BACKGROUND: "(Ledell) Lee’s case drew national attention in 2017 as one of eight executions Arkansas sought to carry out hastily, before the drugs used for lethal injection expired. Arkansas succeeded in killing only four of the condemned men, Ledell Lee first among them. Had the DNA testing he requested not been denied in the State’s rush to push its drugs, Lee might very well have been found innocent during his lifetime. The 1993 bludgeoning death of Debra Reese, a 26-year-old White woman, in Jacksonville, Arkansas got sparse investigation. Within hours, Lee, a 28-year-old Black man, was picked up walking in his own neighborhood, and charged with the crime. The ensuing trials included such egregious errors as an alleged judge/prosecutor love affair, racist references to the defendant as a “predator,” flawed eyewitness testimony based on shoddy cross-race identification protocol, failure of counsel to introduce an alibi defense, and a drunk appellate attorney. The jury never heard evidence of Lee’s intellectual disability. The almost all-White jury took three hours to convict him of first-degree murder, and another three to condemn him to death. Later, the courts rejected Lee’s request for DNA testing of hair and blood evidence. He maintained his innocence throughout. Now, with ACLU and Innocence Project backing, Lee’s surviving family members have filed a lawsuit requesting the DNA testing denied just prior to the execution, plus more sophisticated testing of other evidence.
Prof. Lauri Umansky: Arkansas State University.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "
Over the last 44 years, 167 innocent people have been exonerated from death row. Over 20 of them were freed using DNA testing similar to that being requested on Ledell’s behalf. And we know that those who are finally exonerated are by no means the only people who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. Though it's tragically too late to save Ledell’s life, DNA evidence could still reveal whether or not Arkansas executed an innocent man, and help get his family justice — that's why people like you, stepping up to fund this work, are so important."
-------------------------------------------------------
"Three years ago this week, Ledell Lee was executed for the 1993 murder of Debra Reese in Jacksonville, Arkansas. From the day he was arrested throughout his entire 24 years in prison, Ledell always maintained his innocence.
The Innocence Project, together with the ACLU, fought for a stay of execution so that DNA testing could be done to prove his innocence, but our pleas were denied by the courts and the state of Arkansas.
The state officials who fought against DNA testing may have hoped that his execution would put an end to our work. But we kept our promise to Ledell and his family that we'd continue to search for the truth. Along with our partners, we spent the last three years collecting new evidence that was overlooked when he was alive — and in January 2020, we finally got a court order allowing DNA testing in the case.
Using DNA testing to prove innocence and pursue justice is at the core of our work at the Innocence Project — but we can't do it without you.
In honor of World DNA Day tomorrow, make a contribution to the Innocence Project’s DNA Fund — 100% of your donation will pay for DNA tests that could prove someone's innocence.
Over the last 44 years, 167 innocent people have been exonerated from death row. Over 20 of them were freed using DNA testing similar to that being requested on Ledell’s behalf. And we know that those who are finally exonerated are by no means the only people who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death.
Though it's tragically too late to save Ledell’s life, DNA evidence could still reveal whether or not Arkansas executed an innocent man, and help get his family justice — that's why people like you, stepping up to fund this work, are so important.
So if you can, please make a donation to the Innocence Project's DNA Fund today. Your support will pay for testing that could clear Ledell's name or help free the next innocent person." |
|
Thanks,
The Innocence Project team;
The store post can be read at:https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwHMsXZLdlFrvnHJzVGrdhxlBKh
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;
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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;
------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
