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Subscribe to RSSRyan Ferguson thanks his supporters and is reunited with his sister on stage after Missouri's attorney general dropped all charges against him.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri's attorney general has dropped all charges against Ryan Ferguson, who was convicted 10 years ago of brutally beating and strangling well-regarded newspaper editor Kent Heitholt on a fateful 2001 Halloween night in Columbia, Mo. The state will not retry Ferguson.
“We are on our way to Missouri. We will not leave until Ryan Ferguson walks out of the front door of the Jefferson City Correctional Center,” tweeted Ferguson’s attorney, Kathleen Zellner, Tuesday afternoon.
"Dateline NBC's" Keith Morrison first profiled Ferguson in 2011, six years after his 2005 conviction, and sat down with him hours before the announcement of his release. "Dateline's" new interview will air later this week.
After being released, at a news conference Tuesday evening, Ferguson, walked into the room to loud cheers and applause that erupted repeatedly throughout his address.
"I feel like Jay Leno or something," he told the crowd, adding: "The difficult part is over for sure.”
Ferguson thanked his family, his lawyers and his supporters, and said he wouldn't have had any hope without them. He also thanked the attorney general "for looking at the facts of the case and making a decision based on the facts."
The hope of Ferguson’s possible release came last week when the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District vacated Ferguson's 40-year sentence, stating that prosecutors had withheld key evidence from defense attorneys in the trial.
"Under the facts and circumstances of this case, we conclude that Ferguson did not receive a fair trial," Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in a summary of her decision. "His verdict is not worthy of confidence."
After hiring special prosecutor Susan Boresi to review their options, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office has decided not to pursue retrying the case.
“After studying the appellate court’s opinion in Ferguson v. Dormire and carefully reviewing the remaining known evidence in the case, the Attorney General’s Office will not retry or pursue further action against Ryan Ferguson at this time,” Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said in a statement.
Zellner, Ferguson's attorney, said she feels vindicated.
“This trial was not fair because it violated the Constitution. And that’s why the conviction was vacated. This was not a fair trial,” she said.
When asked to describe the time he spent in jail, Ferguson said: "Oppression is a good word for it," adding: "It’s a struggle. Pure and simple, it’s a struggle.”
Ferguson said he looked forward to eating at fast food restaurant Dairy Queen.
The case has been known as the “Dream Murder”: As a full moon loomed overhead on a Halloween night, two 17-year-olds, Ferguson and friend Charles Erickson, were drinking, illegally, at a college bar.
Anthony Galloway / NBC News
Ryan Ferguson's parents arriving at Jefferson City Correctional Center to pick up their son.
Just miles away, Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Heitholt was later found strangled in the newspaper's parking lot.
For two years the case went cold — until Erickson came forward stating that he had been having “dreamlike” memories of the murder and implicated Ferguson as an accomplice in robbing and killing Heitholt.
A night custodian, Jerry Trump, who was near the scene the night of the murder remembered seeing two young men whom at first he had trouble describing — but later testified to be both Ferguson and Erickson.
Ferguson was soon arrested and tried but repeatedly denied that he had any involvement in the murder and fought to overturn his conviction from the beginning.
“What he said about being at the crime scene, me being at the crime scene, was all false,” Ferguson told "Dateline" in a 2012 interview.
Erickson, who pleaded guilty to a lesser sentence of second-degree murder and first-degree robbery, and the night custodian who identified Ferguson as one of the young men he saw in the parking lot that night both testified against Ferguson in 2005 and were crucial in the state's securing a conviction.
And yet, for a case that seemed closed, the story only got stranger.
Both Erickson and Trump later recanted their accounts, admitting to a lower court judge in 2012 that they lied on the stand during Ferguson’s trial.
What’s more, DNA, bloody shoe impressions and fingerprints at the scene did not match either Ferguson or Erickson.
But even with the recanted testimonies and no evidence linking Ferguson to the crime, he found himself still sitting behind bars with appeal after appeal being denied.
In the end, the final successful appeal hinged on what’s known as a “Brady violation,” which meant that state prosecutors, according to the appeals court, failed to share key evidence: an interview with Trump’s wife that would have raised questions about the custodian's ability to identify Ferguson.
