Dallas Observer (blog): Tomorrow, Dallas DA Craig Watkins to Ask Judge to Free Innocent Man in Prison Since '97

[ACW]

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/11/tomorrow_dallas_da_craig_watki.php#more

Via theagitator.com

]On April 30, 1992, Dale Lincoln Duke was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on the charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Four months later, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and its Conviction Integrity Unit, Duke waived his right to a jury trial and entered a plea of no contest. But throughout, he refused to confess to the crime — in court, then again during sex offender treatment, a stipulation of his deferred adjudication. And so, in 1997, Duke was sent to prison for 20 years.

But, according to the DA’s office today, one year after Duke went to prison, the county learned that the complaining witness had recanted…

In 2010, says Watkins’s office, Duke came back to the district attorney with further evidence showing that “the person initially reporting the incident did not believe the complaining witness was truthful.”…

All of which leads to this: Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. in Judge Susan Hawk’s courtroom at the George Allen, Watkins’s office will ask the judge to find Duke innocent and release him from prison. Says Watkins, “The original prosecutor’s failure to provide critical information to the defendant coupled with overwhelming evidence that the initial allegations were false, convinced me that Mr. Duke was wrongfully convicted. After a thorough review of the case, I approved a recommendation to ask the court to exonerate Mr. Duke.”

Amazing. You have scum like the DA in the Skinner case who seems to be rushing the execution to avoide DNA testing on one hand; on the other you have good guys like DA Watkins (he's also worked with The Innocence Project) who understand that a prosecutor should seek JUSTICE. More like him please :applause:

[twa]

Wouldn't overwhelming evidence that the initial allegations were false be enough?

I hope charges are brought for giving false testimony

[ACW]

Wouldn't overwhelming evidence that the initial allegations were false be enough?

I hope charges are brought for giving false testimony

But...he was convicted...isn't that all that's important?

[twa]

not if the evidence used to convict was false,which differs greatly from hoping to score additional evidence to simply create doubt(after the trial)

[Prosperity]

It's his duty as a DA to do what he can to rectify the injustice

DA's unlike, defense attorneys, must take into account the rights and interests of the People, and the People includes the defendant

[elkabong82]

not if the evidence used to convict was false,which differs greatly from hoping to score additional evidence to simply create doubt(after the trial)

you are fine with the denial of DNA testing in the other case and you keep making this story up that he only asked for testing after the fact as a last ditch effort (when in fact he asked for DNA testing from the get go but his own representation wouldn't do it, and was later found to be a dirtbag), all to feed your own ugly bias and desire to "see the man killed because you don't like him"

even Grimm didn't stick to his fairy tales as hard as you have been doing

[LadySkinsFan]

When prosecutors don't provide the defense with exculpatory evidence, that is prosecutorial misconduct and cause for removal and disbarment. That should include DNA testing by the prosecution so that all evidence is considered fairly and if exculpatory the defendant should be released.

[ACW]

It's his duty as a DA to do what he can to rectify the injustice

DA's unlike, defense attorneys, must take into account the rights and interests of the People, and the People includes the defendant

Unfortunately, far too many don't do this. We need more prosecutors like DA Watkins. Good man.

[twa]

Unfortunately, far too many don't do this. We need more prosecutors like DA Watkins. Good man.

or more wrongly convicted victims like Dale Lincoln Duke that deserve freedom,rather than lying scum like Skinner

[Prosperity]

or more wrongly convicted victims like Dale Lincoln Duke that deserve freedom,rather than lying scum like Skinner

why would we need more wrongly convicted victims?

[twa]

why would we need more wrongly convicted victims?

To make the bleeding hearts feel good about releasing them

It's a ****ty job,but somebodies got to do it.

[ACW]

To make the bleeding hearts feel good about releasing them

It's a ****ty job,but somebodies got to do it.

:doh: You lose the thread.

[JimboDaMan]

To make the bleeding hearts feel good about releasing them

It's a ****ty job,but somebodies got to do it.

3/10 on the trolling scale. Wasn't that you in the cheering crowd when Rick Perry bragged about executing convicted felons?

[twa]

I don't recall him bragging.just stating the facts.

roll the tape

interesting you assign guilt to him for others actions though :pfft:

[Prosperity]

To make the bleeding hearts feel good about releasing them

It's a ****ty job,but somebodies got to do it.

fascinating, tell me more