Whoa, Arkansas is retesting Ledell Lee's DNA

[PilotsError 2299]

He was executed in 2017 after the state refused to test DNA.  I've been following this case for a while and can't believe the council agreed to the test.  These things almost never happen once someone has been executed, but the reasonable doubt is pretty overwhelming here.  If it comes back and exonerates him, every state has to look at ending the death penalty immediately.

 

JACKSONVILLE (AP) — The Jacksonville City Council voted Friday to allow new tests on fingerprints and DNA evidence relating to the case of a man the state put to death in 2017.

The council voted to allow the tests that Ledell Lee's family contends could exonerate Lee of the 1993 slaying of Debra Reese.

Patricia Young, Lee's sister, had sued the city to allow the new tests. Representing the family were the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arkansas and the Innocence Project.

The groups said they plan to have the DNA evidence tested at a nationally accredited laboratory at Young's expense and to upload the fingerprints to a national database.

Lee was the first of four inmates Arkansas executed in April 2017 before its supply of a lethal injection drug expired. The state had originally planned to execute eight inmates, but four were spared by court rulings.

The groups submitted affidavits from forensic experts questioning other evidence that was used to convict Lee, including claims that partial shoe prints found at the scene of Reese's murder matched Lee's shoe size.

Twenty-one death row inmates have been exonerated since the early 1990s through DNA evidence. If Lee is ultimately cleared, he could be the first person who has been executed to later be proven innocent with DNA and fingerprint evidence, the Innocence Project said.

“This lawsuit was always about finding the truth, and we're glad the Jacksonville City Council has decided to do the right thing and allow this evidence to be tested,” said Holly Dickson, legal director and interim executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “While nothing can undo the injustice of Ledell Lee's execution, tonight's vote is is a positive and long-overdue step that could well identify the real perpetrator of the crime.”

https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-city-agrees-to-tests-of-evidence-on-executed-inmate

 

And here's the IP's reasoning and listing of evidence and why they're still pursuing this after his execution.

https://www.innocenceproject.org/ledell-lee-what-you-should-know-about-his-case-and-execution/

[Parliament 14261]

He was black, wasn't he?

[Cajun 11719]

All those opposing retesting should be given lethal injection if he's exonnerated.

Every single one.

[UDontKnow 10447]

9 minutes ago, Parliament said:

He was black, wasn't he?

[Cajun 11719]

Murderers of an innocent man, potentially.

But, hey, they all get a Mulligan because they meant well.

[Dewey 3286]

Good thing they used up that poison before it went bad. Just like milk, you see that date and think we better get busy before it goes bad

[Cajun 11719]

That judge and DA and the assistant DA need to be strapped in the gurney, methodically euthanized, and then buried in a landfill.

If I were a child of that man it would be my life's mission to make sure none would ever kill again,

Or breathe for that matter.

[TwiceHorn 31503]

Why does the City Council have any jurisdiction to test DNA?  They would have had zero input on his prosecution or execution.  I suppose they could have ordered the Chief of Police to order his minions not to give evidence on pain of termination.

I suppose it's because the judicial system considers the entire case mooted by his execution.

Edited February 2, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Lhorn 4916]

If he’s one of the guys on the left side then I think he is indeed black.

Maybe the time to do DNA testing would be before executing the guy.

[WBT 20620]

14 minutes ago, Lhorn said:

If he’s one of the guys on the left side then I think he is indeed black.

Maybe the time to do DNA testing would be before executing the guy.

I think he's the one with Lee on his shirt

[Iceman 2719]

39 minutes ago, Cajun said:

All those opposing retesting should be given lethal injection if he's exonnerated.

Every single one.

Why do they oppose getting it right?  If I pop on a drug test, I get a retest.  If my life is at stake, regardless of the possibility of me being a total shitbag; why are people opposed to retesting?

[Iceman 2719]

Fuck off.

'twas a sincere question on a serious topic.

[Cajun 11719]

Looks bad for reelections to take a "W" off the board.

[Doc Reeves 6434]

26 minutes ago, Iceman said:

Why do they oppose getting it right?  If I pop on a drug test, I get a retest.  If my life is at stake, regardless of the possibility of me being a total shitbag; why are people opposed to retesting?

I’ve had this explained to me by several Bell co. and Bexar co. Judges. It’s not about if someone is guilty, it’s weather on not one side can win.  One of the older Judges my dad knew straight up said if it’s an election year he would sentence everyone he could to death.

[Thetexashammer 1062]

The hundreds of people who have been released from death row make it a statistical certainty that we've executed many innocent people. I've been somewhat surprised that they haven't identified an actual innocent victim yet, but it won't change the argument all that much.