That interview would have disclosed that Trump’s wife had no recollection of showing her husband a newspaper with the account of Heitholt’s murder. During trial, Trump testified that the article had jogged his memory in identifying the two teens.
"The undisclosed interview was material, resulting in a verdict that is not worthy of confidence," Judge Martin wrote in the 3-0 decision.
The court ordered that Ferguson be released if prosecutors did not file notice of a retrial within 15 days. After more than 3,000 days behind bars, Ferguson becomes a free man.
His father, Bill Ferguson, couldn’t be happier.
“We’re so proud of him, so proud of him. You know, there's some people, no matter what you do, you cannot keep them down. He's an example of that.”
At Tuesday's news conference, Ferguson said there are many other people in the criminal justice system who need help.
"There are more innocent people in prison,” he said, adding that Erickson was one of them.
"I know that he was used and manipulated and I kind of feel sorry for the guy," he said. "He needs help, he needs support, he doesn't belong in prison.”
Ferguson added: "He's not a killer."
Nick Johnson reported from New York. NBC News' Becky Bratu contributed to this report.
Related: Ryan Ferguson: Attorney highlights 10 turning points that led to his release
Leave a Comment:
AG Chris Koster is doing the right thing. This case was a total travesty.
PLEASE, sue the tar out of those that put him in prison. . . Out them on the Internet. . . Do not give them any safe harbor. . . Publish their home addresses, the SSN's, the names of their spouses, anything that can be found about them.
The reason is this, the people that placed an innocent man in prison will not be held to any accountability, especially in Missouri. . . So let's hold them accountable in any legal way possible. . . Yes. publishing someones SSN IS LEGAL.
Agreed Rotorwing. The whole case was based on the testimony of two witnesses that admitted to lying in court about the case.
TeaTards in charge - no question.
@Toredown,
The only tard is you!
@Jim Morrison-1005060
When you point a finger at someone 3 are pointing back at you.
It seems as if we have learned recently of several cases of prosecutorial misconduct, as a result of which several people have had years of their lives taken from them. Those responsible for such misconduct should be held accountable, beyond a pro forma admonishment from the local bar.
@Toredown...
Politics has absolutely NOTHING in this case...so, why did you throw that in!?!
Simply put...the State/Prosecuting Attorney willfully failed to provide the Defense with crucial evidence during trial...
The State did good in not wanting a retrial...
And, the State should offer recompense to this young man for their foul-up...
Rotowing-- I could not agree more, this young man should have never been convicted, and should have been let go over a year ago...
Thankfully he is now getting a chance to take his life back!! Best wishes to him--just keep moving forward and do not look back!
Toredown,
My favorite part about your comment is that Jay Nixon was Attorney General when Mr. Ferguson was wrongly convicted. Jay Nixon is Democrat. Chris Koster, the current AG, is also Democrat. Your comment has absolutely no merit.
Justice is served.
good lesson for those who think that the cops and prosecutors are always honest.
@Michael Blinter- what would be the point of plastering the names of their spouses? last i checked they didnt do any wrong...
O.K. So why did Erickson cop a plea in the first place?? With no physical evidence to link either, how does the eye witness become credible??? Wow!!
I am not an expert. I do believe he should have been set free based on the two key witnesses recanting their testimony, BUT how is this crucial information that the prosecutors did not disclose.
Trump’s wife had no recollection of showing her husband a newspaper with the account of Heitholt’s murder
That doesn't seem like crucial information to me. I wouldn't expect his wife to remember every newspaper article she pointed out to her husband. Don't get me wrong, I feel that he was unjustly convicted but this point doesn't seem like a big deal.The article says this was "key evidence" and I don't see it.
Again witnesses get paid off after over 5 years. Put enough pressure on most people. They will change their testimony. If they really believe the witnesses lied. Then they should be charges with perjury.
What we have here is a high profile Murder case were likely higher ups from senators to mayors were hounding the DA and police to make a arrest. Is it right NO. Should we castrate everyone from the beat cops to the DA Staff Hell No
But We have the DA and his top staff making the choice to hide evidence this should lead to them at the very least losing immunity from Lawsuits and end up paying instead of the taxpayer for this mans wrongful imprisonment.
justice has been served, this time. And I am not a person who screams to "sue" at every turn, but in this case I hope he sues for with holding evidence.
