WEST MEMPHIS THREE FREED AFTER PLEA DEAL

**bb1** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:27 pm

http://gawker.com/5832632/west-memphis-three-freed-after-18-years-in-weird-plea-deal

WEST MEMPHIS THREE FREED AFTER PLEA DEAL 0819_westmemphis

West Memphis Three Freed After 18 Years in Weird Plea Deal

Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr., the so-called "West Memphis Three" who were wrongly convicted in 1994 of child murder in West Memphis, Arkansas, and whose case became a cause celebre, were freed this morning.
The three men—two of whom were serving life sentences and one of whom was on death row—originally pleaded not guilty and have always maintained their innocence in the face of a prosecution that offered no physical evidence and was based largely on the fact that Eccols had dabbled in witchcraft. Their cause was taken up by the likes of Eddie Vedder, Johnny Depp, and Natalie Manes, and they were the subject of a documentary, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, that explored the holes in their case.

After newly analyzed DNA evidence failed to link the men to the murders, they were on the verge of getting a new trial. Instead of going through that, prosecutors cut a deal, allowing the men to offer what's called an Alford plea—which is basically a way of saying "I'm not guilty, but you'll probably get a conviction anyway"—in exchange for their freedom. It's unclear whether the deal leaves them room to sue for prosecutorial misconduct or false imprisonment; attorney Max Kennerly argues here that an Alford plea shouldn't bar them from pursuing the prosecutors or cops who put them away.

It's a good thing these men will finally be free, but this deal reeks. Either they horrendously murdered three children, or they didn't. Either they deserve to die in prison, or they don't. For the prosecution to come up with this wink-and-a-nod, face-saving deal that lets them walk without acknowledging the vast miscarriage of justice that put them in prison in the first place is a perverse dodge. If they don't deserve to be in prison, whoever put them there does.

Maybe one of our US members knows how this works?

After newly analyzed DNA evidence failed to link the men to the murders

Sounds as if they would have been released anyway, but after so long, did not want to chance a retrial, and will now pursue their case as free men?

Whatever the case, Brown is going to have a cow...

**Lamplighter** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:36 pm

A couple of comments from WM3 site. LL

So Judge Laser found compelling evidence that a new jury would acquit the WM3 and vacated their convictions. The Prosecutor admits that a new trial and a not guilty verdict were inevitable. Nevertheless, to save face and avoid milllions of dollars in judgments that could have been awarded against it, the State forced the WM3 to take an Alford plea, and Judge Laser accepted it even though he just found no reasonable jury would convict based on the State's evidence. JMB's phrase fits - ass clowns. Glad to see the guys out of prison. Sorry to see the officers representing the State of Arkansas are of such low moral character and capable of such intellectual dishonesty.

It's politics. McDaniel is running for Governor and Ellison is thinking about running for Congress. They want this monkey off their backs. Anyone with intelligence can see through their ruse. Hopefully, the good people of the State of Arkansas will not elect these two dishonest individuals who would toy with mens' lives just to further their political careers.

**crazytony** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:38 pm

I can understand them taking the Alford plea but, I wish they had gone for a retrial.
By offering the three the plea, the Prosecutor feared if they were retried, he may fail to prove his case.
The plea deal makes it very difficult for them to sue the county. Damn, I do so wish they had gone for the retrial!

**Lamplighter** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:46 pm

crazytony wrote:I can understand them taking the Alford plea but, I wish they had gone for a retrial.
By offering the three the plea, the Prosecutor feared if they were retried, he may fail to prove his case.
The plea deal makes it very difficult for them to sue the county. Damn, I do so wish they had gone for the retrial!

Me too, tony, and going by the few comments I have read so far on WM3 so do quite a lot of the posters on there. LL

**bb1** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:46 pm

A few tweets from Pitchforker Profiler:

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@Hellan_Back Not the DNA; that matches no one. The hair which is secondary transfer matched Hobbs and means nothing.
18 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@nomercy2080 Yes, and I doubt the DNA will match anyone in CODIS because it probably has nothing to do with the killer.
18 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
I will believe the #WM3 are innocent when they run this new DNA through CODIS and it matches a felon who was in Arkansas in 93.
18 hours ago

WTF? That is utter, ridiculous, nonsense.

So, she will still think WM3 are guilty, despite the DNA evidence, unless the DNA matches someone already charged with a crime?

What a load of sh*t.

More from Ms Pitchforker:

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@MyOwnWayJenny Of course, I have read up on it and profiled it. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
6 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@TiffanyDCA No, I don't. They are guilty as the evidence proved.
6 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
I guess it is cheaper to free child killers than to fight the battle to keep them in prison. #WestMemphisThree #WM3
6 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@nomercy2080 I think you mean stepfather Terry Hobbs and friend. No, I do not think they have any involvement. I think the WM3 are guilty.
16 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@Budgyrl Is he the suspect now? Him and some stranger?
17 hours ago

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@nomercy2080 They are NOT linked. There was some secondary transfer of hair, that is all.

