QUOTE OF THE DAY: "His lawyers asked the courts to allow him to be transported off death row for medical treatment. "We are grateful that the court has ordered the Department of Corrections to allow Walter Ogrod to receive testing and treatment for possible COVID-19 outside of the prison," his lawyer, James Rollins said. "To make an innocent man remain even one extra day on death row is unjust. To leave him on death row showing symptoms of COVID-19 without adequate medical treatment would be unconscionable."
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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "In February, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed briefs in court saying Ogrod is "likely innocent" of assaulting and killing a 4-year-old girl in 1988. They said he was convicted on flawed evidence, including a coerced confession and testimony from discredited jailhouse informants. The filings called Ogrod's conviction a "gross miscarriage of justice" and requested his 1996 conviction be vacated and he be released from prison. Ogrod has spent 23 years on death row for the conviction. Earlier this week, the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas rejected defense lawyers' request for an expedited hearing on his case in light of the prosecutors' filings and Ogrod's illness.
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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "Earlier this week, the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas rejected defense lawyers' request for an expedited hearing on his case in light of the prosecutors' filings and Ogrod's illness. "Every day a decision and/or hearing is delayed is another day that Mr. Ogrod remains on death row for a crime he did not commit and at grave risk to his life," Rollins said earlier this week. The court's order Saturday comes after a Texas appeals court issued stays of execution for two death row inmates, citing the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawyers for those inmates -- John Hummel and Tracy Beatty -- said the outbreak has limited their ability to conduct investigations in the days before their client's scheduled executions."
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STORY: "Philadelphia court orders COVID-19 testing, treatment for death inmate" by Reporter Danielle Haynes, published by UPI on March 21, 2020. "Danielle Haynes has been a stringer for UPI for four years and is a reporter for a community newspaper outside Dallas. She previously worked as a graphics designer, and features editor and writer for publications in Western New York, specializing in stories about arts and culture."
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PHOTO CAPTION: "Walter Ogrod was sentenced in 1996 for the death of a 4-year-old girl. Prosecutors, though, now say he's "likely innocent."
GIST: "A Pennsylvania court on Saturday ordered a condemned inmate be tested for coronavirus as he sits on death row despite prosecutors' statements that he's likely innocent. The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas said the state's Department of Corrections must transport Walter Ogrod, 55, to a local hospital for testing and treatment. Ogrod has had symptoms consistent with COVID-19, including cough, difficulty breathing and a 106-degree fever. His lawyers asked the courts to allow him to be transported off death row for medical treatment. "We are grateful that the court has ordered the Department of Corrections to allow Walter Ogrod to receive testing and treatment for possible COVID-19 outside of the prison," his lawyer, James Rollins said. "To make an innocent man remain even one extra day on death row is unjust. To leave him on death row showing symptoms of COVID-19 without adequate medical treatment would be unconscionable." In February, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed briefs in court saying Ogrod is "likely innocent" of assaulting and killing a 4-year-old girl in 1988. They said he was convicted on flawed evidence, including a coerced confession and testimony from discredited jailhouse informants. The filings called Ogrod's conviction a "gross miscarriage of justice" and requested his 1996 conviction be vacated and he be released from prison. Ogrod has spent 23 years on death row for the conviction. Earlier this week, the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas rejected defense lawyers' request for an expedited hearing on his case in light of the prosecutors' filings and Ogrod's illness. "Every day a decision and/or hearing is delayed is another day that Mr. Ogrod remains on death row for a crime he did not commit and at grave risk to his life," Rollins said earlier this week. The court's order Saturday comes after a Texas appeals court issued stays of execution for two death row inmates, citing the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawyers for those inmates -- John Hummel and Tracy Beatty -- said the outbreak has limited their ability to conduct investigations in the days before their client's scheduled executions."
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/03/21/Philadelphia-court-orders-COVID-19-testing-treatment-for-death-row-inmate/5151584811657/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. 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.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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