A significant percentage of people who get convicted of all crimes are innocent.

[Cajun 11719]

@Doc Reeves

Yep.  And yet they sit atop imaginary self-righteous mountaintops pretending they they aren't above murdering people in the interest of their own benefit.

And society pretends they're all "Heros" and really great people.

DAs (not all, but a whole shit-ton of them) are about the lowest form of life on the planet.  Many Judges give them quite the run for their money, however.

[Deej 76836]

1 hour ago, Parliament said:

He was black, wasn't he?

Of course he was. 

[Cajun 11719]

Had a Judge in the Hill Country not far from here lecture us during a custody hearing about how we "...need to understand that this isn't about you!  It's about the best interest of the child!".  On and on and on he went.

Finally, he paused, looked at the clock and said, "We're going to have to wrap this up and reschedule, I have Permian Pipeline cases to hear".

Court adjourned.  

I shit you not.  And this guy is "Highly Respected" around those parts.  People fawn all over how fair and wonderful he is.  

Yeah, no.

[Thetexashammer 1062]

11 minutes ago, Deej said:

Of course he was. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

Death penalty should be a lot more rare than it is.  Should be reserved for where there just isn’t any doubt about guilt.  IMO.  

[TwiceHorn 31503]

The ostensible reason for not reinvestigating and relitigating is the finality of judgments, which is a rule that basically says its gotta end somewhere and sometime. 

I never found that rule particularly convincing, even in civil cases. Its is especially difficult to swallow in criminal cases and impossible in death penalty cases. 

[Cajun 11719]

Yeah, that's right up there with the "Is what it is" rationalization.

['stache 21821]

1 hour ago, Cajun said:

Murderers of an innocent man, potentially.

But, hey, they all get a Mulligan because they meant well.

No it’s that the guy probably did something g else at least anyway. That’s always the excuse.

[Cajun 11719]

Yep, they'll go straight to that one.

Dude's wife who was murdered was probably a cunt and had it coming to her too, is what I'd reply back to them.

Such a fun game!

 

 

[Gil Bang 25975]

It's Arkansas.  Don't they all have the same DNA?

[Augustus 3061]

11 hours ago, Cajun said:

Looks bad for reelections to take a "W" off the board.

Which is a damn shame, because it seems to me that, "I will not wrongfully murder you or your innocent loved ones" would be a hell of a campaign slogan.

It's unfortunate that positions of power, however minor or major, naturally attract power hungry people, who are absolutely the last folks who should be trusted in positions of power.

You shouldn't get to be a cop or a judge or a mayor or a DC politician, etc. unless unless you're adamantly reluctant to do those jobs.

It would make hiring tough, but sure would improve the quality of our government.

[HenryJames 66131]

15 hours ago, PilotsError said:

Lee was the first of four inmates Arkansas executed in April 2017 before its supply of a lethal injection drug expired.

Oh.

[Cajun 11719]

1 hour ago, Augustus said:

Which is a damn shame, because it seems to me that, "I will not wrongfully murder you or your innocent loved ones" would be a hell of a campaign slogan.

It's unfortunate that positions of power, however minor or major, naturally attract power hungry people, who are absolutely the last folks who should be trusted in positions of power.

You shouldn't get to be a cop or a judge or a mayor or a DC politician, etc. unless unless you're adamantly reluctant to do those jobs.

It would make hiring tough, but sure would improve the quality of our government.

Or just start killing the power hungry people who kill innocent people.

They're murderers and this is about the welfare of society.

You are complicit in the institunionalized murder of an innocent citizen?  Well, your "Honor", Mr. DA, Captain LEO, Mr. Warden, step this way into the Death Chamber.  We're going to send your soul, assuming you have one, to meet up with Lee's so you can make amends in person, so to speak.  Don't be upset.  Think of it as society doing you a favor.

Do you have anything you'd like to say before we proceed?

I'd need a trash can of popcorn for that.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Cajun

[Cajun 11719]

That'll never happen, but there's still hope that one or two of them will follow Heath Ledger's character's lead...

Edited February 3, 2020 by Cajun

[riloh05 107]

i grew up with a guy who was given life in high school. he was in a different county/area code when the murder was committed. they snatched him out of school never to see freedom again. i bet these cases are more frequent than we would like to think. there has been a bit of a ground swell to free Bud, but it all boils down to exposure and media to shine a light. i hate this shit.

[Bateshorn 9928]

The state should not be in the business of killing it's citizens.  This isn't hard.

 

Also, Cameron Todd Willingham called. Wait, no he didn't, because he's dead.  Executed for a non-crime he didn't commit

Edited February 3, 2020 by Bateshorn

[Hate 20116]

18 hours ago, Parliament said:

He was black, wasn't he?

