Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man? Who Cares!

[Truth-Bringer]

Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man? Who Cares!

Government prosecutor hopes to bury the answer forever

A judge has blocked prosecutors from destroying a hair found at scene of the murder for which Claude Jones was convicted, and executed in 2000. DNA testing will now be done to determine if it matches Jones. It's not just any hair. It's the hair that prosecutors matched to the defendant at trial by way of a hair fiber analyst.

Hair fiber analysis is, to say the least, an imperfect science. It has led to wrongful convictions before, and professional prosecution hair fiber witnesses have a history of exaggerating the certitude of their findings.

I haven't read enough about this particular case to have an opinion on it. I note it mostly because of the following passage, which I find absolutely inexplicable:

"The groups, represented by attorneys at Mayer Brown LLP, filed the court motions Friday after the San Jacinto District Attorney refused to agree to DNA testing – and also refused to agree not to destroy the evidence while courts consider whether DNA testing can be conducted."

Now, I can think of some reasons why a prosecutor would want to destroy a piece of physical evidence that could prove that the state executed an innocent man. But none of them are compatible with...um...being a human being."

Rest of article here

 

[Popeye]

Did Texas Execute an Innocent Man? Who Cares!

Government prosecutor hopes to bury the answer forever

A judge has blocked prosecutors from destroying a hair found at scene of the murder for which Claude Jones was convicted, and executed in 2000. DNA testing will now be done to determine if it matches Jones. It's not just any hair. It's the hair that prosecutors matched to the defendant at trial by way of a hair fiber analyst.

Hair fiber analysis is, to say the least, an imperfect science. It has led to wrongful convictions before, and professional prosecution hair fiber witnesses have a history of exaggerating the certitude of their findings.

I haven't read enough about this particular case to have an opinion on it. I note it mostly because of the following passage, which I find absolutely inexplicable:

"The groups, represented by attorneys at Mayer Brown LLP, filed the court motions Friday after the San Jacinto District Attorney refused to agree to DNA testing – and also refused to agree not to destroy the evidence while courts consider whether DNA testing can be conducted."

Now, I can think of some reasons why a prosecutor would want to destroy a piece of physical evidence that could prove that the state executed an innocent man. But none of them are compatible with...um...being a human being."

Rest of article here

You have to wonder how many innocent men have been put to death in the U.S. A great many of them due to prosecutorial misconduct. I've read a book by Kerry Max Cook, who spent some 20 years in prison in Texas,the majority of it on death row. It was really eye opening.

 

[jb_1430]

Not me. Jones-

had eleven prior convictions in Texas for crimes including murder, armed robbery, assault, and burglary. He served 6 years of a 9-year prison sentence from 1959 to 1963 and three years of a 5-year sentence from 1963 to 1965. In 1976, he was convicted of murder, robbery, and assault in Kansas and received a life sentence. While in Kansas prison, Jones killed another inmate. He was paroled in 1984....
A number of witnesses placed Jones at the scene of the crime, including Leon Goodson, who heard the shots and watched Jones leave the liquor store. A strand of Jones' hair was found at the murder scene. Also, Timothy Jordan testified against his partners in crime...
In his brief final statement, Jones apologized to the victim's family

 

[Truth-Bringer]

You have to wonder how many innocent men have been put to death in the U.S. A great many of them due to prosecutorial misconduct. I've read a book by Kerry Max Cook, who spent some 20 years in prison in Texas,the majority of it on death row. It was really eye opening.

There's a new award winning documentary out that's also quite an eye opener. It's called After Innocence.

It's available for rent on Netflix if you're a member.