WEBVTT
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:32.719
It is clear to me that Adams did not receive a fair trial, and that if his attorneys had been in possession of this information three decades ago, he would have likely been acquitted.
00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:52.320
When I look at the news coverage of these cases, these individuals who were wrongfully convicted and those that were later exonerated, found by the court to have been innocent of the charges, I find that there are some similarities in these cases.
00:00:53.119 --> 00:01:07.120
That is that nobody was watching the behaviors of the prosecutors in the cases and or the officers in the cases.
00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:09.200
Chairman Muscarello.
00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:12.719
You have three bills, sir.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.359
You wanna you wanna take up one-on-one first?
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:16.879
Okay.
00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.359
And we have Attorney General Liz Mural present.
00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:29.439
Good morning, Attorney General.
00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:31.120
Mr.
00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:35.280
Stormont, you want to go ahead and read the instrument to the record, please?
00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:42.079
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:46.159
Members, this is House Bill 101 by Chairman Muscarello.
00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:50.719
Provides relative to compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment.
00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.760
Chairman Muscarello on you, Bill.
00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:56.799
Madam Chair, members, thank you for hearing this bill today.
00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:59.519
We're presenting to uh House Bill 101.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:04.560
I do have Attorney General Liz Morrell who will kind of brief you on the bill.
00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:11.280
So thank you, uh Representative Muscarello, for carrying this bill, and Madam Chairman and members of the committee.
00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:37.599
Um, this bill is simply the amendments to this bill, um, to this existing law regarding wrongful conviction compensation are intended to align the compensation statute with the the Civil Rights Act, which would allow an action to be brought against the particular individuals who may be responsible for the original conviction or the claims of wrongdoing related to the original conviction.
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:43.919
Right now, that section 1983 claim under the Civil Rights Act would be against those individuals.
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:48.319
This statute allows the cause of action against the state of Louisiana.
00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:54.960
It requires the attorney general to defend it, but I'm having to defend cases that I had nothing to do with.
00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:04.240
Um I know I cannot address the original activities that occurred from the conviction even forward through post-conviction relief.
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:08.400
We're gonna have a discussion this morning about post-conviction relief as well.
00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:33.439
Um, but this particular statute imposes a duty now upon under its current form, it imposes a duty on the attorney general to defend convictions that I, the attorney general, whether it's me or any other attorney general, had no role in obtaining and had no role in the possible post-conviction relief to reverse that conviction later.
00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:47.520
Um, and so the financial responsibility for that conviction should reside with the parties or the parish, where that elected official or those particular officials, if it's the police or the DA or the sheriff, it doesn't matter.
00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.479
Those are local officials, and the financial responsibility should reside there.
00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:55.759
That's where it would reside under section 1983.
00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:01.280
This shifts that and aligns it with the Civil Rights Act where um where it would be the same.
00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:03.599
And so that's our main objective.
00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:14.800
We currently have a number of these cases pending because of Orleans Parish's uh movement to change and and convert a lot of convictions.
00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.720
And we've had discussions about that.
00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.720
I've reviewed a number of those convictions.
00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:27.040
I believe that that relief was not appropriate, but I had no ability to come in and intervene because I didn't know that it was being sought or being granted.
00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:37.199
And now the state, so that means taxpayers from Monroe are having to pay for the conduct or the decisions of a district attorney in Orleans.
00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:49.040
Um, I think that this ought to align the financial responsibility with the parish officials who make the decisions uh that are that create the underlying conduct that is being complained about.
00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:51.279
So that's what the amendments do.
00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:54.800
Um, and I I think that it's fairly simple.
00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:57.600
Um Mr.
00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:01.439
Stormont, did we have um a motion to adopt the amendments?
00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:03.199
There are no amendments yet.
00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:03.600
Okay.
00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:05.120
Okay, she was explaining.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:05.680
All right.
00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:06.560
Um, Mr.
00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:10.160
Stormont, do you have some amendments that you need to read into the record?
00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.439
Okay, so that's the substitute bill you're talking about.
00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:15.920
Okay.
00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:21.040
Um Attorney General Mural, could you, I don't see any questions on the board right now.
