Man cleared by DNA after 27 Years (or... why I oppose the death penalty)

[Nightingale 0]

DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- A Dallas man who spent more than 27 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit was freed Tuesday, after being incarcerated longer than any other wrongfully convicted U.S. inmate cleared by DNA testing.

James Lee Woodard had been in prison for more than 27 years before DNA cleared him.

James Lee Woodard stepped out of the courtroom and raised his arms to a throng of photographers.

Supporters and other people gathered outside the court erupted in applause.

"No words can express what a tragic story yours is," state District Judge Mark Stoltz told Woodard at a brief hearing before his release.

Woodard, cleared of the 1980 murder of his girlfriend, became the 18th person in Dallas County to have his conviction cast aside. That's a figure unmatched by any county nationally, according to the Innocence Project, a New York-based legal center that specializes in overturning wrongful convictions.

"I thank God for the existence of the Innocence Project," Woodard, 55, told the court. "Without that, I wouldn't be here today. I would be wasting away in prison."

Overall, 31 people have been formally exonerated through DNA testing in Texas, also a national high. That does not include Woodard and at least three others whose exonerations will not become official until Gov. Rick Perry grants pardons or the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals formally accepts the ruling of lower courts that have already recommended exoneration.

Woodard was sentenced to life in prison in July 1981 for the murder of a 21-year-old Dallas woman found sexually assaulted and strangled near the banks of the Trinity River.

He was convicted primarily on the basis of testimony from two eyewitnesses, said Natalie Roetzel, the executive director of the Innocence Project of Texas. One has since recanted in an affidavit. As for the other, "we don't believe her testimony was accurate," Roetzel said.

Like nearly all the exonorees, Woodard has maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison. But after filing six writs with an appeals court, plus two requests for DNA testing, his pleas of innocence became so repetitive and routine that "the courthouse doors were eventually closed to him and he was labeled a writ abuser," Roetzel said.

"On the first day he was arrested, he told the world he was innocent ... and nobody listened," Jeff Blackburn, chief counsel for the Innocence Project of Texas, said during Tuesday's hearing.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/29/dna.exoneration.ap/index.html

[normiss 858]

Another heartwarming story of the American Legal system.
and people still want to shorten the time to execute those convicted of capital offenses.
The death penalty is just wrong. A life sentence is much harder on a person than the easy way out with death.
Face it - the death penalty is nothing more that retribution.
I don't want it on my hands.

[AWL71 0]

In my younger days I supported the death penalty but I have mellowed in my old age. Life in prison is a great punishment IMO. The state should not have the right to put someone to death.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

[Amazon 7]

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In my younger days I supported the death penalty but I have mellowed in my old age. Life in prison is a great punishment IMO. The state should not have the right to put someone to death.

Ditto.

I really do not like the idea of the state being the arbiter of life and death.

And I might add.. Life in prison should mean just that.. remove them from our midst for the rest of their lives.. period...

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Alot of my reasons for now being against the death penalty revolve around emotions which is never good when trying to state a side, I love this type of information because it slowly adds to my data bank for when I end up stating my side, maybe one day the emotion will get pushed completely aside because of more articles like this.

Thanks Nightingale for posting this

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[lawrocket 3]

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In my younger days I supported the death penalty but I have mellowed in my old age. Life in prison is a great punishment IMO. The state should not have the right to put someone to death.

I am similar to you. In my younger days I fully supported the death penalty. But I have also mellowed. I still support the death penalty in principle. But I think the death penlaty should be reserved for the worst of the worst. My idea of capital punishment? When a person murders someone in prison, or has someone murdered from prison.

In fact, there was a fairly recent execution that I fully supported. Clarence Ray Allen, who ordered hits on witnesses who testified against him in his first murder trial, and go three of them iced.

I support the death penalty for those who are still a threat to society from prison..

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Like nearly all the exonorees, Woodard has maintained his innocence throughout his time in prison. But after filing six writs with an appeals court, plus two requests for DNA testing, his pleas of innocence became so repetitive and routine that "the courthouse doors were eventually closed to him and he was labeled a writ abuser," Roetzel said.

So the problem here appears to be the unwillingness of the judicial system to proceed with this testing.

If I were released at 27 years in jail, I'm not sure I'd be able to see the glass as one quarter full. I'd be pretty fucking bitter, might have been better off being executed.

[lawrocket 3]

District Attorneys have long been at the top of my legal shit list.

However, a bright spot is Dallas DA Craig Watkins. he was a defense attorney his entire life. Since he was elected as DA a couple of years ago, he has created a department to re-examine DNA. He called them "conviction integrity units."

I believe that this guy has it right - the DA should be a aprt fo the system to ensure that justice prevails.

Perhaps it is BECAUSE of the Dallas DA that so many exonerations are happening.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Amazon 7]

I believe you are right...
Time after Time we see persecuting attorneys who refuse to revisit cases because their infallibility would be called into question.

They cant POSSIBLY have prosecuted an innocent person.. they were convinced then.. and still are even when new evidence has arisin..

That kind of mentality really pisses me off, they destroy peoples lives and then want to continue to do so. There needs to be penalties for that.

[kelpdiver 2]

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That kind of mentality really pisses me off, they destroy peoples lives and then want to continue to do so. There needs to be penalties for that.

yes...if I were released after 20 years, I think I'd be looking for a nice scope for a rifle and finding a crime to fit the punishment I received.

[BillyVance 34]

Sounds like something is seriously wrong with the Dallas County police, detectives, prosecutors, and judicial system. Hopefully they've cleaned up the mess by now.

Who knows, maybe a moratorium on capital punishment for crimes committed before the age of DNA identification would be a good thing.

I am still for the death penalty for recent, current and future capital crimes for which DNA testing can be done in a timely fashion.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Casurf1978 0]

That's my stance too. I do not support it, but in cases when you're dealing with hardened criminals in super max I think it should be allowed. There was a special on MS-13 and how some of the leaders, who are lifers, still order executions and run this gang from behind bars. In cases like these I fully support it.

[rehmwa 2]

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A life sentence is much harder on a person than the easy way out with death.
Face it - the death penalty is nothing more that retribution.

your argument is all messed up

sounds to me like you consider a life sentence to be more of a 'retribution' - so opposing the DP as 'retribution' and then stating that the alternative is much more vindictive, then you make little sense

again - justice is not revenge, it's protection of the public from potential predators

It's not that I disagree with your position, just your lack of logic on the topic.

Lawrocket's position most closely matches my personal views on it. First priority is to protect the public from the convicted predator, whatever it takes.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[tbrown 26]

Woodard, cleared of the 1980 murder of his girlfriend, became the 18th person in Dallas County to have his conviction cast aside. That's a figure unmatched by any county nationally, according to the Innocence Project, a New York-based legal center that specializes in overturning wrongful convictions.

Overall, 31 people have been formally exonerated through DNA testing in Texas, also a national high. That does not include Woodard and at least three others whose exonerations will not become official until Gov. Rick Perry grants pardons or the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals formally accepts the ruling of lower courts that have already recommended exoneration.

[Zipp0 1]

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And Gov. George W. Bush signed off on something like 150 execution warrants that were carried out. He never worried about any of them, because he "knew they were all guilty".

Well, you can tell from that and the rest of his decisions that he doesn't mind having lots of blood on his hands.

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Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.