What's up with Texas justice? DNA Tests Get Man Freed After 27 Years

[devilgrrl]

DNA Tests Get Man Freed After 27 Years
From Associated Press
January 03, 2008 12:59 PM EST

DALLAS - A man imprisoned since 1981 for sexual assault was freed after a judge recommended overturning his conviction.

Charles Chatman, 47, was released on his recognizance after serving nearly 27 years of a 99-year sentence. He was freed on the basis of new DNA testing that lawyers say proves his innocence and adds to Dallas County's nationally unmatched number of wrongfully convicted inmates.

Chatman became the 15th inmate from Dallas County since 2001 to be freed by DNA testing. That is more than any other county nationwide, said Natalie Roetzel of the Innocence Project of Texas, an organization of volunteers who investigate claims of wrongful conviction.

Texas leads the country in prisoners freed by DNA testing. Including Chatman, the state will have released at least 30 wrongfully convicted inmates since 2001, according to the Innocence Project.

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20080103/477c6bd0_3ca6_15526200801032137489370

[YOY]

1. 27 years of the best part of his life

I hope they compensate him for every second of it... x(

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Is he black?

That's usually the case.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. Specifically, what's the matter with Dallas County

15 from within that one county alone. That there are yet another 15 from the rest of the state is not anything to be proud of either.

Then there's New York with 23 and Illinois with 27. It's shameful that these innocents had their lives destroyed while the people who committed these crimes were able to get away without penalty.

[TZ]

4. This is truly frightening

when you think about how many people Texas executes a year...