Oh, FFS!

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@CarpeNutella @carrissa I have studied this case for years. I am not ignorant of the facts. I find them guilty based on the evidence. '

What 'evidence' would that be, then?

That woman is dangerous, IMO. Who on earth does she think she is?

I hope the WM3 continue the fight to clear their names now they are free, AND take Ms Brown to the cleaners, as she has been one of the leading lights in the hysterical campaign against them.

How much compensation would an innocent man get from someone who campaigned to have them put to death?

**bb1** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:50 pm

I can understand them taking the Alford plea but, I wish they had gone for a retrial.

I know what you mean, Tony, for the sake of justice, and the rule of law, but I can also understand why they made the deal just to get their freedom back, and clear their names now they are out of prison.

Especially one having been on Death Row?

**bb1** Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:53 pm

The Lonely Tourist @millygirl
The original prosecutor's name escapes me at the moment, but he was a total dick in documentary. He literally put up as an "expert" a "doctor" who received his PhD via mail-order and never attended a single class.
millygirl @The Lonely Tourist
I haven't seen the documentary, but I've no doubt the guy was a total dick. His case was based on his assumptions about satanism and heavy metal music. But the point is that somewhere along the line someone that wasn't an idiot - someone whose job is was to oversee this dick - must have seen the case and had doubts - but the culture of prosecutors offices has been and still is in most quarters (some are reforming) about convictions and not truth.

I know the district attorney in Dallas has been on a crusade of sorts to encourage prosecutors to be open to new evidence, even if it points in the wrong direction. It seems crazy that a crusade is necessary but there you are.

His case was based on his assumptions about satanism and heavy metal music

Who does that remind me of? It's on the tip of my tongue....

**crazytony** Fri Aug 19, 2011 8:02 pm

bb1 wrote:I can understand them taking the Alford plea but, I wish they had gone for a retrial.

I know what you mean, Tony, for the sake of justice, and the rule of law, but I can also understand why they made the deal just to get their freedom back, and clear their names now they are out of prison.

Especially one having been on Death Row?

Yes one of they guys was on death row. He was deemed the ring leader. However the new DNA does not link any of them to the crime. It never did. There was never any DNA against them.

**bb1** Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:55 pm

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
DNA is not the end all in criminal cases and our reliance on it is destroying the court system. It may means something, it may not. #WM3.

Yes, it puts an end to all that lynch mob and vigilante fun the likes of her enjoy so much.

**Sabot** Sat Aug 20, 2011 6:31 am

"I am not guilty but they will probably get a conviction anyway."

WTF does that say about Justice? You don't have to be guilty to get The Death Penalty?

I have read a bit about this trial, and I must say that I am delighted to hear that they are being released. The whole thing was a Dog's Breakfast.
Surely, if The State or The Prosecution are offering this deal then they know that these people are innocent.

Pat Brown can scream all she likes, but she ain't doing very well at the moment, is she.
I might just join the #WM3.

**bb1** Sat Aug 20, 2011 11:59 am

Woman's a cretin. Having decided DNA is Evil because it stops pitchforking, she now comes out with this gem:

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@branowen All experts do NOT agree; it is idiotic for someone to kill the boys elsewhere and then dump them in a area being searched.

Duh? Even when the killer may want them found and someone else blamed?

Did she teach herself 'profiling' watching Cracker? She certainly doesn't seem to be the brightest lightbulb in the multi-pack.

**muratfan** Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:15 pm

Even the boy (who was mutilated) father says that the three are innocent.....what does that say

**bb1** Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:25 pm

Brown and the rest of the pitchforkers seem to have the bizarre idea that pointing at someone, announcing, THEY DUN IT, and lynching them is Justice.

It is actually the very OPPOSITE.

True Justice is convicting the correct person for the correct crime, following a fair trial at which solid proof is presented, to the satisfaction of the law and the jury.

It's easy to see why lynch mobs used to murder innocent people; the likes of Brown and Bennett would have been at the forefront waving nooses.

**Sabot** Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:49 pm

bb1 wrote:Woman's a cretin. Having decided DNA is Evil because it stops pitchforking, she now comes out with this gem:

ProfilerPatB PAT BROWN
@
@branowen All experts do NOT agree; it is idiotic for someone to kill the boys elsewhere and then dump them in a area being searched.

Duh? Even when the killer may want them found and someone else blamed?

Did she teach herself 'profiling' watching Cracker? She certainly doesn't seem to be the brightest lightbulb in the multi-pack.

And she got the time of death wrong. She even argued that the Forensic Scientists were wrong about that.
The woman is a moron. But fear not, she has now been wrong so many times that people are beginning to realise that she is a modern day Witch Finder General.

Personally, I can hardly get my head around this. 18 F**king years, and that is the best that The Prosecution can do.
No wonder The Jury found Casey Anthony Not Guilty. Thank God for some common sense.

People like Pat Brown and Nancy Grace need shutting up. They are a disgrace. Tis time that America looked at it's Libel Laws.

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