How many innocents have died because of death penalty? These cases are proving how flawed our system is, there is no room for mistakes with the death penalty. This is yet another sign of our states killing innocents.



Freed Prisoner Reflects on His Ordeal
By JEFF CARLTON,AP
Posted: 2008-01-04 11:07:08
Filed Under: Crime News, Nation News
DALLAS (Jan. 4) - Three times during his nearly 27 years in prison, Charles Chatman went before a parole board and refused to admit he was a rapist. His steadfastness was vindicated Thursday, when a judge released him because of new DNA evidence showing he indeed wasn't.

"I'm bitter. I'm angry," Chatman told The Associated Press during his last night in jail Wednesday. "But I'm not angry or bitter to the point where I want to hurt anyone or get revenge.


The release of Chatman, 47, added to Dallas County's nationally unmatched number of wrongfully convicted inmates.

"Every time I'd go to parole, they'd want a description of the crime or my version of the crime," Chatman said. "I don't have a version of the crime. I never committed the crime. I never will admit to doing this crime that I know I didn't do."

District Judge John Creuzot, whom defense lawyers credited with shepherding Chatman's case for exoneration through the legal system, recommended that Texas' Court of Criminal Appeals find Chatman not guilty. With several relatives dabbing at their eyes with tissues and cheering, Chatman was released.

"I really can't tell you how I feel," said his aunt, Ethel Bradley. "But I can tell you it is a different feeling than I have had in a long time, just to be holding his own hand."

Before the crime is officially cleared from Chatman's record, the appeals court must accept the recommendation or the governor must grant a pardon. Either step is considered a formality after Creuzot's ruling.

Chatman became the 15th inmate from Dallas County since 2001 to be freed by DNA testing. He served more time than any of the other inmates, four of whom were in court Thursday to show their support.

Dallas has freed more inmates after DNA testing than any other county nationwide, said Natalie Roetzel of the Innocence Project of Texas. Texas leads the country in prisoners freed by DNA testing, releasing at least 30 wrongfully convicted inmates since 2001, according to the Innocence Project.

One of the biggest reasons for the large number of exonerations is the crime lab used by Dallas County, which accounts for about half the state's DNA cases. Unlike many jurisdictions, the lab used by police and prosecutors retains biological evidence, meaning DNA testing is a viable option for decades-old crimes.

District Attorney Craig Watkins also attributes the exonerations to a past culture of overly aggressive prosecutors seeking convictions at any cost. Watkins has started a program in which law students, supervised by the Innocence Project of Texas, are reviewing about 450 cases in which convicts have requested DNA testing to prove their innocence.

"It is time we stop kidding ourselves in believing that what happened in Dallas is somehow unique," said Jeff Blackburn, the founder of the Innocence Project of Texas. "What happened in Dallas is common. This is Texas."

The hearing attracted a standing-room-only crowd that included Watkins, who was greeted warmly by two wrongly convicted Dallas men who have since won their freedom. Also there was state Rep. Terri Hodge, a member of the criminal jurisprudence committee, who promised unspecified reforms when the Legislature convenes in 2009.

Chatman was 20 when the victim, a young woman in her 20s, picked him from a lineup. Chatman said he lived five houses down from the victim for 13 years but never knew her.

She identified him in court as the attacker, and serology tests showed that the type of blood found at the crime scene matched that of Chatman - along with 40 percent of other black males.

Chatman said he was working at the time of the assault, an alibi supported by his sister, who was also his employer. Nevertheless, Chatman was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 1981 and sentenced to 99 years in prison. He said his faith kept him from giving up.

Chatman said he believes his race led to his arrest and conviction. The jury, he said, had one black member.

"I was convicted because a black man committed a crime against a white woman," Chatman said. "And I was available."

Chatman said he wants to work with the Innocence Project of Texas to support other people exonerated or wrongly convicted.

"I believe that there are hundreds, and I know of two or three personally that very well could be sitting in this seat if they had the support and they had the backing that I have," Chatman said. "My No. 1 interest is trying to help people who have been in the situation I am in."