Justice will be served when the real murderer is apprehended and charged, and also when Kevin Crane is disbarred and imprisoned for his crimes done in the name of "justice".
Justice has become only for those who are wealthy. Ain't not rich people on death row.
We do not know the truth about the murder. Only the supposedly wrongfully convicted, the dead man and His Almighty can testify to the truth of who murdered the news paper editor.. We as bystanders can only speculate.
When did government prosecutors change from pursuing justice to winning the case at all costs? This cost a man a huge portion of his life. It's time we had a big shakeup in our justice system and hold our prosecutors responsible for their subversive activities.
"was convicted 10 years ago'
"his 2005 conviction"
It seems that Galloway & Johnson have a serious issue with simply math.
Or
This is not 2013.
;-)
"If they really believe the witnesses lied. Then they should be charges with perjury."
True dat!
It has been about the money for years. Prosecutorial budgets in many jurisdictions are based on the number of convictions, therefore, the more convictions they get, the more money they get.
People regularly confess to crimes they didn't commit. It is a travesty and even when people are exonerated the government fights to keep from tarnishing their image.
Try sitting in a room for hours upon hours being deprived of food, water and sleep until finally some crooked prosecutor, investigator or cop says ... hey, we are going to execute you for your crime unless you confess because we have plenty of evidence to convict you!
So, you believe the government with its infinitely deep pockets and take the deal to preserve your life. Most folks I know would agree that being an innocent prisoner is better than being an innocent dead man.
I saw this on Investigation Discovery recently. He should never have been imprisoned - there was absolutely no evidence linking him to this crime and the "friend" that had the dream didn't have the facts of the crime correct - the police led every bit of his confession that implicated Ryan in the crime.
So so so so SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy to hear this!!!! I want to take this man out for lunch on me! So happy for his family to FINALLY have something to be happy about, and this unjust nightmare has finally come to an end! CONTGRATS RYAN! ENJOY YOUR NEW FOUND FREEDOM!
It would stop a lot of this nonsense if prosecutors could be charged for willful misconduct like this. Those crimnials took years from this young man which he will never get back, and the prosecutors just shrug and say oh well.
Finally! Freedom for this man that was so mistreated by the state of Missouri.
Now those agents of the state that maliciously did this to him should be prosecuted and jailed.
Ourdoc: "@Jim Morrison-1005060
When you point a finger at someone 3 are pointing back at you."
Conveniently overlooking the fact that Toredown is the one who actually pointed a finger at someone. Get a clue.
Angel: "Only the supposedly wrongfully convicted, the dead man and His Almighty can testify to the truth of who murdered the news paper editor.. "
Really? If the wrongfully convicted were not present at the scene of the crime, how could they possibly testify to the truth of who murdered the newspaper editor?
In Williamson County, Texas, a prosecutor was found guilty of withholding evidence that kept a man behind bars for 25 years. He was sentenced to all of ten (10) days in jail. And this is justice? I doubt Ryan Ferguson will find much justice either.
@keb1965: "Prosecutorial budgets in many jurisdictions are based on the number of convictions, "
"the government with its infinitely deep pockets "
Are those two statements not at least somewhat contradictory? If you have infinitely deep pockets, then you would not really be dependent upon a budget.
He ought to get at least a million a year.
Nothing new. It's always been a matter of the prosecutors aiming to increase their conviction rating, and defense attorney's always looking to increase their acquittal ratings. Guilt or innocence is a side issue, when their own payment can be the primary motivation. Simply put, more high powered defense lawyers who can get people off, can command larger salaries and retainers, and wrt prosecutors, same thing. Is it right? No. It is business as usual, and has been for a very long time, at least decades if not longer...
