Posted on

Incarcerating the Innocent

Let’s say you were accused of a serious crime you did not commit.  You have no witnesses for your alibi, but the police have several eyewitnesses against you.  You vow to fight the charges in court even though you have no money and will have to rely on a public defender.  The day before you are to head to trial and face a possible 10-year conviction, the prosecution offers you a deal.  Plead to a lesser charge and you’ll be out of prison in 6 months with good time credit and parole.  You’ll be a convicted felon, but you’ll be incarcerated for less than a year.  Do you take the deal and plead to a crime you did not commit?  Or do you risk losing it all in a jury trial and facing a mandatory decade stretch in the can if you lose?

Continue reading → Incarcerating the Innocent

Posted on

Do the Imprisoned Benefit from Celebrity Support?

Celebrities often seem to get behind people they perceive as being wrongfully imprisoned. Take, for example, the West Memphis Three. They were accused in 1993 of murder and have been in prison since then — their case is now being re-opened due to new DNA evidence but for years, celebrities such as Eddie Vedder and Johnny Depp have stood behind them and proclaimed their innocence.

Continue reading → Do the Imprisoned Benefit from Celebrity Support?

Posted on

A Guilty Innocent

by Marshall Jamison

He was fifteen. His girl, a year older
But not much wiser, kissed him hard twice,
Drew a deep breath and told him, “Late,
Five weeks late.” He responded to the kisses
With passion, got up from the couch,
Ran a comb through his hair, and smiling
Sympathetically,
Walked out of the basement play room,
Out of her life forever.
She never forgot or forgave him.
After a long, long time he finally forgave himself.