Man Convicted of Brooklyn Murder Exonerated After 52 Years
Source: NBC News
Come November, 81-year-old Paul Gatling will get to do something that many Americans take for granted he'll get to vote for a presidential candidate.
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson vacated Gatling's 1964 murder conviction on Monday and restored his rights, including his right to vote.
"I want my name cleared," Gatling told NBC News before Thompson made it official. "Most of all, I just want to vote before I die."
The delighted Gatling said his only regret is that President Obama won't be on the ballot.
Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-convicted-brooklyn-murder-exonerated-after-52-years-n566076
Judi Lynn
(160,542 posts)Here's hoping that somehow this man will find peace in what is left of what would have been his life.
Thank you, so much, for posting this.
Best wishes to Paul Gatling.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)So he spent 10 years in prison, but the conviction has still been following him around since it was never overturned.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,002 posts)Peace Patriot
(24,010 posts)What if he had been sentenced to death? Huh? HUH?
Jeez. These people.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Supporters of the DP also often claim that having a death penalty helps gain convictions from people who plead to life in prison rather than face the DP. The obvious problem with that is people like this man who have little choice.
But they don't seem to care much about the innocent people who are victimized so long as they get their pound of flesh.
Festivito
(13,452 posts)White jury. White pregnant lady identifies him (after not being sure at first).
Rest is not in article.
ProfessorGAC
(65,065 posts). . .he should have stayed in jail because proof of innocence should not negate a properly adjudicated case.
So, per Scalia, this guy shouldn't have been let out, even in 1974.
That has to be correct, because Scalia was such a genius!
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)I'm not proud of what my country does to human beings. And that goes far beyond this depressing case.
surrealAmerican
(11,361 posts)... this should be part of it: no more lifetime bans for people convicted of crimes.
Babel_17
(5,400 posts)He's not the only one.