West Memphis Free

Raneados

because punishments are often tougher on people that fight rather than plead guilty

these 3 knew they were going to be convicted, and that they had no chance, so they went for an easier punishment rather than fight, lose, and receive a worse one, so they plead "we're maintaining our innocence but we're going to lose so okay say we're guilty"

JoeUser

Skull Man wrote:

so do they get to sue for malicious prosecution or wrongful imprisonment or any of that stuff

Lawyer's take on it

Twenty-seven states and Washington, D.C., currently have DNA exoneration compensation statutes, not including Arkansas. If the West Memphis Three want compensation for their wrongful imprisonment, they’ll have to sue the District Attorney’s office and the prosecutors within it.

The second question: can they sue for civil rights violations?

The problem for the West Memphis Three, however, is that the bar for prosecutors has been set so low that it’s virtually impossible to prove they violated your civil rights.

As I wrote back in March when the Supreme Court decided Connick v. Thompson, the Connick opinion holds that “a district attorney has no constitutional obligation to ensure that the prosecutors under his or her command actually know the first thing about constitutional law. He and his city government are free from any responsibility to train the individuals vested with one of the greatest and most abuse-prone powers in the United States, the prosecutorial power.”

L Ron Howard

You know, I think this Satan guy is all BS. I mean, sacrifice a few children to him/in his name, and you get thrown in jail.
Where's the justice?

Stale

Satan is simply the warden of a very large prison. Quiet man actually, thoughtful and he's well read. And I happen to know the idea of sacrificing children in his honor annoys him greatly.

Tossrock

Hunter wrote:

Fearghaill wrote:

But one of them was named Damien! Clear devil-worshipper.

My cousin is named Damien, and he's a priest.

Surely that is a sign of the Apocalypse!

Oh wait, he's actually like a second cousin, so that's probably just like 7 years of bad luck or something.

I have an uncle named Damien. Well, he's actually named Patrick but he goes by his middle name, which I think we can all understand.

He's kind of grumpy, which is pretty satanic I guess.

Rankenphile

don't you know there ain't no devil? that's just god when he's drunk

mensch-o-matic

Rankenphile wrote:

don't you know there ain't no devil? that's just god when he's drunk

Don't be dumb

There is no God

Uriel

And a thunderstorm is god going bowling.

Shock G

mensch-o-matic wrote:

Rankenphile wrote:

don't you know there ain't no devil? that's just god when he's drunk

Don't be dumb

There is no God

Futore

Rankenphile wrote:

don't you know there ain't no devil? that's just god when he's drunk

The first time I ever listened to this song, and I heard this line, I was absolutely floored. It's so fucking good

As7

So it sounds like this Alfred plea thing is highly ironic given that the whole reason they were given the chance to enter it is because the state basically has no evidence other than "BLACK CLOTHES, SATAN!"

Or so I hear.

Antimatter

Stale wrote:

Satan is simply the warden of a very large prison. Quiet man actually, thoughtful and he's well read. And I happen to know the idea of sacrificing children in his honor annoys him greatly.

yes yes yes

GeoMitch

sucks they can't sue the state

Raneados

Stale wrote:

Satan is simply the warden of a very large prison. Quiet man actually, thoughtful and he's well read. And I happen to know the idea of sacrificing children in his honor annoys him greatly.

I enjoyed that movie

Druhim

Rankenphile wrote: »

don't you know there ain't no devil? that's just god when he's drunk

god damn I love that man

Tox

Sir Carcass wrote:

I bet they played D&D too.

Man, are they gonna flip and murder someone when they see 4th edition.

:^:

Gustav

As7 wrote:

So it sounds like this Alfred plea thing is highly ironic given that the whole reason they were given the chance to enter it is because the state basically has no evidence other than "BLACK CLOTHES, SATAN!"

Or so I hear.

I have a friend who actually is from the West Memphis area, and he says for that exact reason a lot of locals there still see them as murderers. Which is insanely silly.