DP

Edited February 3, 2020 by Hate

[Pato del Muerto 52529]

2 hours ago, riloh05 said:

i grew up with a guy who was given life in high school. he was in a different county/area code when the murder was committed. they snatched him out of school never to see freedom again. i bet these cases are more frequent than we would like to think. there has been a bit of a ground swell to free Bud, but it all boils down to exposure and media to shine a light. i hate this shit.

Wow. I can’t imagine having to spend the rest of my life in high school. 

[Iceman 2719]

5 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Wow. I can’t imagine having to spend the rest of my life in high school. 

[Homesickhorn 2202]

22 hours ago, Cajun said:

Had a Judge in the Hill Country not far from here lecture us during a custody hearing about how we "...need to understand that this isn't about you!  It's about the best interest of the child!".  On and on and on he went.

Finally, he paused, looked at the clock and said, "We're going to have to wrap this up and reschedule, I have Permian Pipeline cases to hear".

Court adjourned.  

I shit you not.  And this guy is "Highly Respected" around those parts.  People fawn all over how fair and wonderful he is.  

Yeah, no.

What county?  Because if it's the one I'm thinking of, then there are two judges, not sure if they're still sitting, who have daughters.  And I've been inside both of them.  PM me to verify.

[Cajun 11719]

pm sent

 

[WhatTheBuck 28788]

16 hours ago, Homesickhorn said:

What county?  Because if it's the one I'm thinking of, then there are two judges, not sure if they're still sitting, who have daughters.  And I've been inside both of them.  PM me to verify.

What was it like being inside those judges?

[SquishMitten 10415]

 

On 2/3/2020 at 3:56 AM, Augustus said:

Which is a damn shame, because it seems to me that, "I will not wrongfully murder you or your innocent loved ones" would be a hell of a campaign slogan.

Sure. Great for whoever runs against you. But taking a W off the board makes it kinda hard to use that slogan for yourself.

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

On 2/2/2020 at 4:49 PM, Deej said:

Of course he was. 

I saw some stats a few years ago examining a then-recent time period of 5 or ten years. While almost 50% of murderers were black, less than 40% of those given death sentences were black, and less than 30% of the actual executions were of convicted blacks.

The author argued that the real racial bias was not towards black perpetrators, but towards the killers of white females. Most of those executed were murderers of white females, and juries find that the most grievous of crimes. Since most people kill people of their own race, white men are more likely to be given death sentences, and they are likely to be executed.

I think other factors may be more at play, like gang violence and familiarity between victim and perpetrator. Or perhaps towards killers of females and children, regardless of race. It’s an interesting theory, to me, anyway. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by ImissWallyPryor

[Johnny Sack 8397]

1 hour ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

I saw some stats a few years ago examining a then-recent time period of 5 or ten years. While almost 50% of murderers were black, less than 40% of those given death sentences were black, and less than 30% of the actual executions were of convicted blacks.

The author argued that the real racial bias was not towards black perpetrators, but towards the killers of white females. Most of those executed were murderers of white females, and juries find that the most grievous of crimes. Since most people kill people of their own race, white men are more likely to be given death sentences, and they are likely to be executed.

I think other factors may be more at play, like gang violence and familiarity between victim and perpetrator. Or perhaps towards killers of females and children, regardless of race. It’s an interesting theory, to me, anyway. 

Women commit about 11 percent of murders.  And account for less than 1 percent of executions.

[HouTex 1882]

While we are on statistics, executions are becoming very rare in the US.  Since 2016, the annual number of executions in the US has been 20, 23, 25, and 22, respectively.  

[ROFL BOX 6649]

While we are on statistics, executions are becoming very rare in the US.  Since 2016, the annual number of executions in the US has been 20, 23, 25, and 22, respectively.  

Yee Haw! TEXAS for the ratio!!

/Sarcasm

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using Tapatalk

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

3 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Women commit about 11 percent of murders.  And account for less than 1 percent of executions.

I think you misread my post. I was referring to murderers OF women, not women murderers. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

9 minutes ago, ImissWallyPryor said:

I think you misread my post. I was referring to murderers OF women, not women murderers. 

I got that.  Sorry.  Wasn’t clear.  The biggest sentencing biases in our country aren’t racial.  They are gender based.  
 

ive seen studies where men and women committing similar crimes with similar criminal histories get 63 percent more time.  It’s 6x the disparity between blacks and whites.  

[ImissWallyPryor 9046]

That, too. 

[SquishMitten 10415]

Well, yeah. That’s how we justify paying them less. Not a bad deal if you really think about it