"The government says that killin' a sin

Unless you kill a murderer with a lethal syringe"
-Rock The Nation, Spearhead

I agree with you. I live in Michigan. We don't have the death penalty here but, are jails and prisons are VERY VERY full. Wrongfully convicted prisoners makes me VERY angry that they got taken away from their family, friends and ESPECIALLY sometimes children. Our system sucks and something should be done about it but, 2 people can't really make a difference in this world and too many are just too afraid to say anything about it. Again, I agree with you 110% Dragoness.....

www.wm3.org. They're innocent too. And Echols is on death row.

WOW!! I just checked out www.wm3.org!!! That is MESSED UP cd!! Downright unjust....

I oppose the death penalty, it has no place in modern society! Mistakes have been made no questions about that and they will continue to occur....as long as the death penalty exists.

God said, vengeance is mine!

Well said Latin.....Well said...

The United states government adotped one motto, or creed whatever you want to call it when it was formed back in the beginning of time. That motto is "In God We Trust".
So, if we truly put our trust in God, the we need to trust Him to punish the wrongdoers in a way that befits the crime. If someone is a menace tosociety, by all means remove them from society. But do NOT play god.

why is it the liberals use the possibility that an innocent person might be put to death as their excuse to abolish the death penalty are the same ones who are in favor of the murder of thousands of innocent babies every year by abortion as a means of birth control. Perhaps someone could explan to me how one differs from the other.

I have no idea, bro. To me both are mortally wrong. The only time I believe in killing someone is if it is for unavoidable defense. and I do mean unavoidable.

I ask; How many Innocent people have been murdered by people that have been released from jail. Habitual criminals only fear the death penalty.

Two sides to every coin.

bad quote. there's a difference between killing and murdering

I still say find a series of islands in the middle of the pacific ocean, parachute all the menace to society criminals onto them (with no guards or anything on the island), and leave them to care for themselves. Set up a naval or coast guard patrol so far off the islands so t hat if they build a raft, they can be sunk, but absolutely no physical contact between the criminals and the rest of society ever again.

This man was NOT on death row for this offense, so I fail to see the relevance in this case. It is tragic and unfathomable he has lost so many years of his life in prison, and he definitely deserves some kind of recompense.

He might as well have been for all the years that were taken from him.

The point is relevant, it took him 26 years to prove his innocence, no death row inmate gets that long. Once a person has been killed on death row, there can be no recompense for his life. I hold my government to a higher standard then accidentally/on purposefully killing citizens. I am sorry if you do not.

As for the abortion issue, until there are no more unwanted children in the whole world, I don't want to hear a dam thing about it. If you are so pro-life, go take care of all the unwanted children in the world first and then we will tackle the abortion issue, okay!!!!!!!!!!

I'd not support the death penalty if deathrow and lifers were actually punished for their crimes. Instead they get to sit in cells, read, get free meals and warm shelter, recess, and good behavior can get them better things.

Lifers and deathrowers, as well as all those in jail, should actually be punished for their crimes.


Extremely hard labor and bare necessities are how convicts should be treated.

I am sure that many more pro-death penalty people would be in favor of abolishing the death penalty should such new things be implemented.

You believe that the US government is purposely (right choice of words) killing US citizens through the death penalty?

Well I'd love to hear how you came to that conclusion. Unless you retract the statement, I can't wait to see some website that will claim some conspiracy where Bush or some government officials are killing US citizens for food. Soylent Green is people! lol

Dragoness if you pro murder the babies would practice a little self control or at least birth control there would be one hell of a lot less demand for abortion and it could be reserved for cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother not as a convenient means of birth control because someone couldn't take proper precautions or practice a bit of restraint. Murder is murder no matter how you slice it, you can't be pro abortion and anti death penalty without being a hypocrite.

not true, that's an opinion. surely you've heard of the debate on when life actually starts


i'm not throwing my beliefs in, just correcting an opinion stated as fact