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:33.120
Um, could you talk a little bit about Section 1983 and the remedies available to these particular individuals under Section 1983 as opposed to the state statute?
00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:43.120
So Section 1983 is a federal law that provides for a civil rights action, a cause of action for someone if their civil rights have been denied.
00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:45.519
Um, it is different from this statute.
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:51.360
It uh it would require the individual to establish that their civil rights were in fact denied.
00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:57.360
Um, getting of having a wrongful conviction wouldn't necessarily establish that their civil rights were denied.
00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.439
They still may have been given what would have been considered a fair trial.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:11.040
Um, evidence may come up later that exonerates someone and it simply wasn't available or the technology wasn't available at the time.
00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:13.600
So um those can conditions can occur.
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:20.000
And in a civil rights action, there are defenses the state could raise that we don't have under this statute.
00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:26.079
So I still think that the Civil Rights Act cause of action, it can be brought in state or federal court.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:31.680
It is a federal law, but they are no one's prohibited from bringing that claim in state court.
00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:34.480
Um state judges can entertain that action as well.
00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:50.079
So wouldn't it in fact um cure the the problem that you're finding in that any nefarious actor, a bad actor, be it law enforcement or a district attorney who may have, let's say, withheld evidence.
00:06:50.319 --> 00:07:05.519
Yes, then they they could be found to be the the responsible, liable party under Section 1983 Act, and under Section 1983, correct me if I'm wrong, not only are monetary damages available, but also attorney's fees to the prevailing party.
00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:06.160
Is that correct?
00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:07.120
That's correct.
00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:08.000
Thank you.
00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:12.720
Um I see Representative LaFleur um in the queue, Representative LaFleur.
00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:14.480
Thank you, Madam Chair.
00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:25.199
Um to be clear, the wrongful conviction compensation fund, we are doing away with that with HB 101.
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:39.439
Well, if you shifted the liability to the parishes to align it with section 1983, where the liability would lie under that cause of action, then you would no longer need to appropriate that money to the fund.
00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:45.839
Um that's that's just a consequence of shifting responsibility to the local governments.
00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:49.279
That means the local government would then be responsible.
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:52.160
They would, but they're responsible for the conduct.
00:07:52.399 --> 00:08:05.120
So, you know, I mean, you're you're you are now basically using taxpayer dollars that are and funding it from taxpayers in North Louisiana or wherever that, you know, were not responsible for the conduct.
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:13.600
So the section 1983, the lawsuit would be against the officials who are claimed to have had a role in the conduct.
00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:23.680
Um, this statute provides for a cause of action against the state, and the attorney general is required under this statute currently to defend it.
00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:29.120
Um, my hands are tied frequently depending on what happened below.
00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:39.039
So, in the Orleans Parish example, there's over 300 cases where the Orleans Parish District Attorney came in and basically granted post-conviction relief.
00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:40.320
I had no notice of it.
00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:45.519
I had no ability to intervene, nor did the prior attorney general when that began.
00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:50.240
Um, it has resulted in a much higher volume of cases.
00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:54.240
In the past, I think that we have paid out verdicts.
00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:04.480
Um, we have paid out on this under this statute in a very small number of cases, only in only from that only affected five parishes.
00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:11.200
Um, so the majority of parishes have never had to pay a judgment related to the wrongful conviction statute.
00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:48.320
Um Orleans, right now, I think we have over 20 cases pending, and that is, in my opinion, not because they have necessarily valid cases under the to to make those claims, but it's because of the high volume of relief that was granted by the district attorney, and now they have that has prompted more lawsuits under this statute, and we will have to litigate them to determine whether or not they can reach their burden of proof because the statute itself was really designed for people who can prove that they were actually innocent, not just had a conviction reversed for some error of law.
00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:50.159
The bill did not pass.
00:09:51.360 --> 00:10:08.879
It sounds pretty offensive that the state would be suggesting that the wrongfully convicted pursue a remedy that uh is more difficult for them to get paid after they were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:16.799
This particular individual, Reginald Adams, he was not released based on a technicality.
