I'd just like to note that on my screen a bit ago, this post was immediately adjacent to "Chupacabra Captured?" Which was a weird kind of symmetry.
And DNA (or the lack of) strikes again.
I think it was more finding someone elses DNA unrelated to the three boys convicted that managed to get these now grown men set free. The entire case was built around a few shodey, and completely unfounded pieces of "evidence".
One you have the highly inaccurate and coursed confession of a mentality disabled minor that was told if he just confessed he could go back home.
Two the main reason they went after these three is because an officer on the scene that knew of the "ringleader" Damien started making comments about the boy being the one that did it before any evidence was even collected. Why did he do this? Because Damien liked Metallica, wore rock t-shirts,had long hair( pretty much every normal teenage boy from the 60's till now)..and because he changed his name to Damien. In short everyone in their poorly educated community thought he was a Satanist, and only a satanist would hurt a child in their town! (Damien is the name of a Saint, not just some made up name from a horror movie)
All of this made them overlook the fact that the third was the way the children were murdered was not Satanic in nature, but more of a rage killing of someone that had a connection and personal hatred of one of the children. (Which matched one of the boys Step Parent's suddenly missing knife, and his dna was found in the bindings used to keep the boys from getting away.)
I'd say they're more screwed over now.
At least that's how it's sounding.
Let them out early by signing away a right to sue for their life back, because their lives are still ruined. Just now they're out of prison, but still on parole.
The one father is right, if they're really guilty, why set them free?
If they can't sue to get reimbursed for 18 years of their life wasted, and I can't imagine it'll be easy getting back into the swing of things with this hanging over their head, it looks like the city may have screwed them over again.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
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That's how I feel about it as well. You can almost see some vindictive Political figure behind this saying with a smug expression." Oh you want them free..suuure..suurre we can do that!" No one involved wants to admit to the fact that these kids were railroaded for their lifestyle and character, not for anything to do with the actual case...and they also want to be sure that even if they are freed they will not have to face the music for their own misdeeds and misuse of the justice system.|
Originally Posted by BrandX
I'd say they're more screwed over now.
At least that's how it's sounding. Let them out early by signing away a right to sue for their life back, because their lives are still ruined. Just now they're out of prison, but still on parole. The one father is right, if they're really guilty, why set them free? If they can't sue to get reimbursed for 18 years of their life wasted, and I can't imagine it'll be easy getting back into the swing of things with this hanging over their head, it looks like the city may have screwed them over again. |
NOW outside of all that I would hazard a guess that once these now grown men manage to get the heck out of that town that some of their celebrity supporters will offer them help in getting settled until they are able to support themselves.
Wow...
They make them enter a "guilty" plea just to make it official before letting them out...
What a load of injustice.
It's difficult to grasp what the families of the murder victims and the three of them and their families must still be going through.
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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Well, do they get any money from the movies/documentries what have you based on them? How much are their lawyers taking?|
Originally Posted by Matthew_Orlock
That's how I feel about it as well. You can almost see some vindictive Political figure behind this saying with a smug expression." Oh you want them free..suuure..suurre we can do that!" No one involved wants to admit to the fact that these kids were railroaded for their lifestyle and character, not for anything to do with the actual case...and they also want to be sure that even if they are freed they will not have to face the music for their own misdeeds and misuse of the justice system.
NOW outside of all that I would hazard a guess that once these now grown men manage to get the heck out of that town that some of their celebrity supporters will offer them help in getting settled until they are able to support themselves. |
I also don't see the celebrities sticking around to help them out, outside of a "Good luck with life" pat on the back.
And of course, that's the problem as well, of course those involved don't want to admit they were wrong, it tarnishes their record. And for this case, it would be a huge downgrade. Messed up a case based on personal feelings, and cost three kids 18 years, and the real killer might be out there.
If this was found to be the actual case (and part of me thinks they're letting the boys out in hopes they won't bother to continue to try to clear their names, as they may not have the funds/backing now that they are free) lots of fired people.
Though after all that, if they are found innocent/cleared of all charges, and even if the real killer is found (btw...I'm not saying they arent the killers...I don't have all the details on the case) they don't look to go back and sue for the system wasting 18 years of their life.
And being on parole. It wouldn't be hard to get screwed over and put back in jail on a simple parole violation, if those in charge are so inclined.
BrandX Future Staff Fighter
The BrandX Collection
I am disgusted with some people how they can't own up to their own mistakes and admit they are wrong or passing the blame to someone else. Real courage is owning up to your mistakes and facing the consequences.
If these guys are innocent, then they should be able to sue for wrongful imprisonment and screwing up their lives. Even if they are free, there will always be people that believe they actually did the crime and treat them as such.
The first step in being sane is to admit that you are insane.
With the guilty plea don't they give up the right to amke money off their story?
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Agreed!
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Originally Posted by starphoenix
I am disgusted with some people how they can't own up to their own mistakes and admit they are wrong or passing the blame to someone else. Real courage is owning up to your mistakes and facing the consequences.
If these guys are innocent, then they should be able to sue for wrongful imprisonment and screwing up their lives. Even if they are free, there will always be people that believe they actually did the crime and treat them as such. |
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
Based on what little I've read about the case, it sounds like the initial case against them was pretty weak.
BUT.
It also sounds like there is really nothing here that warrants setting aside a jury's decision. The absence of DNA evidence is not exonerative, and the presence of DNA from someone related to the boys is not particularly interesting lacking corroborating evidence. I could see commuting their sentences from death to life in prison, but the convictions should have been upheld. It looks to me that the only reason they're getting out is because celebrities and the media took up their cause.
Current Blog Post: "Why I am an Atheist..."
"And I say now these kittens, they do not get trained/As we did in the days when Victoria reigned!" -- T. S. Eliot, "Gus, the Theatre Cat"
Just a quick note:
Their plea wasn't changed to guilty. It was changed to what's known as a Alford plea, in which they maintain their innocence while "admitting" (in this case, this word MUST be put in parentheses) that there is sufficient evidence to find them guilty. Technicalities aside, it still sucks, and it's an absolute disgrace that those involved in railroading these men - still boys at the time - into prison won't have to answer for one of the most blatant miscarriages of justice in recent American history.
This just isn't about money. It's about the ability of three men who've spent their entire adult lives wrongly incarcerated to take back some small part of the lives that were taken from them by being able to be proven unquestionably innocent. But now they can't, because they were offered their freedom in exchange for justice, and they did what anyone in their place would do.
Positron: "There are no bugs [in City of Heroes], just varying degrees of features."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/west-memphi...ry?id=14340244
Not sure if we are allowed to post stories like this on here, but I'm glad they were freed at last... It's a shame they were only allowed to do so in such a way as to not allow them to sue the city.