Lamonte Armstrong set free after 17 years
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:45 pmhttp://main.aol.com/2012/07/02/lamonte-armstrong-wrongfully-convicted_n_1646190.html
There's a big difference between making a mistake in judgment, getting hung up on the wrong suspect AND deliberately withholding evidence. This is egregious misconduct by the DA who prosecuted the case, and there needs to be some kind of punishment. Also, I think too many jurors are more afraid of releasing a guilty man than they are of convicting an innocent man -- hence this jury was able to convict even though they had serious problems with the lack of evidence and the jailhouse witnesses. I can't imagine how bad those jurors feel now knowing for a certainty that they convicted an innocent man. No juror should be put through that -- DAs have to be held accountable when they commit egregious misconduct.
There's a big difference between making a mistake in judgment, getting hung up on the wrong suspect AND deliberately withholding evidence. This is egregious misconduct by the DA who prosecuted the case, and there needs to be some kind of punishment. Also, I think too many jurors are more afraid of releasing a guilty man than they are of convicting an innocent man -- hence this jury was able to convict even though they had serious problems with the lack of evidence and the jailhouse witnesses. I can't imagine how bad those jurors feel now knowing for a certainty that they convicted an innocent man. No juror should be put through that -- DAs have to be held accountable when they commit egregious misconduct.