DNA Evidence Frees Man After 15 Years in Prison

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/20/nyregion/20cnd-overturn.html?ex=1159416000&en=1cdaf1022b672e31&ei=5043&partner=EXCITE

DNA Evidence Frees Man After 15 Years in Prison

By FERNANDA SANTOS and MARIA NEWMAN
Published: September 20, 2006

WHITE PLAINS, Sept. 20 — In 1990, a jury convicted Jeffrey Mark Deskovic, then 16, of raping, beating and strangling a high school classmate, even though jurors were told the DNA evidence in the case did not point to him.

They believed a police detective, who testified that Mr. Deskovic had confessed to the crime. A judge sentenced him to 15 years to life in prison, and at age 17 Mr. Deskovic was locked up.

Today, another judge set the 33-year-old Mr. Deskovic free, saying he agreed with his lawyers and the Westchester district attorney that more sophisticated DNA testing showed that someone else had killed and raped Angela Correa in November 1989.

When he heard that he was being set free, Mr. Deskovic, who has been arguing his innocence for years, sat speechless for a few minutes. Then he hugged his lawyers and walked out of the courtroom.

FULL story at link above.

[xultar]

1. Land of the free and the home of the brave.

[BlueJazz]

6. ..as long as you're not poor..... n/t

[pinerow]

2. Confirms my belief that when the cops

or the D.A. decide you're guilty, they rarely let the facts stand in the way of a conviction...:wtf:

[Jackpine Radical]

3. One more proof they shouldn't let that DNA stuff into court

unless it upholds the conviction. Ths kind of result just makes the prosecutors & cops look bad & serves no useful purpose.

[acmavm]

4. Surely you forgot the 'sarcasm' thingey?

[Copperred]

5. Justice served?

Simply put this man should be compesated by the Fed/State/Local government that prosecuted him for roughly 5MM.

There needs to be precedent set and legislation enacted that if the US government locks u up....ruins ur life for 15 years...they SET U UP...when ur out....

5MM sounds about right.

[Oldtimeralso]

7. This just proves...

America has the best justice money can buy!

[brentspeak]

8. This part of the article confirms that Deskovic really is innocent:

The Westchester district attorney, Janet DiFiore, said the inmate, who has yet to be publicly identified, has confessed to the murder, and her office is pursuing an investigation.

[razors edge]

9. oops, our bad, no hard feelings hey.