00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:35.120
In March of 2015, the Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said that it found in its own investigation that Adams was factually innocent and that Adams received$480,000 in state compensation.
00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:45.440
So the state rep is trying to introduce and get passed new legislation that they pursue compensation in another way.
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.360
Alright, so take a listen to the rest of this.
00:10:49.519 --> 00:11:02.320
Just to be clear, the prosecutor that you all see in the news clip, his name is Leon Canziaro, C-A-N-N-I-Z-Z-A-R-O.
00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:11.039
He was not the prosecutor that was in office at the time of Reginald Adams' prosecution.
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:16.399
So here's a quote from Kenziaro.
00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:25.759
Um he says, quote, I will not tolerate intentional misconduct on the part of police or prosecutors, end quote.
00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:34.639
He further said in a statement that apologized to Adams for an unfair trial and unjust conviction.
00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:40.399
He said prosecutors' handling of the case was shameful.
00:11:40.799 --> 00:12:06.799
Not only did their intentional acts, key word you guys, intentional, not only did their intentional acts harm Reginald Adams, who was wrongfully incarcerated for more than three decades, it also denied the community any opportunity to hold the real perpetrator criminally responsible for this violent crime.
00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:15.120
And that's a quote from information on the National Registry of Exonerations website.
00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:22.159
They track all these wrongful convictions that later result in exonerations.
00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:41.519
So I'm going to be sharing additional information with you all about one of the prosecutors in this case, and I think that might help you understand why that state rep is saying go to that jurisdiction and get the money you are due.
00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:44.240
But I'll share that in another episode.
00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:57.919
At any rate, I hope this case will cause you to take measure of just how far we've come when it comes to uh criminal justice reform.
00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:16.799
And um, you know, reconsider how much time and effort you want to give to turn this around because I can tell you there is a remedy for the public to turn this around, which is why that state rep is saying go to that jurisdiction.
00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.720
There's a remedy, the remedy has been there for years.
00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:27.440
I have no idea why the public has not demanded that it be pursued.
00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:33.200
All right, so be sure you click the like button, click the subscribe button.
00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:40.159
When you click the subscribe button, click on all, and I will catch you on the next go around.
00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:32.719
It is clear to me that Adams did not receive a fair trial, and that if his attorneys had been in possession of this information three decades ago, he would have likely been acquitted.
00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:52.320
When I look at the news coverage of these cases, these individuals who were wrongfully convicted and those that were later exonerated, found by the court to have been innocent of the charges, I find that there are some similarities in these cases.
00:00:53.119 --> 00:01:07.120
That is that nobody was watching the behaviors of the prosecutors in the cases and or the officers in the cases.
00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:09.200
Chairman Muscarello.
00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:12.719
You have three bills, sir.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.359
You wanna you wanna take up one-on-one first?
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:16.879
Okay.
00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.359
And we have Attorney General Liz Mural present.
00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:29.439
Good morning, Attorney General.
00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:31.120
Mr.
00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:35.280
Stormont, you want to go ahead and read the instrument to the record, please?
00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:42.079
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:46.159
Members, this is House Bill 101 by Chairman Muscarello.
00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:50.719
Provides relative to compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment.
00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.760
Chairman Muscarello on you, Bill.
00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:56.799
Madam Chair, members, thank you for hearing this bill today.
00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:59.519
We're presenting to uh House Bill 101.
00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:04.560
I do have Attorney General Liz Morrell who will kind of brief you on the bill.
00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:11.280
So thank you, uh Representative Muscarello, for carrying this bill, and Madam Chairman and members of the committee.
00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:37.599
Um, this bill is simply the amendments to this bill, um, to this existing law regarding wrongful conviction compensation are intended to align the compensation statute with the the Civil Rights Act, which would allow an action to be brought against the particular individuals who may be responsible for the original conviction or the claims of wrongdoing related to the original conviction.
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:43.919
Right now, that section 1983 claim under the Civil Rights Act would be against those individuals.
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:48.319
This statute allows the cause of action against the state of Louisiana.
00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:54.960
It requires the attorney general to defend it, but I'm having to defend cases that I had nothing to do with.
