I'll Bet Police Were Really Pissed Off by This!
DNA Tests Free Man in Prison 25 Years
By DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer
A judge Thursday freed an inmate whose claims of innocence in a kidnapping
and rape went unheeded for nearly a quarter of a century, until DNA evidence
proved him right.
At the end of the 15-minute hearing where Robert Clark was finally granted
his freedom, his attorney Peter Neufeld patted him on the back and said,
"You're free to go, fella." The judge commented "I sure hope there are no
hard feelings because of this".
A smiling Clark hugged and kissed family members, repeatedly saying, "I told
you. I told you."
Clark's mother died and his children grew up and had families of their own
while he sat in prison for a 1981 attack on an Atlanta woman. His lawyers
said DNA from another man matches not only that rape, but two others that
were committed later.
"This is a truly horrific case," said Vanessa Potkin, an attorney for the
Innocence Project, a legal clinic co-directed by Neufeld. "While Robert
Clark was wrongfully convicted, it appears the true perpetrator of this
crime was out there harming women and children."
Clark, 45, was convicted and sentenced to life plus 20 years after a woman
identified him as the man who carjacked her at gunpoint from outside an
Atlanta Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and raped her repeatedly.
But recent DNA tests showed that Clark - who had no prior adult felony
convictions - did not commit the crime.
Tests against state and federal DNA databases of convicts matched samples
from the rape to Clark's friend Floyd Antonio "Tony" Arnold. Cobb County
prosecutors, who originally convicted Clark, are looking into whether to
seek charges against Arnold, spokeswoman Kathy Watkins said.
Arnold had convictions for sodomy and illegal gun possession when the rape
took place. He is in prison for cruelty to children and is scheduled to be
released Jan. 31.
A search by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Arnold's DNA
matched two other unsolved Atlanta area rape cases in 2003, Potkin said.
Arnold has not been charged with either crime.
Clark became the 164th person in the nation and the fifth in Georgia to be
freed through post-conviction DNA testing, according to Potkin. Clark had asked for DNA testing several times in recent years, but prosecutors would never allow it, saying they were certain they had the right man.
Neufeld said an Atlanta law firm has volunteered to look into financial
compensation for Clark. Earlier this year, the Georgia Legislature approved
$1 million for Clarence Harrison, who spent nearly 18 years in prison before
DNA evidence cleared him of rape.
Clark's son, Rodrickus, said he and other family members looked forward to
celebrating his father's freedom.
"He always told me he was innocent. I believed in what he said," he said.
"We can't make up for lost time. I guess we've just got to go on. We want to
go fishing together, take a nice fishing trip."
Clark said he is not sure what his long-term plans are, but he is looking
forward to his first family Christmas in years.
"I won't be able to give them any gifts or anything, but I don't think
they're worried about that," he said. "They just want to have me home."
___
On the Net:
The Innocence Project: http://www.innocenceproject.org
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press.
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without
profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the
understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic
issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I
believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish
to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go
beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner, in this instance, Associated Press.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
As the judge said to the man when he was released from a quarter century
in prison,"Gee, I sure hope there are no hard feelings."
Nah, why should there be any hard feelings; after all it was just a few Brave and Courageous Police Officers doing their thing. In fact I suspect that when the man they had chosen to be guilty got out after 25 years (and not guilty!) it probably pissed them off a lot. After all, they had already given their pronouncement on the matter, and now a liberal judge gives the guy what he was asking for, A DNA test. Who the hell did he think he was, getting loose like that after police had already reached their decision?
To discuss this in detail, go to our IRC Forum Discussion Area
By DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer
A judge Thursday freed an inmate whose claims of innocence in a kidnapping
and rape went unheeded for nearly a quarter of a century, until DNA evidence
proved him right.
At the end of the 15-minute hearing where Robert Clark was finally granted
his freedom, his attorney Peter Neufeld patted him on the back and said,
"You're free to go, fella." The judge commented "I sure hope there are no
hard feelings because of this".
A smiling Clark hugged and kissed family members, repeatedly saying, "I told
you. I told you."
Clark's mother died and his children grew up and had families of their own
while he sat in prison for a 1981 attack on an Atlanta woman. His lawyers
said DNA from another man matches not only that rape, but two others that
were committed later.
"This is a truly horrific case," said Vanessa Potkin, an attorney for the
Innocence Project, a legal clinic co-directed by Neufeld. "While Robert
Clark was wrongfully convicted, it appears the true perpetrator of this
crime was out there harming women and children."
Clark, 45, was convicted and sentenced to life plus 20 years after a woman
identified him as the man who carjacked her at gunpoint from outside an
Atlanta Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and raped her repeatedly.
But recent DNA tests showed that Clark - who had no prior adult felony
convictions - did not commit the crime.
Tests against state and federal DNA databases of convicts matched samples
from the rape to Clark's friend Floyd Antonio "Tony" Arnold. Cobb County
prosecutors, who originally convicted Clark, are looking into whether to
seek charges against Arnold, spokeswoman Kathy Watkins said.
Arnold had convictions for sodomy and illegal gun possession when the rape
took place. He is in prison for cruelty to children and is scheduled to be
released Jan. 31.
A search by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Arnold's DNA
matched two other unsolved Atlanta area rape cases in 2003, Potkin said.
Arnold has not been charged with either crime.
Clark became the 164th person in the nation and the fifth in Georgia to be
freed through post-conviction DNA testing, according to Potkin. Clark had asked for DNA testing several times in recent years, but prosecutors would never allow it, saying they were certain they had the right man.
Neufeld said an Atlanta law firm has volunteered to look into financial
compensation for Clark. Earlier this year, the Georgia Legislature approved
$1 million for Clarence Harrison, who spent nearly 18 years in prison before
DNA evidence cleared him of rape.
Clark's son, Rodrickus, said he and other family members looked forward to
celebrating his father's freedom.
"He always told me he was innocent. I believed in what he said," he said.
"We can't make up for lost time. I guess we've just got to go on. We want to
go fishing together, take a nice fishing trip."
Clark said he is not sure what his long-term plans are, but he is looking
forward to his first family Christmas in years.
"I won't be able to give them any gifts or anything, but I don't think
they're worried about that," he said. "They just want to have me home."
___
On the Net:
The Innocence Project: http://www.innocenceproject.org
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press.
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without
profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the
understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic
issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I
believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish
to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go
beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner, in this instance, Associated Press.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
As the judge said to the man when he was released from a quarter century
in prison,"Gee, I sure hope there are no hard feelings."
Nah, why should there be any hard feelings; after all it was just a few Brave and Courageous Police Officers doing their thing. In fact I suspect that when the man they had chosen to be guilty got out after 25 years (and not guilty!) it probably pissed them off a lot. After all, they had already given their pronouncement on the matter, and now a liberal judge gives the guy what he was asking for, A DNA test. Who the hell did he think he was, getting loose like that after police had already reached their decision?
posted by Patrick Townson at 8:00 PM
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