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12 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment. Is $36 million Enough?

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posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 06:51 AM
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I came across this article in a local Mississippi paper, and I am surprised it isn't in the MSM.

This fellow went to prison at the age of 19, 12 years ago, and it now comes to light, via DNA evidence that he was not guilty.

He is already getting $500,000, a year for the next 10 years, so the $36 million would be in addition to that.

$36 million wrongul imprisonment suit

Personally, I don't think that any amount of money could make up for that much time out of my life, but this man should be comfortable the rest of his life.

Here are some quotes from the article:


Willis' suit suggests a Jackson police officer lied when he said a confidential informant identified Willis as the perpetrator in a 1994 robbery and homicide.



DNA testing and other evidence uncovered by the New Orleans Innocence Project helped win Willis a new trial and later be freed.


I think it's outrageous that it appears this guy was convicted on an informants testimony alone, and that it took 12 years to process the DNA evidence.

Your thoughts?





[edit on 14-7-2010 by Blanca Rose]



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 06:56 AM
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it is enough. look at it this way, if no amount of cash could help him after that, then what do we do, give im 100 mill ? 500 mill ? 36 mill plus his whatever he is getting..hes till young, bam he has millions..

if you think about it, if money and work is the issue, he doesnt have to work again in his life if he doesnt want to, 12 years gone, the are wrong, and there he goes, now he might have the life we never will.

as long as its enough money to change his life around I think its ok. even if it was 10 million I think it would be ok.



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 07:00 AM
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And folks wonder why I don't trust cops and have absolutely no faith in judges or juries.

If they want you to rot in prison you will. Trials as as much about justice as politics are about the best candidate for the job.

Absolutely everything is a farce and a spectacle. A farce with the power to take everything a man has from him, throw him in prison or kill him and even to wage war against nameless phantom enemies half a world away.



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 07:01 AM
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reply to post by gak730
 


I agree that even $10 million would be a lot over and above what he is already getting for 10 years.

Being in prison though, for that long for something he didn't do, must have messed with his head some, though.

I hope he can enjoy the money, after having gone through all of that!



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 07:03 AM
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Originally posted by thisguyrighthere


Absolutely everything is a farce and a spectacle. A farce with the power to take everything a man has from him, throw him in prison or kill him and even to wage war against nameless phantom enemies half a world away.



It makes me wonder, if this guy had been killed, say within 6 months of being incarcerated, would the real evidence ever have been discovered?



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 07:13 AM
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Here is some information on the Innocence Project New Orleans, which helped to find the evidence to overturn the conviction of this man.

i p n o


Winning freedom for 12 wrongly convicted prisoners in Louisiana;


This is how the service determines to accept a case:


The prisoner claims they are factually innocent of the crime for which they are imprisoned. IPNO does not take cases of legal innocence, self-defense or cases in which the applicant is guilty of a lesser charge.




I think it's great to know these types of organizations exist. While the original article doesn't say when they were contacted, 12 years for them to be able to help seems like an awfully long time to wait!





[edit on 14-7-2010 by Blanca Rose]



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 08:31 AM
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reply to post by Blanca Rose
 


Good Post OP, it really points out how our justice system is only injustice for the poor.

As far as the Dollar value, is $36M is enough ?

If a person can receive $2.9 million back in 2004 for the McDonalds hot coffee spill lawsuit.

Then considering the duress this guy went through, in essentially at 19 yrs old, being forced to growing up in prison. Missing out on his youth in essence.

Then the 36Million doesn't appear out of the realm of fair and equitable compensation at approximately 3 million per year.

They most likely will not receive 36M but that is a negotiating point before reaching an eventual "settlement".

Apparently from the time they were contacted by his Aunt, Until the time in which he was inevitably released was just under two years.

Which isn't bad considering one needs to first convince a Judge to reopen the case. Much to the disdain of the Prosecuting Attorneys IMA.

As long as these DNA proven innocence cases continue winning then the courts will have to rethink their "Open and Shut" cases before throwing away the key on individuals coerced into the Prison system.

Heres' another organization , The Justice Project which also helps wrongly convicted citizens.

www.thejusticeproject.org...





posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 08:35 AM
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Considering that tax payers (us) are paying for it, and not the police admin who screwed the pooch, hell yeah it's enough!!



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 09:08 AM
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No amount of money can make up for what happened to him. That being said, $36M plus another $5M is way too much money. It's disproportionate, going way beyond making up for past and future potential wages lost or allowing him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, which he deserves. Invested wisely, far less money could have made an apology and a statement, paid compensatory damages, and taken care of his future. I'd love to see the reasoning that went into picking the amount and know more about who was behind it.



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 09:31 AM
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The victim lost his youth, and many would vow that youthful life is precious. Instead he got to grow up in a prison environment, certainly not a life any human would dare envision of himself.

However, the critical question is not if that money given is enough, after all, it is taxpayers whom ended up picking up the tab with no choice. The question is why was such a case allowed to happen in the first place?

What had gone wrong in the justice system of recourse for a citizen? More critically, what will be the steps to avoid incarcerating another innocent citizen after such farcical comedy and expense created by the Justice deparment/Judiciary?



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 10:53 AM
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reply to post by SeekerofTruth101
 


You bring up a lot of valid points.

I mean it seems as though the guy was convicted by a jury that took somebody's word for it, with no evidence whatsoever. Problem number 1.

Why didn't the judge question the jury as to convicting this guy on basically nothing. Problem number 2.

Why did this fellow have to find an advocacy group to get the proper results? Didn't his lawyer believe him? Problem number 3.

I do have a problem with tax payers having to foot the tab for this guy's suit. While I'm not him, I'd feel more vindicated if his lawyer, the jury, and the judge had to pay for his erronous time in jail, even if it was a lower amount!

In cases like this, it seems the system is definately broken.



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 11:05 AM
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imo someone who gets imprisoned for something he didnt do, should be compensated like he would have been able to achieve financially in that time he was imprisoned. plus, lets say double it, for being put away from social life.
all that depending on his profession and the opportunities to study further.
36 millions seems to me a bit unrealistic.



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 11:12 AM
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Originally posted by icepack
imo someone who gets imprisoned for something he didnt do, should be compensated like he would have been able to achieve financially in that time he was imprisoned. plus, lets say double it, for being put away from social life.


Only thing is, this guy was 19 when it happened to him, so hard to say what he was capable of earning. Not too many 19 year olds have a set career for life.

Really, who knows? Perhaps he was planning on college, and that was delayed.

I understand where you are coming from, but what if it was a street bum that was wrongfully convicted? Double of nothing, is nothing!



posted on Jul, 14 2010 @ 02:28 PM
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It is bad luck that he had to experience that of course. The ones responsible should be punished for this.

36 million dollars however is absurd.

Lets say a person makes 40.000 dollars a year. That is a lot more then a lot of people actually make in a year. That is about 480.000 dollars in 12 years. Multiply that times 3.

The average person works 8 hours a day. This is about 1.500000. A little victim fee of 500.000 and you'll end up with 2.000000 dollars.

That is more then enough !

Don't forget anyone else has spend their money to eat, dress and pay their bills from.
He gets this money without having top pay anything.

There is not any justified reason for him to demand more.



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