Worst part in all this, the defendant who lied, who copped a plea bargain, and testified against him, committing perjury in the process got off with a reduced sentence (only 25 years in jail), vs the 40 years Mr. Ferguson got. He got this reduced sentence, not only wrt whatever his involvement in this case was, but in making up crap against someone else, and perjuring himself to reduce his own jail time, at someone elses expense. Something still doesn't seem right in all of that (though plea bargains are also a standard practice in our over-crowded courts), even if Mr Ferguson was still let go in the end. Fact is he still lost like 8 or 9 years of his life over this, and the other individual who was convicted, got away with a light sentence for his own perjured statements, which caused this man to lose a significant portion of his own life, because....
Just remember, this is the same government, (well the NSA in particular, though they're as much a part of the Executive as the DoJ would be), that conducts across the board surveillance on everyone, as allowable under the Patriot act, and as came to light after all the leaks that came from Snowden, for our protection and all. But as is always the case, in such cases, it's what's done WITH the information, that can be the most telling of all. And with exhibit A being this case, right here, as described in this article, I wonder just how secure some might feel, when the integrity of those calling the shots, can be, well just as we see here...
That doesn't seem like crucial information to me.
A few of the jury members convicted based on the janitor's eye witness and recollection of the night's events. The janitor originally stated he didn't see the men clearly and was unable to identify them, but later stated that when his wife showed him the newspaper picture of the kids - with it folded so that the headline was covered, he then recognized them as the ones he'd seen that night. Had it come out that she never gave him the paper in the first place, then it raises a lot of question of where he saw the pictures (he says the D.A. showed them to him) and how accurate he was as a witness.
Al I can say GREAT parents for pursuing their son innocence and also GREAT lawyer !!!
Hopefully some recompenses for the young man 's life lost and traumatized.
This is justice correcting its own mistake. Allowing willful negligence and malice to go unpunished as prosecutorial misconduct is a travesty that will continue to happen as long as Prosecutors pin their careers on convictions. The Supreme Court has seen fit to grant them immunity from civil action for mistakes and poor judgement. This is a case that stretches beyond the meaning of ethical conduct when it comes to injustice.
The "choice" of the prosecution to not retry this case indicates just exactly how damaging the evidence would have been in the original trial. It is obvious why the prosecution failed to share the hidden evidence. If there were any chance that this man committed the crime they would not hesitate to prosecute again. It sounds like a cover up from the get -go. The man does deserve recompense for the years of his life wasted because someone wanted a conviction at any cost. I am glaad it is finally working itself out. I think they should release him immediately if they have no intention of a new trial. 15 days does not sound like a long wait unless you have already waited over 3000 days. Go all the way and do what is right NOW!
ressic,
A fair question get's a fair answer.
If you understand how prosecutors work, both locally and at the fed level, they do and daily threaten the relatives and children of their defendants with all kinds of legal stuff regardless if they did anything for not. . . If you don't believe me, ask Tommy Chong. . .
So, . . . I say publish the kids information as well. . . I care only about my family. . . The family of my enemy is fair game. . . simply by applying the rules they play by, all is fair in love and war.
Prosecutors and police that cheat, are my enemy as much as his.
I never comment however this case has interested me from the beginning and I have followed it on Dateline. I have believed from the beginning that Ryan Ferguson is not just 'not guilty' - he is innocent. I am so very happy for Ryan and his family and I wish him the very best!! This was too long coming, but I am glad it has a happy ending.
Finally...So happy. May you always have a good life after this horrible experience. Your friend was a real "nut ball". Happy Thanksgiving!
This case has been a shining example of why lawyers; on both sides of the aisle, should NEVER be concerned with their convictions or dismissal rankings......and be focused on justice. The former prosecuting d.a. Kevin Crane has been focused on his career ladder climbing of the judicial system from day one....at the expense of justice for both the victims and the accused.
discgolfdave, Conviction at all costs has been the mantra for many years. Prosecutors withholding evidence is not a new phenomenon. Many convictions have been overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct. The real crime is that many innocent people have lost a large portion of their lives, and, in some states, overturning a conviction does not remove restrictions imposed on convicted felons.
Ferguson will never get those 10 years back. He is due financial compensation from the State of Mizzou.
I saw the episode about this case and was flabbergasted about how this kid could have been sentenced on such flimsy, dare I say it, WORTHLESS evidence! There was NEVER a shred of PHYSICAL evidence tying him or the doofus the was with him that night to the crime.. Erickson was totally blotto that night and had a 'dream' about the murder (that was, by this time, headline news) and 'assumed' he and Ryan committed the murder!?? Give me a break!
