In what sounds like the plot of a thriller, a woman jailed for a series of armed robberies based on statements by eye-witnesses was later released when police concluded that the eye-witnesses were lying and she’d been elaborately framed by an ex-boyfriend she’d accused of rape.
According to a report in The New York Times, she was locked up with bail set at a million dollars and faced up to 25 years in prison. In the meantime her ex-boyfriend was free awaiting his rape trial. By the time she was eventually released, she’d lost her businesses, her house was in foreclosure, and she’d been separated for an extended period from her 12-year-old daughter.
Information from an informant led the police to investigate the supposed victims and eye-witnesses, who, when shown evidence they’d been in contact with the ex-boyfriend, started admitting they’d been lying. The ex-boyfriend is now in jail, but he and his family claim that the woman set him up.
A point made by the article is that it illustrates a potential danger in the criminal justice system and underscores the importance of the rights of the accused. Sometimes they really are innocent.
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Gary-
I just discovered your blog here from your link on your emails (which I get via tfsignc). Really enjoying reading it. Very interesting stuff.
Mark
Mark, many thanks for the kind words!