Witness recants, freeing Ohio man after 39 years

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — A man who spent nearly four decades in prison after being convicted of murder is expected to be freed Friday after a witness confessed he lied as a boy when he told jurors he saw the deadly attack.

Ricky Jackson had been seeking a new trial and sobbed loudly with his face in his hands as prosecutors dismissed his case Tuesday, The Plain Dealer (http://bit.ly/1vpfhwJ ) reported.

"I can't believe this is over," Jackson, 57, said, thanking his supporters and his attorneys from the Ohio Innocence Project.

Jackson has been imprisoned for 39 years, serving a life sentence for aggravated murder and other charges, according to state prison records. He is expected to be released as soon as the paperwork is finished.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said the case fell apart after witness Eddie Vernon recanted. Vernon said he had been fed details of the crime by police and kept quiet about his lies because investigators had threatened to imprison his parents.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Witness-recants-freeing-Ohio-man-after-39-years-5903620.php

[christx30]

1. Ricky Jackson should get $1 Million

per year he spent in prison for a crime he didn't commit. The witness that lied on the stand should take Ricky's place in prison, and stay there 39 years, or until he dies, whichever comes first.

[BronxBoy]

7. So should the members of "Law Enforcement"

[Doremus]

11. The witness was 12 years old

He lied because the police threatened to harm his family.

Do you still think he should be locked up for 39 years or until he dies?

[derby378]

13. His lie ruined that poor man's life - he should be held accountable

There used to be an old saying: "Better to die than tell a lie." Perhaps he should have called the cops' bluff.

[christx30]

15. He turned 18 six years later.

He could have come forward at any time in the interveneing years. But instead he sat, doing nothing. As a result, an innocent man rotted in jail. If police threatened me and told me to lie to put an innocent man in jail, I'd take the stand, and tell the judge under oath what happened. The cops would find themselves with a contempt charge.

[Dont call me Shirley]

2. The prosecutor and investigators should go to prison for lying in a court if law.

[yeoman6987]

4. Majority are probably dead by now

40 years is a long time. Most of the main players were probably over 35 years old. The poor guy was very young. The rest most likely were not.

[indepat]

3. Since police criminally aided in the conviction, an award of +/- $39 million would seem

fair and just.

[bananas]

5. See - the system works!

Conservatives actually say things like that.

[BronxBoy]

6. This is why we don't trust the criminal justice system.....

All of the exhortations to be calm for the Wilson case, "all the don't prejudge" lectures really need to be made with shit like this in mind. The criminal justice system in this country has always, ALWAYS seen people of color as fodder for the system.

And of course, as has happened so many. many times in the past, the crooked cops and prsecutors will never be held to account. You think Michael Brown was a "thug" ? Well what about the the overwhelmingly White members of the criminal justice system who have for too long greaded the rails for this type of shit to happen.

[Historic NY]

8. So the real culprit went free, Cleveland better pony up..

[bluestateguy]

9. Hm, maybe not such a good idea to send someone to jail based on one witness's testimony?

What do think?

[Paper Roses]

10. If you can, please read 'The Innocent Man' by John Grisham.

Well written true story that will make your blood boil. Wrongful imprisonment and ruined lives. It happens more that you would imagine.

Mr Jackson deserves a big judgment in his favor but no amount of money will bring back all the years of wrongful imprisonment.

[Zorra]

12. Too many really bad cops out there. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. The vast majority of people locked up at 18 - for any crime - should be released by 40, or 45

40 years in prison starting when you're 18 is barbaric, I don't care what you did. We're one of the few societies that engage in such nonsense. Exceptions for the very few, absolutely irredeemable sociopaths, so long as we don't pretend that state is common.

He should have been released already even if he was guilty.