As far as I'm concerned there are way too many other innocent people sitting in prison RIGHT NOW that were convicted by 'gung-ho' prosecutors not interested in justice at all but only in climbing up the ranks! Cases like Ferguson's is a perfect example of a 'rush to judgement', no serious communication between the police and what the labs found as far as physical evidence at all!
I hope this kid just sues the CRAP out of the state and that DA! He deserves every penny he gets and I hope he goes after Erickson and Trump too!
The prosecutor that willfully withheld evidence in this case got a slap on the wrist. That scumbag should spend the rest of his life in jail
LAWSUIT!!!
And a few kisses on this handsome dude's cheeks and lips.
Wonderful, and about time!! So happy for Ryan and the Ferguson family. And yes, a LAWSUIT!!
So, that's it? No "Sorry, we railroaded you and stole 10 years of your life?" Is anybody going to be held accountable for the corrupt prosecution, or the failure to find Kent Heitholt's real killer? Let's hope that justice can still prevail for both men.
No because the AG and likely the entire staff of the state prosecutor office long ago left for "better things". They also Tend to have automatic immunity for cases like this. Why the idea is that the prosecutors will not do there full diligence if they fear they can be held responsible for bad info.
I think we would all agree where it's shown the AGs office kept things from the defense that should automatically remove any such immunity. But instead the Taxpayer will end up paying several million for wrongful imprisonment while the staff that hid the info gets off Scott free.
And the guy responsible for this debacle, former Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Crane, is now a judge. I find it odd that most articles I've read on this topic omit his name completely, just as this one does.
No point in trying. Here in Texas, we just had a prosecutor, now a district judge, brought up on criminal charges for hiding evidence at his home in a case that sent a man to jail for LIFE for the supposed murder of his own wife. The evidence came out 25 years later and the man was freed.
Result of prosecuting the prosecutor? His old office plead him down to 10 days in county, $500 fine, and full retirement. Now talk to me about what a just system we run here in the US.
@neoatg: "Why the idea is that the prosecutors will not do there full diligence if they fear they can be held responsible for bad info."
One would think just the opposite would be the case. The prosecutors should be encouraged to DO their full diligence if they fear messing up could come back to bite their rear ends.
nellibly, They still have another dude sitting in prison for the crime, and don't believe that they will be releasing him anytime soon. Which means that they will not reopen the case and look for the real killer or killers assuming that it was not these two. I still have my reservations but with this much doubt they should both be freed.
A judge, how "wonderful". And we've all seen how he can act, when he hold's someone elses life and fate in his hands. I feel sorry for any innocent or wrongfully convicted individual who ends up, in his court room...
Wow...kind of slow on reporting this!! Kathleen tweeted over an hour ago that she was on her way to get him!!
A whole hour? What would we do without you goofy Twits, anyway?!
Toredown: you are a real piece of work....I suspect that where you live no one will listen to you so you have to pollute the cyber waves with your trash talk. Couldn't you go play with your dollies?
Wow a tweet That's some hard hitting Guaranteed to be true reporting right then No one ever lies in tweets.
And people wonder why media has gotten worse taking an hour to make sure the story lines up and the State AG isn't about to pull some bull@!$%# is considered "slow reporting"
Toredown--each time you post a comment, you show your ignorance--speaking of "twits"--hmmm
Obviously not slow enough... I'm no editor but this article is ripe with gramatical, spelling, and timeline errors.
Anyway, good for Ryan. Hopefully he'll get a nice check from the State for all that time he served.
Handsome Ryan oughtta be freed, and kissed on his rosy lips and ripe cheeks.
I am not sure but I am thinking that Sam the Tiger wants to kiss Ryan on the lips and cheeks and I suspect that Ryan may be handsome but I am not real sure about that.
Hopefully the gentlemen will clean the clock(s) financially of those responsible for his wrongful incarceration.
The way it works is we the people are the ones getting the clocks cleaned. Those responsible have gone on and they are not the ones to pay for a lawsuit.
They should be...
