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I Put Away an Innocent Man

By standdown

That's the title of James Fry's moving OpEd in today's Dallas Morning News.  It's a must-read by a former Dallas County prosecutor.  LINK When I prosecuted Charles Chatman for aggravated rape in 1981, I was certain I had the right man. His case was one of my first important felony cases as a Dallas County assistant district attorney. Chatman was convicted in a court of law by a jury of his peers. They, like me, were convinced of his guilt. Nearly 27 years later, DNA proved me ? and the criminal justice system ? wrong. Chatman was freed from prison in January after DNA testing proved him innocent. He spent nearly three decades behind bars for a crime he did not commit ? a stark reminder that our justice system is not immune from error...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on May 15, 2009 (boomark / email).