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The state's duty to help exonerees rebuild their lives
Posted: December 3, 2007 9:51 am
Only 22 states have laws compensating the wrongfully convicted upon their release, and many of those laws are outdated and woefully inadequate. A major study published last week by the New York Times surveyed more than 130 people exonerated by DNA evidence and found that dozens had met with severe struggles on their reentry to society. An article in the Times’ Week in Review asks where the state’s duty lies in helping exonerees get back on their feet.
“One of the biggest challenges is that once an innocent person comes out of prison, they are not equipped with the tools to reintegrate into society, and that’s something that money alone can’t solve,” said Representative Donald M. Payne, a New Jersey Democrat who introduced a bill to set aside $1.25 million a year for programs for exonerated prisoners.The Innocence Project exoneree fund supports exonerated Innocence Project clients as they rebuild their lives. Donate to the fund now.
Of the states with compensation laws, only three — Massachusetts, Louisiana and Vermont — provide for the costs of medical and psychological care.
… “Some people feel, ‘All right, it’s over now. You’re out, you’re free, so what are you complaining about? What’s the problem?’ ” said Darryl Hunt, exonerated in North Carolina after serving 18 years for murder.
“The problem is that we’re free physically,” he said. “But mentally, we’re still living the nightmare every day.”
Read the full story here. (New York Times Week in Review, 12/2/07)
Tags: Anthony Hicks, Darryl Hunt, Exoneree Compensation
Brandon Moon marks three years of freedom
Posted: April 21, 2008 4:29 pm
Today marks the third anniversary of Brandon Moon’s exoneration in Texas. He was wrongfully convicted of a brutal rape in 1988 and sentenced to 75 years in prison. He served more than 16 years in prison before DNA testing proved his innocence and led to his release.
Moon became the main suspect after the victim viewed a photographic array and indicated that although Moon looked like the perpetrator, she couldn’t be sure. Resting on this hesitant identification, police secured a warrant and arrested Moon.
Moon was the only person in both the photographic and live lineup procedures and the victim identified him as the perpetrator in the live lineup. Additionally, Moon was identified as the perpetrator by two other women also believed to have been attacked by the same man.
Read more about eyewitness misidentification here.
At trial, a lab technician testified that Moon was a possible contributor of the evidence from the crime scene. Further testing during Moon’s appeals would prove that this testimony was seriously flawed, as the lab technician made inaccurate conclusions.
Read more about unreliable science here.
From the moment of his conviction, Moon began filing motions and appeals for DNA testing. He won access to DNA testing in 1989, but the results were deemed inconclusive because comparisons against the victim’s husband were not performed. He petitioned the court to allow for further testing, but was denied due to the court’s misconception that the other samples were unusable.
Finally, in 2001, Moon won access to further DNA testing and the results again excluded him as the perpetrator. In December 2004, Brandon Moon was released from prison and he was officially exonerated on April 21, 2005.
Read more about Brandon Moon’s case here.
Other exoneration anniversaries this week:
Today: Anthony D. Woods, Missouri (Served 18 years, Exonerated 4/21/05)
Wednesday: Anthony Hicks, Wisconsin (Served 5 years, Exonerated 4/23/97)
Walter Snyder, Virginia (Served 6.5 years, Exonerated 4/23/93)
Thursday: Hector Gonzalez, New York (Served 5.5 years, Exonerated 4/24/02)
Ray Krone, Arizona (Served 10 years, Exonerated 4/24/02)
Friday: David Shephard, New Jersey (Served 9.5 years, Exonerated 4/25/95)
Saturday: Alejandro Dominguez, Illinois (Served 4 years, Exonerated 04/06/2002)
Tags: Hector Gonzalez, Anthony Hicks, Ray Krone, Brandon Moon, David Shephard, Walter Snyder, Anthony D. Woods