It could get worse. If the prosecutor who prosecuted this, is in fact a judge now, as others have mentioned here; he might well be getting a bonus, also curtsey of the same tax payers who would be paying out the sum for any lawsuit. The life of the powerful, and "well connected".
Remember also, we live in a world where Jon Corzine could have been involved in a financial crime that made Burney Madoff's ponzi scam look amateurish by comparison, the time he worked at MF Financial, following his mis-deeds as NJ state governor; and yet he isn't so much as charged with anything... Should any of this surprise us anymore?
The DA in Texas got 10 days for with holding evidence on a 25 year conviction, What a crock and slap on the wrist. He was the 1st to get any jail time if you call that jail time.
every one involved with these things should be made to serve the same time they were in jail and give back any money they earned in that same time some even got better jobs
Can't then you wrongfully imprisoning staff and cops that had noting to do with the cover up as dozens of people take part on some level with any case in the USA.
What should be done is anytime it's found out the DAs office withheld evidence(in the case dna and hair samples that proved he didn't do it) the DA and the top staff who call the shots give up there immunity and can be sued for damages
@ Bat Cave River: wow, a whole 10 days? I'm so sick of hearing on these shows like 20/20 ID and Dateline about these prosecutors (especially in small towns) railroading some poor person just so they can look good for "closing the case" and get re-elected. Dateline especially has brought to light case after case of prosecutorial and police misconduct which has resulted in men and women sitting in prison for DECADES of their lives, even when there is obvious evidence that the person didn't do it. What REALLY ticks me off is after the poor person finally gets out of jail, we get to hear all the evidence showing how they were railroaded, and when the former prosecutor is interviewed, he sits their and tells the interviewer how he "stands behind the prosecution" and "still knows that the person committed the crime". Anything that is discovered during the investigation that could shed light on a possible other suspect, or rules out so-called "testimony" of an eyewitness HAS to be turned over to the defense attorney for him to use in preparation of his defense for the trial. The only thing that is "privileged" is attorney work product (the attorney's hand-written notes on the case). I was a paralegal for 5 years for large multi-state lawfirms, and the prosecutor can't blame this on the paralegal, because he is ultimately responsible for overseeing everything that the paralegal does. In my opinion, that prosecutor should have to sit in jail for 10 years, along with losing his license to practice, AND should be sued for everything he has. Maybe if the prosecutorial side of the law knew there would be serious repercussions, we wouldn't keep hearing about innocent men being released after spending the productive years of their lives in prison for a crime they didn't commit.
And that was 10 days in County. Should have been at least 10% of the time Michael Morton spent in jail. If they are going to give him only 10 days, it should be in Huntsville with the other criminals he put there.
Prosecute the prosecutor and whomever else withheld the evidence, too many innocent people are in prison for wrongful convictions. How do these lying people in the prosecutorial profession keep getting away with this.
What really ticks me off is when it is finally brought to light that an innocent person has been sitting in prison all this time, and then a show like "Dateline" interviews the former prosecutor, he/she sits there and says that they "stand behind their prosecution and are still sure the person did it", even after the show has found out every slimy thing they did to hurry up and get a conviction, not caring if the person did it or not. I don't know how they can look at themselves in the mirror every day.
No problem with the mirror, they’re attorneys
I didn't expect an apology from these incompetent (or worse) officials. Police and prosecutors will never admit they made a mistake in sending an innocent person to prison.
The original police and prosecutors in this case should be prosecuted themselves. What a disgrace they are.
It was not a mistake. It was deliberate. To advance his career.
They can never say they are sorry or admit to any wrongdoing of any kind. That costs them too much in lawsuits that they will lose with an admission of wrongdoing.
Just look at the cook county prosecutions in Illinois. They are the worst for railroading people, getting caught and then denying unto the death that they did anything underhanded.
And no, I am not a person who has ever been arrested or accused of any crime so I have no axe to grind with cook county. I don't even live there, but I read stories so often about that county and the law enforcement getting it wrong and not caring about a persons innocence.
You're absolutely correct, Larry. The original prosecutor in the case was Kevin Crane. What do you know? He's a judge now.
