like_mike (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} like_mike) wrote,@ 2006-03-30 21:07:00 |
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The fruits of my Innocence Project labors
I just received good news. A man whose case I worked on while at the Innocence Project has had a DNA test. It turns out that his DNA was not found on the samples that remain. Does this mean he will be exhonerated? I am not so sure. However, it is an important step.
In October of 1969 a number of black males between the ages of 15 and 23 were accused of raping a 15 year old white girl (and beating up her boyfriend) while in the "white park" for the Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia. Leroy White was one of the men accused in this case. According to reports, the Iberia Parish Jail was not safe enough to keep the men in, and it has been said that the town had nearly lynched them. The following spring, five of the men were convicted. Two had gone to trial. One received a death sentence (which was later changed to a life sentence as a result of a Supreme Court case against the application of the death penalty for rape). Another received a life sentence. Three others plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence, mostly because they were affraid of execution. Leroy White was one of these. Except for pleaing guilty in order to save himself from a possible death sentence, Mr. White has always maintained his innocence. One additional suspect whom the DA had chosen to treat as a juvenile, most likely in exchange for his testimony, was sent to juvenile home for about a year and released (even though he was a juvenile, he was of such an age that the DA could have elected to try him as an adult and request that he be executed--at the time the age was 13).
In Louisiana, a natural life sentence generally is a natural life sentence. Leroy White is still in jail. It took a lot of work to get that test done, and I hope the case progressses. However, for the day, I will celebrate the fact that Leroy White was excluded by the DNA tests.
I just received good news. A man whose case I worked on while at the Innocence Project has had a DNA test. It turns out that his DNA was not found on the samples that remain. Does this mean he will be exhonerated? I am not so sure. However, it is an important step.
In October of 1969 a number of black males between the ages of 15 and 23 were accused of raping a 15 year old white girl (and beating up her boyfriend) while in the "white park" for the Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia. Leroy White was one of the men accused in this case. According to reports, the Iberia Parish Jail was not safe enough to keep the men in, and it has been said that the town had nearly lynched them. The following spring, five of the men were convicted. Two had gone to trial. One received a death sentence (which was later changed to a life sentence as a result of a Supreme Court case against the application of the death penalty for rape). Another received a life sentence. Three others plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence, mostly because they were affraid of execution. Leroy White was one of these. Except for pleaing guilty in order to save himself from a possible death sentence, Mr. White has always maintained his innocence. One additional suspect whom the DA had chosen to treat as a juvenile, most likely in exchange for his testimony, was sent to juvenile home for about a year and released (even though he was a juvenile, he was of such an age that the DA could have elected to try him as an adult and request that he be executed--at the time the age was 13).
In Louisiana, a natural life sentence generally is a natural life sentence. Leroy White is still in jail. It took a lot of work to get that test done, and I hope the case progressses. However, for the day, I will celebrate the fact that Leroy White was excluded by the DNA tests.