Sir Carcass

Raneados wrote:

because punishments are often tougher on people that fight rather than plead guilty

these 3 knew they were going to be convicted, and that they had no chance, so they went for an easier punishment rather than fight, lose, and receive a worse one, so they plead "we're maintaining our innocence but we're going to lose so okay say we're guilty"

One of them got the death penalty and another got life in prison.

whoops.jpg

The Lovely Bastard

I HEARD SOMEONE MADE A DRIVE ANGRY REFERENCE IN HERE

balerbower

man, if you're wrongfully convicted and put away for years and years for some heinous crime you did not commit, the state should at least get you a home in the florida keys and a fishing boat or something

like, is there acknowledgment on part of the court saying, "shit man, our bad"

cause that sucks

mensch-o-matic

oh wow what is this, fuck the police

HeadCreeps

Antimatter wrote:

Stale wrote:

Satan is simply the warden of a very large prison. Quiet man actually, thoughtful and he's well read. And I happen to know the idea of sacrificing children in his honor annoys him greatly.

yes yes yes

BYToady

balerbower wrote:

man, if you're wrongfully convicted and put away for years and years for some heinous crime you did not commit, the state should at least get you a home in the florida keys and a fishing boat or something

like, is there acknowledgment on part of the court saying, "shit man, our bad"

cause that sucks

Should at least get jury duty pay.

balerbower

mensch-o-matic wrote:

oh wow what is this, fuck the police

this is better than a movie

balerbower

like super troopers, but even funnier

Shorty

as far as I'm concerned they are owed, minimum, the same amount of money they would have made if they were working all the time they spent in prison

which probably comes to a least a few hundred grand apiece

balerbower

yes, at least, on a very basic level, that would be substantial

however, consider the time, which i believe to be a much more valuable commodity, being wasted. imagine having millions of people in the world thinking you're a monster. prison itself is a hellish place and you've been there for 18 years. it's hard to compensate for all that damage done mentally, emotionally, and financially.

but, i'm sure these guys aren't as bitter as we feel. i'm sure they're just really happy to get out.

Shorty

That's the true injustice, though! These dudes have been so mistreated that being given, after 18 years, the freedom they should have had that entire time seems like a reward!

Ulises

canada paid this guy $10,000,000 for 20-some odd years of wrongful imprisonment

balerbower

yes, it is injustice, for sure. i'm not disputing that fact. it is a failure of the system on all counts. people complain all the time about oj simpson getting free. many guilty people with lots of influence or money get off scotch free or with only a few scratches when they deserve the hammer coming down hard. it's cause they have a good defense lawyer who knows how to manipulate the jury and find kinks/loopholes in the written law and exploit them.

same goes for the prosecution, which is why there are many cases of innocent men facing condemnation.

the defense/prosecution have their own interests to protect. many lawyers are amoral in that they serve their own ends without any consideration of what the right thing is. it's both good and bad. a bad thing for everything i just mentioned above, but a good thing cause everybody in this country gets a trial. the balance is certainly tipped for the more privileged however, but that's the case with everything that has to do with the privileged.

Futore

mensch-o-matic wrote:

oh wow what is this, fuck the police

this owns

Sir Carcass

According to a quick Google, in Texas at least:

In Texas the compensation law for a wrongfully conviction is $80,000 per year of wrongful incarceration, as well as $25,000 per year spent on parole or as a registered sex offender. The wrongfully convicted person is also entitled to compensation for child support payments, tuition for up to 120 hours at a career center or public institution of higher learning, and reentry and reintegration services.

Which unfortunately we seem to have to use a lot. Not sure if Arkansas has something similar, but yeah, they should definitely get something.

JoeUser

Sir Carcass wrote:

According to a quick Google, in Texas at least:

In Texas the compensation law for a wrongfully conviction is $80,000 per year of wrongful incarceration, as well as $25,000 per year spent on parole or as a registered sex offender. The wrongfully convicted person is also entitled to compensation for child support payments, tuition for up to 120 hours at a career center or public institution of higher learning, and reentry and reintegration services.

Which unfortunately we seem to have to use a lot. Not sure if Arkansas has something similar, but yeah, they should definitely get something.

Arkansas does not have such a law, so they will have to sue to get anything.

Centipede Damascus

mensch-o-matic wrote:

oh wow what is this, fuck the police

Ahahahahaha

Goose!

I remember seeing this on the news and someone, an investigator or something, said the case is still closed and they're still 100% convinced that those guys are the murderers.