the prosecutor had God on his side

[madmusic]

Another Wrongful Conviction in Santa Clara County
By TChris, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Wed Nov 22, 2006 at 10:13:14 AM EST

It didn't matter to Kenneth Foley's jury that Luke Gaumond testified to committing the burglary for which Foley was on trial. After all, the prosecutor had God on his side.

Despite Gaumond's testimony, a jury convicted Foley and a co-defendant at the urging of Deputy District Attorney Charles Slone, who told jurors he was "sickened" by the "fraud" of the defense: "I'm not here trying to convict innocent people," he assured jurors. "I believe in God."

Foley got 25 to life for breaking into a truck. The sentence would be unjust even if Foley were guilty, but Gaumond admitted that he committed the burglary while using Mashelle Bullington's car. Foley had the bad luck to borrow Bullington's car twelve hours later. Police were able to connect the car to the burglary, and then they connected Foley to the car. They apparently didn't believe Bullington when she said she'd let a man named Luke use her car, particularly after the truck's owner picked Foley out of a photo array.

Prosecutors in Santa Clara County have a history of ignoring evidence of innocence while they pursue questionable prosecutions. Here's an example and here's another. The Mercury News documented the problem is a series of articles entitled http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/stolenjustice/">"Tainted Trials, Stolen Justice."

full links at: http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/11/22/111314/84

[Nikki Stone1]

1. Another swipe at the "reality based community"

Good lord!