00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:04.240
Um I know I cannot address the original activities that occurred from the conviction even forward through post-conviction relief.
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:08.400
We're gonna have a discussion this morning about post-conviction relief as well.
00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:33.439
Um, but this particular statute imposes a duty now upon under its current form, it imposes a duty on the attorney general to defend convictions that I, the attorney general, whether it's me or any other attorney general, had no role in obtaining and had no role in the possible post-conviction relief to reverse that conviction later.
00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:47.520
Um, and so the financial responsibility for that conviction should reside with the parties or the parish, where that elected official or those particular officials, if it's the police or the DA or the sheriff, it doesn't matter.
00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:52.479
Those are local officials, and the financial responsibility should reside there.
00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:55.759
That's where it would reside under section 1983.
00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:01.280
This shifts that and aligns it with the Civil Rights Act where um where it would be the same.
00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:03.599
And so that's our main objective.
00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:14.800
We currently have a number of these cases pending because of Orleans Parish's uh movement to change and and convert a lot of convictions.
00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.720
And we've had discussions about that.
00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:18.720
I've reviewed a number of those convictions.
00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:27.040
I believe that that relief was not appropriate, but I had no ability to come in and intervene because I didn't know that it was being sought or being granted.
00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:37.199
And now the state, so that means taxpayers from Monroe are having to pay for the conduct or the decisions of a district attorney in Orleans.
00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:49.040
Um, I think that this ought to align the financial responsibility with the parish officials who make the decisions uh that are that create the underlying conduct that is being complained about.
00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:51.279
So that's what the amendments do.
00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:54.800
Um, and I I think that it's fairly simple.
00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:57.600
Um Mr.
00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:01.439
Stormont, did we have um a motion to adopt the amendments?
00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:03.199
There are no amendments yet.
00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:03.600
Okay.
00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:05.120
Okay, she was explaining.
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:05.680
All right.
00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:06.560
Um, Mr.
00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:10.160
Stormont, do you have some amendments that you need to read into the record?
00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.439
Okay, so that's the substitute bill you're talking about.
00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:15.920
Okay.
00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:21.040
Um Attorney General Mural, could you, I don't see any questions on the board right now.
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:33.120
Um, could you talk a little bit about Section 1983 and the remedies available to these particular individuals under Section 1983 as opposed to the state statute?
00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:43.120
So Section 1983 is a federal law that provides for a civil rights action, a cause of action for someone if their civil rights have been denied.
00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:45.519
Um, it is different from this statute.
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:51.360
It uh it would require the individual to establish that their civil rights were in fact denied.
00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:57.360
Um, getting of having a wrongful conviction wouldn't necessarily establish that their civil rights were denied.
00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.439
They still may have been given what would have been considered a fair trial.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:11.040
Um, evidence may come up later that exonerates someone and it simply wasn't available or the technology wasn't available at the time.
00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:13.600
So um those can conditions can occur.
00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:20.000
And in a civil rights action, there are defenses the state could raise that we don't have under this statute.
00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:26.079
So I still think that the Civil Rights Act cause of action, it can be brought in state or federal court.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:31.680
It is a federal law, but they are no one's prohibited from bringing that claim in state court.
00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:34.480
Um state judges can entertain that action as well.
00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:50.079
So wouldn't it in fact um cure the the problem that you're finding in that any nefarious actor, a bad actor, be it law enforcement or a district attorney who may have, let's say, withheld evidence.
00:06:50.319 --> 00:07:05.519
Yes, then they they could be found to be the the responsible, liable party under Section 1983 Act, and under Section 1983, correct me if I'm wrong, not only are monetary damages available, but also attorney's fees to the prevailing party.
00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:06.160
Is that correct?
00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:07.120
That's correct.
00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:08.000
Thank you.
00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:12.720
Um I see Representative LaFleur um in the queue, Representative LaFleur.
00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:14.480
Thank you, Madam Chair.
00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:25.199
Um to be clear, the wrongful conviction compensation fund, we are doing away with that with HB 101.
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:39.439
Well, if you shifted the liability to the parishes to align it with section 1983, where the liability would lie under that cause of action, then you would no longer need to appropriate that money to the fund.
