Breaking News: Louisiana; Glenn Ford: "pure junk scence" at its evil worst" at heart of wrongful death penalty conviction and almost 30 years on death row; Attorney A.M. "Marty" Stroud 3d; A lead prosecutor's extraordinary remorse, admission and plea for compensation for Glenn Ford - the utterly innocent man he proudly (at the time) convicted. Stroud is responding to an editorial published by The Shreveport Times that urged the state to now give Ford justice by not fighting compensation allowed for those wrongfully convicted. "I also participated in placing before the jury dubious testimony from a forensic pathologist that the shooter had to be left handed, even though there was no eye witness to the murder. And yes, Glenn Ford was left handed. All too late, I learned that the testimony was pure junk science at its evil worst." An extraordinary document. (Must, Must Read. HL); Publisher's Note: Due to a 'writing' assignment, I will not be filing fresh posts for several weeks. (With the exception of breaking news;) When I am back in action I will make up for lost time with a vengeance. In the meantime, please keep me up to date with developments and don't hesitate to bring new matters of interest to this Blog to my attention at hlevy15@gmail.com.

BREAKING NEWS: "Glenn Ford should be completely compensated to every extent possible because of the flaws of a system that effectively destroyed his life. The audacity of the state's effort to deny Mr. Ford any compensation for the horrors he suffered in the name of Louisiana justice is appalling.I know of what I speak. “Glenn Ford deserves every penny owed to him under the compensation statute. This case is another example of the arbitrariness of the death penalty. I now realize, all too painfully, that as a young 33-year-old prosecutor, I was not capable of making a decision that could have led to the killing of another human being..........At the time this case was tried there was evidence that would have cleared Glenn Ford. The easy and convenient argument is that the prosecutors did not know of such evidence, thus they were absolved of any responsibility for the wrongful conviction. I can take no comfort in such an argument. As a prosecutor and officer of the court, I had the duty to prosecute fairly. While I could properly strike hard blows, ethically I could not strike foul ones.........The jury was all white, Mr. Ford was African-American. Potential African-American jurors were struck with little thought about potential discrimination because at that time a claim of racial discrimination in the selection of jurors could not be successful unless it could be shown that the office had engaged in a pattern of such conduct in other cases. And I knew this was a very burdensome requirement that had never been met in the jurisprudence of which I was aware. I also participated in placing before the jury dubious testimony from a forensic pathologist that the shooter had to be left handed, even though there was no eye witness to the murder. And yes, Glenn Ford was left handed.All too late, I learned that the testimony was pure junk science at its evil worst.......... In my rebuttal argument during the penalty phase of the trial, I mocked Mr. Ford, stating that this man wanted to stay alive so he could be given the opportunity to prove his innocence. I continued by saying this should be an affront to each of you jurors, for he showed no remorse, only contempt for your verdict. How totally wrong was I. I speak only for me and no one else. I apologize to Glenn Ford for all the misery I have caused him and his family. I apologize to the family of Mr. Rozeman for giving them the false hope of some closure. I apologize to the members of the jury for not having all of the story that should have been disclosed to them. I apologize to the court in not having been more diligent in my duty to ensure that proper disclosures of any exculpatory evidence had been provided to the defense. “Looking back at that period of time in my life, I was not a very nice person, and I had no business trying a death case for the state. My unintended victim, Glenn Ford. Glenn Ford deserves every penny owed to him under the compensation statute. This case is another example of the arbitrariness of the death penalty. I now realize, all too painfully, that as a young 33-year-old prosecutor, I was not capable of making a decision that could have led to the killing of another human being. No one should be given the ability to impose a sentence of death in any criminal proceeding. We are simply incapable of devising a system that can fairly and impartially impose a sentence of death because we are all fallible human beings. The clear reality is that the death penalty is an anathema to any society that purports to call itself civilized. It is an abomination that continues to scar the fibers of this society and it will continue to do so until this barbaric penalty is outlawed. Until then, we will live in a land that condones state assisted revenge and that is not justice in any form or fashion. I end with the hope that providence will have more mercy for me than I showed Glenn Ford. But, I am also sobered by the realization that I certainly am not deserving of it."
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/longform/opinion/readers/2015/03/20/lead-prosecutor-offers-apology-in-the-case-of-exonerated-death-row-inmate-glenn-ford/25049063/

See Scott Martelle's opinion piece: "A prosecutor's hrartfelt mea culpa follows a death row exoneration. "A year ago, the state of Louisiana, in the face of overwhelming evidence that an all-white jury had wrongfully convicted a black defendant of murder, released Glenn Ford from the state’s death row three decades after it first sent him there. Now, as the state compounds that injury with the insult of trying to weasel out of compensating Ford for the lost decades, the case’s lead prosecutor, A.M. “Marty” Stroud III, has written a remarkable mea culpa about his role in destroying Ford’s life. My mindset was wrong and blinded me to my purpose of seeking justice, rather than obtaining a conviction of a person who I believed to be guilty. - A.M. "Marty" Stroud III, former Louisiana death penalty prosecutor Stroud's piece should be required reading for all prosecutors."

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-louisiana-prosecutor-death-row-wrongful-conviction-20150320-story.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

Dear Readers. Due to a 'writing' assignment,  I will not be filing fresh posts for several weeks. (With the exception of breaking news;)  When I am back in action I will make up for lost time with a vengeance. In the meantime, please keep me up to date with developments and don't hesitate to bring new matters of interest to this Blog to my attention at hlevy15@gmail.com.
 
Best wishes,
 
Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
 
PS: For latest coverage of the Mark Lundy retrial  go to: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/mark-lundy-murder-retrial