Louisiana death penalty defendant Robert McCoy insists on his innocence in the crime of murdering his mother-in-law, her husband and her 17-year-old grandson. However, there is substantial evidence against him, including claims that the victim's cellphone and the gun...
Month: January 2018
Supreme Court rules appeal warranted in case of racist juror
When appellate attorneys for a Georgia man, Keith Tharpe, found evidence that one or more of his jurors had been racist, they hoped to show that racism affected the outcome of the trial. They tried to bring a habeas corpus petition to get the man's conviction or...
The cascading effect of one wrongful conviction
ProPublica has produced some great work in the past year on the tragic consequences of prosecutors who are hell-bent on convicting individuals of crimes even when the evidence is thin or clearly suspect.Few stories portray the maddening downward spiral an unjust...
More evidence the DOJ is about to crack down on marijuana
This blog has previously discussed the possibility that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was about to crack down on marijuana offenses.Under federal law, marijuana is illegal for any use. Prosecutors, however, have the authority not to prosecute when appropriate...