Ex-Inmate Says Pirro Ignored DNA Evidence That Freed Him

[madmusic]

By JONATHAN P. HICKS
Published: September 21, 2006

Claims that Jeanine F. Pirro ignored pleas to review DNA evidence that ultimately cleared a convicted murderer were the latest thorny issue to dog her campaign for attorney general.

Those claims came on the same day that Ms. Pirro, a Republican who is the former Westchester district attorney, abruptly canceled a news conference at which she was to call for reinstating the death penalty.

The man who was exonerated, Jeffrey Mark Deskovic, was convicted in 1991 of raping and killing a classmate at Peekskill High School. He was cleared of the murder charges this week after Ms. Pirro’s successor, Janet DiFiore, reviewed the DNA evidence, which linked the crime to another man. Mr. Deskovic was released.

snip

In an interview yesterday, Barry Scheck, a director of the Innocence Project, said it was “cosmic irony” that Ms. Pirro “chose to hold a press conference in support of the death penalty on the day that, by sheer chance, another innocent man was exonerated.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/nyregion/21ag.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Scairp]

1. That woman is a disgrace to the legal profession

She should be disbarred, not running for attorney general.

[dkofos]

6. Sounds like she went to school with gonzales

[madmusic]

8. LOL, and they ditched P.E. and...

Watched Nazi movies. No fooling around, no pot, no booze, just good ol' wholesome Nazi movies.

[dkofos]

11. probably ditched law school too

[Judi Lynn]

2. So glad this man finally won!

He begged her to help years ago, according to the article:

.....He said that he wrote to Ms. Pirro from prison some years ago, telling her that he had heard about her support of motions to free wrongly convicted prisoners, and had asked her to look into his case.

“I told her, you know, there’s an old case in your files in which there’s DNA evidence that shows that a man, in this case me, is innocent,” Mr. Deskovic said.

Someone in Ms. Pirro’s office wrote back a “very rude letter,” he said, declining to review the case and saying that he should not contact the office again except through a lawyer.

“She knew I had no money for a lawyer,” Mr. Deskovic said. “So, in other words, what she was telling me was: ‘I’ve got no time for you. It’s over. That’s shut. That’s it.’ ”
(snip)

Do you think we can believe her explanation for cancelling her press conference?

Ms. Pirro had scheduled her news conference on the death penalty for 11 a.m., at the site of the World Trade Center, and her campaign said the cancellation was not tied to the developments in the Deskovic case.
(snip)

[rpannier]

3. Would this be the same Pirro that toe-sucker morris said last year

would kick Hilary Clinton's butt in the Seante elections.
He also called Pirro the rising star in puke politics.

Yep. It is, Once again dickies political compass is way off.

[pinerow]

4. As I said in another post...

D.A.'s and cops don't let pesky things like facts get in the way once they've decided one is guilty...sheesh...!

[madmusic]

5. That's so the public has confidence...

In the legal system! :puke:

[HughBeaumont]

10. We're experiencing that in Ohio, no surprise.

http://ohiodeathpenaltyinfo.typepad.com/ohio_death_penalty_inform/2006/03/new_trial_order.html

This is a case I've been following for a bit and I truly hope he gets out. This case is why there HAS to be a revamping of the legal process and soon.

[madmusic]

12. What?

They found out that the man hacked to death had been the only witness subpoenaed in a rape four months earlier. The accused rapist supplied police with D'Ambrosio's address and a suggestion that they investigate him.

Fourteen days after D'Ambrosio was charged in the murder, the rape indictment was dropped.

Carmen Marino was the prosecutor for both the rape and the murder. He retired a year ago. Marino now says he has no memory of the rape case, which he reassigned to another assistant county prosecutor.

That man, Lindsay Jerry, died in 1993.

[HughBeaumont]

13. Pretty backwoods, isn't it?

Judge O'Malley here ordered a new trial for him in March, to be enacted within 180 days; yet I notice he's still incarcerated, still has "Death Sentence" next to his name. I hope no one gives up the fight for this man's innocence. This isn't cut and dry like a Jeff Lundgren. There were so many inconsistencies and vagaries in the prosecutor's case.

[madmusic]

14. Sometimes I can be pretty dumb.

Really.

But even I know what someone accused of rape pointing the finger at someone else as a suspect as the murderer of the only witness to the rape might, just might, be even less credible than http://www.innocenceproject.org/causes/snitches.php">jailhouse snitches.

[HughBeaumont]

15. That's what they wanted Joe to do . . .

He rightfully told them to eff off.

In 1994, D'Ambrosio passed up an offer to move off death row in exchange for testifying in Keenan's retrial. "I won't lie for them, " D'Ambrosio said. "Lying on the witness stand is what got me here in the first place. My immortal soul is worth much more than that."

[warrens]

7. Nancy Grace redux

Send this scumbag packing.

[chapel hill dem]

9. She must know DA Mike Nifong here in Durham, NC, re: DukeLax n/t

[MnFats]

16. why, she lost a page of her statement, that's all.

nobody could find it.
probably lost the page where the guy pleaded for justice, too.


there must be some CONSEQUENCES for this woman.
Thank god her chances of holding high public office are waning....