Legal Commentary

Life After a Wrongful Conviction

By TChris

This is the life that too often follows a wrongful conviction:

"In Durham, I feel like I'm already labeled," [Erick] Daniels said. "You can be pardoned, get your record expunged, get compensated, but in some people's minds I'm always going to be guilty. If I'm stopped for anything, even driving 10 miles over the speed limit, I'll make the front page of the newspaper. I don't have room to be guilty of anything."

A casualty of Durham's criminal justice system at age 15 (years before lawyers for the Duke lacrosse players exposed its dysfunction), Erick Daniels did about 7 years of adult time for an armed robbery he didn't commit. A judge recognized his innocence and set him free in September, but by that time Daniels had served most of his sentence. Now Daniels lives with and cares for his disabled grandmother. He hopes to be hired for a $10-an-hour job that might also send him to community college.

Good luck and best wishes, Erick.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 01, 2009 (boomark / email).