00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:45.839
Um that's that's just a consequence of shifting responsibility to the local governments.
00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:49.279
That means the local government would then be responsible.
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:52.160
They would, but they're responsible for the conduct.
00:07:52.399 --> 00:08:05.120
So, you know, I mean, you're you're you are now basically using taxpayer dollars that are and funding it from taxpayers in North Louisiana or wherever that, you know, were not responsible for the conduct.
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:13.600
So the section 1983, the lawsuit would be against the officials who are claimed to have had a role in the conduct.
00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:23.680
Um, this statute provides for a cause of action against the state, and the attorney general is required under this statute currently to defend it.
00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:29.120
Um, my hands are tied frequently depending on what happened below.
00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:39.039
So, in the Orleans Parish example, there's over 300 cases where the Orleans Parish District Attorney came in and basically granted post-conviction relief.
00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:40.320
I had no notice of it.
00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:45.519
I had no ability to intervene, nor did the prior attorney general when that began.
00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:50.240
Um, it has resulted in a much higher volume of cases.
00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:54.240
In the past, I think that we have paid out verdicts.
00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:04.480
Um, we have paid out on this under this statute in a very small number of cases, only in only from that only affected five parishes.
00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:11.200
Um, so the majority of parishes have never had to pay a judgment related to the wrongful conviction statute.
00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:48.320
Um Orleans, right now, I think we have over 20 cases pending, and that is, in my opinion, not because they have necessarily valid cases under the to to make those claims, but it's because of the high volume of relief that was granted by the district attorney, and now they have that has prompted more lawsuits under this statute, and we will have to litigate them to determine whether or not they can reach their burden of proof because the statute itself was really designed for people who can prove that they were actually innocent, not just had a conviction reversed for some error of law.
00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:50.159
The bill did not pass.
00:09:51.360 --> 00:10:08.879
It sounds pretty offensive that the state would be suggesting that the wrongfully convicted pursue a remedy that uh is more difficult for them to get paid after they were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:16.799
This particular individual, Reginald Adams, he was not released based on a technicality.
00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:35.120
In March of 2015, the Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said that it found in its own investigation that Adams was factually innocent and that Adams received$480,000 in state compensation.
00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:45.440
So the state rep is trying to introduce and get passed new legislation that they pursue compensation in another way.
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.360
Alright, so take a listen to the rest of this.
00:10:49.519 --> 00:11:02.320
Just to be clear, the prosecutor that you all see in the news clip, his name is Leon Canziaro, C-A-N-N-I-Z-Z-A-R-O.
00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:11.039
He was not the prosecutor that was in office at the time of Reginald Adams' prosecution.
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:16.399
So here's a quote from Kenziaro.
00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:25.759
Um he says, quote, I will not tolerate intentional misconduct on the part of police or prosecutors, end quote.
00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:34.639
He further said in a statement that apologized to Adams for an unfair trial and unjust conviction.
00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:40.399
He said prosecutors' handling of the case was shameful.
00:11:40.799 --> 00:12:06.799
Not only did their intentional acts, key word you guys, intentional, not only did their intentional acts harm Reginald Adams, who was wrongfully incarcerated for more than three decades, it also denied the community any opportunity to hold the real perpetrator criminally responsible for this violent crime.
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And that's a quote from information on the National Registry of Exonerations website.
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They track all these wrongful convictions that later result in exonerations.
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So I'm going to be sharing additional information with you all about one of the prosecutors in this case, and I think that might help you understand why that state rep is saying go to that jurisdiction and get the money you are due.
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But I'll share that in another episode.
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At any rate, I hope this case will cause you to take measure of just how far we've come when it comes to uh criminal justice reform.
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And um, you know, reconsider how much time and effort you want to give to turn this around because I can tell you there is a remedy for the public to turn this around, which is why that state rep is saying go to that jurisdiction.
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There's a remedy, the remedy has been there for years.
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I have no idea why the public has not demanded that it be pursued.
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All right, so be sure you click the like button, click the subscribe button.
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When you click the subscribe button, click on all, and I will catch you on the next go around.
