money he gets is nontaxable.

If it was I'm sure they would go after him for tax evasion.

 

[SuperFerret]

How do you possibly repay someone for taking away 30 years of his life?

One free murder.

 

[Warhammer]

If it was I'm sure they would go after him for tax evasion.

Gotta love Texas justice.

But really though, in this case, Texas established that the money he gets is nontaxable.

 

[blksuperman2]

Forgive me for sounding like the atypical angry black man but I'm not surprised that he's black.

 

[SuperFerret]

Forgive me for sounding like the atypical angry black man but I'm not surprised that he's black.

I'm not surprised it's Texas.

 

[Wylie Times]

Forgive me for sounding like the atypical angry black man but I'm not surprised that he's black.

You shouldn't be surprised. The majority of people who are set free from prison because of DNA evidence are black (60% to be exact). 70% of the cases where someone was convicted had an "eyewitness" who implicated innocent people.

 

[fracture2112]

That sucks.... you can't give someone enough of anything to make up for those years lost.

Especially if he's dropped the soap.