@ Justin B-surprise, surprise. And this case probably happened during an election year. It's amazing what lengths these pieces of scum will go to in order to advance their careers. It makes me happy every time a show like "Dateline" exposes these people for the psychopaths that they are, and someone who was wrongly convicted goes free. It's scary to think how often this happens (especially in small towns, where the police don't even know how to work a crime scene), then the lock onto one person and once they've made up their minds, no one else is even looked at. And miraculously, suddenly there are "eyewitnesses" who couldn't ID the people before, but all of a sudden know who they were. The word "coaching" comes to mind.
Justin B, like the old saying goes "screw up, move up."
It should cost them. It isn't a simple mistake here. And worse yet, the guy is now a judge, where he gets to impose this brand of "justice" on others. Short of actually bringing those like this prosecutor to justice for acts like this; about the only hope for real justice would lie with "the Almighty", and that little life review many who have mentioned having near death experiences, have reported going through...
Send the prosecutor to prison for 40 years. No parole. He's corrupt.
you can't get this one cause the AG in this case was Nixon, so he will just pardon hisself
Nope - let's go railroad some other poor innocent...
TOREDOWN": STFU!!!
What happened to this poor kid is a sin. Sue the crap for your years lost
This kid is very handsome. RELEASE him and give him a few kisses on his plucky cheeks and rosy lips.
Lawsuit or not, there should be, at a minimum, a disbarment of the prosecutor. I liken it to someone using inside information for personal gain, and in lawyers terms that's a mark in the l 'win column'. Somehow, the legal system needs to remove the veil of immunity from the immoral prosecutors and make them accountable, legally, professional and financially. If you were a stock trader and violated the rules, you'd go to jail, lose your license and be financially penalized.
totally agree
Somebody should be spending time in jail, that's for sure. A particular prosecutor comes to mind, what a filthy pig. He's rocking' some pretty bad karma...
There are prosecutors just like him all around the country. Nothing will ever happen to them and they will never change their ways. It would be nice to see prosecutors who convict innocent people punished by locking them up for the same amount of time the innocent person was locked up for, then making them personally pay lost wages that the innocent person could have earned instead of being locked up. But that will never happen. Prosecutors convict people and don't care one bit whether that person is innocent or guilty. If they got arrested they must be guilty - that's how prosecutors look at every case. Slime, each and every one of them.
The prosecutors that withheld information should have to spend the remainder of the sentence in prison, be stripped of their law license, and be held financially libel for the past 10 yrs of this mans life. There are too damned many money grubbing lawyers out there. They ALL need to be held accountable for their actions.
The prosecutor's name is Kevin Crane. I'm sure my posts revealing his name will be deleted or something. I'm really not sure why the article makes no mention of his name. He's a complete scumbag. Now he's no longer a scumbag lawyer, he's a scumbag judge.
And for anyone wondering; yes I have had the misfortune to have had dealings with this POS in the courtroom, so I know firsthand exactly what kind of an evil person he is.
Kevin Crane will no doubt be making even more karma as a judge... Want to talk about karma, just imagine what could end up being levied on "his immortal soul", should he preside over court cases in the same manner he conducted himself as prosecutor in this, here case. Fitting would be that when he faces the "karmic lords" if you will, he's adjudicated in exactly the same manner he adjudicates other people... Now THAT, would be karmic justice...
Actually if any cop is reading these boards, and finds this self same individual so much as bending a law, by parking 1 inch too close to a fire hydrant, or going a couple miles over the speed limit, and his name and all pops up on the computer, when running his plates, and then checking his license. Just remember the sort of person we have here, when the question of using discretionary powers of either giving him a brake, or throwing the book up, comes up. Why cut a brake, even for a minor infraction, on the guy who remorselessly would throw 10 years of a guy's life away, and per chance continue in such fashion after becoming a judge? ;)
Yay! I'm so happy for him but feel he was robbed of ten years of his life. I wish him the best!
Unfortunately our judicial system is stacked with less than honorable people who get there thrills in life by fabricating evidence, witholding information or any means necassary to get a conviction against an innocent party. People are afraid and rightfully so in this country not of criminals but of those sworn to protect us and the ones with the guns and the badge. Scary times we live in here in the free country.
sorry, police are not there to protect the people...they are there to enforce the laws...they really do not even have to respond to a call, they do and it is always after the crime has been comitted. the supreme court has ruled on this a number of times. you are responsiblefor your own protection and that of your family.
