Richardson man becomes 16th Dallas County inmate cleared by DNA since 2001

[Lennon]

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-mcgowanfree_17met.ART.North.Edition1.466086e.html

Thomas Clifford McGowan Jr. walked out of a Dallas County courtroom Wednesday a free man after DNA tests proved he did not commit a rape and burglary more than two decades ago.

Mr. McGowan is the 16th Dallas County inmate to be cleared through DNA testing since 2001, the most of any county in the nation. Like almost all of the other wrongful convictions, Mr. McGowan's was based primarily on the victim selecting his photograph from a police lineup.

Richardson police obtained his photograph from a traffic arrest two days after the 1985 rape.

The 19-year-old victim picked his photo from a group of seven, some in color, others black-and-white photocopies.

When she tentatively picked Mr. McGowan's picture, she said Detective Mike Corley, now the assistant chief, told her: "I had to make a positive ID. I had to say yes or no."

[guyanakoolaid]

1. This is why I no longer support the death penalty, or any conviction based just on witness testimony

[vickitulsa]

2. The real outrage behind all these wrongful convictions

is that the prosecutors, as well as the police officers and detectives involved, usually KNOW they do not have the right suspect or at least know damn well that they don't have a good enough case to be sure. They just don't care, because the convictions look good on their record!

I've heard any number of people employed in law enforcement, and courthouse workers right up to judges pronouncing sentences, casually shrug off such wrongful convictions by saying, "Well, if he didn't commit THIS crime, he surely committed others he got away with!" Or worse yet, "probably would have committed other crimes" if they had not put him in prison "by mistake" ... or purposely, knowing they had the wrong man (or woman) for the crime.

As long as promotions, praise, awards, and other sorts of rewards for those involved in our badly broken criminal justice system are granted to individuals who have the "best conviction rates," we're going to have continued wrongful convictions and abuse of the system.

There is NOTHING "just" about what passes for justice in this country! It's just another racket for making big bucks by persecuting and destroying human beings who cannot defend themselves. You know -- like WAR.

Yet the "tough on crime" types still get elected by touting how hard they will make it on the "criminals" in our society. It doesn't work, even if they get the RIGHT perpetrators, to simply torture and torment them more and keep them in prison longer. Are you any safer from criminals now that over two million of your fellow citizens are incarcerated?

Our culture is sick to its core, full of people who are perfectly happy to see as many of their fellow citizens incarcerated as those running "the System" desire to lock up -- as long as it doesn't touch them or their loved ones!

But guess what, folks -- one in five families in America already has had a member imprisoned, and the numbers just keep on growing. If it hasn't touched you personally YET, just stay tuned and keep whistling in the dark.

If someone can be prosecuted and jailed for testifying falsely against another person, why are not those who prosecute innocents and arrange for witnesses to testify against them held accountable when they convict the wrong person in a crime?

NO ONE has to answer for these "mistakes," most of which are not mistakes at all but deliberate wrongdoing on the part of those who make their living in the System.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. If, picking a number out of the air, 1/2 of 1% of our prison population

is similarly falsely imprisoned, there are 10,000 other innocents languishing in prison.

It happens every day. Some are released after successful appeals. Others cleared by similar further evidence as this. Most serve their 5-20 years, and are forever stigmatized as convicts.