Death row case #3: Even worse than we knew . . .

Details continue to be released about the miscarriage of justice for two African-American half brothers who were convicted of rape and murder 30 years ago.   The prosecutor, Joe Freeman Britt, was cited by Guinness World Records for having achieved 40 death penalty convictions;   so it is now difficult to wonder how often those convictions, like these two, were based on police and prosecutorial misconduct.

Well, in fact, only 2 of those 40 ever resulted in an execution.   At age 70 and now retired, Britt is still convinced that they were guilty, even after hearing of the DNA evidence.   As is so often said of killers when they are being sentenced:   "He shows no remorse."

Here is the glaring fact that Mr. Britt failed to take into account three decades ago when he was so intent on chalking up another two death penalty convictions.

Roscoe Artis, the man DNA evidence has now shown to be the murderer, lived right next to the field in which the child's body was found.  He already had served prison time for violent sexual assaults.   But strangely he was never questioned -- even when, four weeks later, he confessed to the rape and murder of a teenage girl in similar circumstances and only a short distance from where the murder for which these two innocent men were convicted took place.

It is inconceivable that any person with an ounce of humility or compassion could have failed to think that maybe he had the wrong guys, that perhaps the confessions of a 15 year old and a 19 year old, both with IQs in the 50-60 range, and without legal advice, might have been coerced?

Joe Freeman Britt, may not be guilty of murder;  but he is guilty of robbing two innocent men of thirty years of their lives.    And with 40 death penalty convictions and only 2 executions, one has to wonder how many of the others were also wrongfully railroaded to death row by a zealot and a bully.

And a system that considered the lives of black boys to be expendable.

Ralph