And if, in your estimation the police power has nothing to do with the health and safety of the public (an argument, which when it had come up, was seen as sufficient grounds for the SCOTUS in some particular cases to hold that the police power in such instances could supersede the interstate commerce clause when they had come in conflict, and no means to not violate interstate commerce was observable to the Supreme Court in order to protect the health and safety of state citizens), then exactly what would the point of even having those self same laws even be?
Thing is, you both have a point, but it isn't all black and white, yes or no. Their job is to enforce the laws, but the rationale behind the police powers, broadly speaking, and the purpose for legislating laws in the first place does tend to lend towards what the original poster was stating. But then again, the philosophy of law, the particulars of legislation, and certain principles such as those upon which the Constitution was founded, hell the body of words from the Constitution to the Declaration of Independence itself, would suggest more then the self serving, "the law exists for itself", while establishing the social contract under which we all live.
Actually, I'll throw one further, straight from Federalist 51 itself. The matter of a government first being obliged to govern itself, and then in the second instance to govern the people. In fact one of the foundational arguments for the separation of powers, and the system of checks and balances itself. In this instance, the government isn't doing a very good job, in governing itself...
In any case, though one might directly state that the police's job is to enforce the laws, one could also say that the point of the laws themselves, is, or was intended to be the protection of the people, as well as society. Divorcing that from it all, sorta negates the purpose or the "spirit of the law" if you will, that is supposed to exist behind the letter of the law...
...and the attorneys walk away with impunity. "With liberty and justice for all".
The country is slowing flipping on the side of evil!
I'm ecstatic. I prayed for his release. The power of prayer is immense. And yes, I agree. SOMEONE should be accountable for the 10 years that Ryan had to endure in jail. He was only a boy when he was sentenced...AND AN INNOCENT ONE AT THAT! Shame our the Justice System for not making those responsible for this fiasco and travesty of justice PAY FOR THEIR CRIME!!! YES...IT'S A CRIME!!!
Good job praying, George. Pat yourself on the back. Did you pray to the same @!$%# that watched him get convicted?
am glad they dropped the charges. I saw this story on dateline. I knew he was not guilty..now suit them.
Me too. This young and handsome dude needs kisses on his ripe cheeks and rosy lips, instead of jail time.
What key evidence????????????????????????????
Barring them from practice is the first step.
Withholding evidence is a case of prosecutorial misconduct and someone can get disbarred for it.
thankgod for this but this young man has lost ten years of his life, his family stood by him and i bet spent dearly they deserve all and more monies back for this in justice ,, and for the friend who though he had a dream and he did it the hell with you,, serve all your time weather or not your guilty ,,, karma
I agree he deserves to be compensated but the kicker is tax payer money paid to prosecute and incarcerate him, and taxpayer money would also be given to him as compensation. I say the prosecutor should be financially responsible to repay him. The prosecutor should also have to repay the state for the cost of the trial and innocent mans incarceration. Then the prosecutor should be locked up day for day as long as the innocent man was. That might be a good start and might send a strong message to other prosecutors to not abuse their power.
@ tkaman2-I totally agree with you. Then maybe all the corrupt police, prosecutors, judges, etc., would think about it before they decided to just pin a crime on any poor person so that it makes them look better, closing their cases fast, "getting those killers off the street". Except they didn't, did they? Whoever committed this murder has been out living his life as a free person for the last 10 years while this poor kid has been sitting in prison for something he didn't even do. The bad part is that the prosecutor will say to his dying day that he "convicted the right person". They can't (or won't) even admit that they did something wrong.
tkaman2, if they did all that you would never get anyone to serve as DA. Everyone would be to afraid to do it. I know I wouldn't, there's always a chance you could screw up.
Whatever Reid, Boehner, Cantor, Issa, Rubio, etc. make give it to this guy and send them to prison! That would cure many problems in this country!!!
wtf are you smoking? You (and people like you) are one of this country's biggest problems. What do Reid, Boehner, Cantor, Issa, and Rubio have to do with this case?