COUNTDOWN: 5 days to Wrongful Conviction Day: (Thursday October 2, 2014);
COMMENTARY: "Saunders: Brad Cooper
plea may have been expedient, but it was also troubling," by News and
Observer columnist Barry Saunder, published on September 24, 2014.
PHOTO CAPTION: "Brad Cooper enters the courtroom as he pleads guilty
to second-degree murder for killing his wife Nancy Cooper several years
ago in a Wake County courtroom in Raleigh on Sept. 22, 2014. It was a
plea bargain after a retrial was ordered recently. He is slated to
serve at least 12 years in prison."
GIST: "Anyone
with an intimate or even passing knowledge of how court operates knows
that prosecutors can at times seem more like Monty Hall - "Let's Make a
Deal" - than high-minded justice-seekers representing society. When that
happens, defendants can be arm-twisted into accepting a deal and
admitting guilt in exchange for a lighter sentence. I frequently hear
from inmates who said they copped a plea to avoid facing an even longer
incarceration. Believers in Cooper's innocence assert that that's
precisely what happened this time - that he took a deal to admit guilt
and skate rather than face another trial and possibly get life. Again.
Judging by the scores of Cooper supporters from whom I've heard since
the first trial, nothing will convince them that Nancy Cooper's killer
is not still out there while good ole Brad who - one writer actually
said "wouldn't hurt a fly" - languishes in prison for a few more years. Many
pro-Brads contend that Cary police planted incriminating evidence on
his computer, although no one has Others believe the dude got a sweet deal he didn't deserve. Regardless
of which side you take, the fact is that no deal would have been
necessary had the prosecutors allowed defense witnesses to address the
so-called planted computer evidence."
The entire commentary can be found at:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/09/24/4179227_saunders-brad-cooper-plea-may.html?sp=/99/102/110/&rh=1
For background on Wrongful Conviction Day see the following link:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2014/06/wrongful-convictions-day-aidwyc.html
Interested participants may sign up by contacting Win Wahrer of The
Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted at:
winwahrer@aidwyc.org.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
I
have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses
several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of
the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this
powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and
myself get more out of the site.
The
Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible
years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr.
Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of
Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"
section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It
can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
I look forward to hearing from readers at:
hlevy15@gmail.com.
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;
