DNA Evidence Frees Man After Nearly 18 Years in Prison in Pennsylvania

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB9WI88VBE.html

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A man who spent 19 years behind bars for a rape he didn't commit was released from prison Monday after new tests of DNA evidence cleared him.

Friends and family broke into applause when a county judge dismissed charges against Thomas A. Doswell. About 30 minutes later, Doswell walked out of the county jail a free man - expressing thanks, not bitterness.

"I'm thankful to be home," he told The Associated Press from his mother's house. "I'm thankful justice has been served. The court system is not perfect, but it works."

Doswell, 46, was convicted in the 1986 rape of a 48-year-old woman at a hospital in Pittsburgh. When he was convicted, he was 25 and the father of two young children.

[napi21]

1. I feel so bad for this guy. I'm glad he's out now, but I don't

understand HOW he can possible not be bitter? I can guarantee you, I'd have to be in restraints! 19 years of this mans life; his children were babies, and now they're adults!

What a terrible shame, and thank God for DNA!

[Sparkman]

4. A hit man hired for taking out any and all who railroaded me...just kiddin

[ret5hd]

13. The Stockholm Syndrome (nt)

[wli]

2. now visit spr.org to see what was probably wrongly done to him

[Sparkman]

3. The guy,"justice has been served...not perf. but works"!!!???: DUDE, just

wait til the glow wears off. You'll call, I would hope, a world class mouthpiece to SUE THE SHIT OUT OF THOSE A-CLASS JERKS!!
Nineteen years of his BEST YEARS. This type of outrage is only topped by the absurdity of the pro-death penalty types that think the government should hold the power of life & death over us.

[WildClarySage]

9. Isn't it amazing how these same people who think that the death penalty

is perfectly ok to be sentenced by a jury of 12 peers simultaneously believes that the same jury is not competent to adequately decide a tort case?

[Sparkman]

11. the corp. elite loathe lawsuits BECAUSE THEY ARE the DEFENDANTS!

[Cha]

15. Now That would be a Happy Ending!!

Nineteen years of Mistaken Idenity behind bars to come out and get the compensation owed you..for a Nice Retirement.

Didn't that woman get $4Million $$$$$ for getting hot coffee spilled on her at mcdonalds. Surely.. this is worth more than that?!

[bluestateguy]

21. She ended up getting like $200,000

But point well taken.

[Mairead]

25. Also skin grafts. Don't forget the skin grafts--she never will!

[fortyfeetunder]

5. How about REPARATIONS for this guy?

Let's see he's lost 20 years or productive employment on a phony charge?

http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=163

[TahitiNut]

7. See LAEP

http://www.exonerated.org/compensation.html

Pennsylvania has no compensation statute.

[wakeme2008]

10. Tn has the best

TN
Tenn Code Ann §9-8-108
“Exoneration” or pardon for inno-cence
Not specified
Board of Claims
1 year
$1,000,000
1984
Amended
2004
Nothing specified

[TahitiNut]

19. I support the Cardozo School's model legislation.

:shrug:

[TahitiNut]

6. That makes 160 people PROVEN innocent after convictions.

So much for the imbeciles who support capital punishment. It staggers the sane mind that "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" has been overturned by clearing the HIGHER hurdle of PROOF of innocence. We're not talking about establishing "reasonable doubt" ... we're talking about PROOF to the contrary.

In a nation were 'reason' itself has emigrated, a standard of 'reasonable' anything has become mythical.

[phusion]

8. Exactly!

How can anyone support the death penalty with an "error rate" like this? Just crazy...

[Kraklen]

17. They usually say something stupid like....

this just proves the system works.

[Mairead]

24. Which is the same kind of broken logic that Feynman criticised

for having killed the Challenger astronauts: the o-ring only eroded 0.33 of the way through, so it's safe!!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. it hasn't emigrated at all

It was escorted out in handcuffs, by TSA and HSA, with Justice lawyers pushing from behind.

[TahitiNut]

18. Well, in some places it's been exorcised.

After all, 'reason' is seen as the enemy of 'faith' by the mindless religionists.

[Beaver Tail]

12. The Justice System Failed this man

It was science that freed him

[anotherdrew]

14. science that could have freed him 10 years ago, or more...

how long has dna testing been around? '95 for sure...

[bluestateguy]

20. OK, who gets punished now?

The prosecutors? The judges? The parole boards? Or maybew even the dingbat jurors who found him guilty?

I want somebody punished harshly for this outrage.

And the state should take care of this man so that he never has to work again, and he can spend the rest of his life lying on the beach.

[cosmicdot]

22. I was wondering, too, what those who convicted/prosecuted ...

... are doing now ... who played a role in this case? where are their names? what other false convictions have they instigated over the years? how many other innocent people have they possibly framed over the years? have any been promoted for their 'outstanding' work? ... and, how do they feel about this reversal?

who was/were the prosecuting attorney(s)? what is he/she/they doing today?


"On the day of the crime, the police showed the victim a photographic lineup. None of the photographs were marked except for Doswell’s. His photograph had the letter “R” written on it. At trial, a police officer explained that photographs marked with an “R” represented photographs of people who had been charged with rape."

http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=163

[Mairead]

23. Any bets on his complexion?

Dark brown would be my guess.

[shanti]

28. that would be my guess too - par for the course

no picture as of yet tho.

[Mairead]

31. Yep. We could win bar bets, the odds are so good.

It's sickening.

[moof]

29. A black and white photo but still ....

From article here http://post-gazette.com/pg/05211/546262.stm


Thomas Doswell

as far as compensation,
the first 20 years they were not sure he was guilty, fine no charge,
For each day since last monday when he was kept in jail after they knew he was innocent, at least a million a day.

[Mairead]

32. That would work for me. He definitely deserves MAJOR comp.

But what will you bet that he doesn't get buggerall? After all, the lives of ordinary folk --especially if Black-- aren't worth much.

[Hardrada]

26. Isn't there some DNA somewhere to convict

Shrub of something??

[qanda]

27. I actually know this guy

He went to high school with two of my sisters. My one sister works in the prison system and says that Tommy has been screaming about his innocence forever. It's such a shame the way they did him, he'll never get back all the years that were stolen from him.

[NNN0LHI]

33. He sounds like a man I would be proud to say I knew

I hope he finds DU. He would be a welcome addition here.

Don

[Mairead]

30. The most charming part of this for me is that the prosecutor

resisted having the DNA test done. What does that say about his priorities?