DNA Clears Another Man Convicted of Rape

	posted by Nightmist on Thursday February 07, @03:29PM from the false-accusations dept.
	It's happened again. This story in the L.A. Times reports on Bruce Godschalk, who was imprisoned 15 years ago for allegedly raping two different women. DNA testing on samples from the rape kit and Godschalk have exonerated him. But [the prosecutor] said he would not release Godschalk immediately, maintaining the samples may not be from the rapist and that he cannot discount Godschalk's taped confession. Godschalk's advocates say the evidence more than points to his innocence.

	Source: L.A. Times [newspaper] Title: Lawyers: DNA Clears Convicted Rapist Author: Tina Moore Date: February 5, 2002

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Reparation are due. (Score:1) by DanCurry on Thursday February 07, @06:15PM EST (#1) (User #245 Info) All this talk about reparation for a variety of ethnic groups for abuses that happened in previous lifetimes should be tossed out the window and take a backseat to those that have been victimized by our legal system in recent years. We owe these people for the time they were jailed and their accusers should be prosecuted. We should be pressuring states to pass legislation that awards monetary damages automatic to those cleared of crimes through DNA tests. Also, damages should be awarded to those denied DNA testing because the evidence was destroyed by the police or D.A. The article states that 20% where pressured into guilty pleas, while no one knows for sure, I'm sure a great many were convicted on fabricated evidence and false testimony. Dan Curry DanCurry.Com

Prosecutors will be prosecutors. (Score:1) by yayme on Thursday February 07, @06:50PM EST (#2) (User #664 Info) They don't really like to reopen cases, and basically they're trying to say "this isn't evidence" because that means he was wrong. "I have no scientific basis," indeed.

To hell with genetics! (Score:1) by donaldcameron1 (aal@amateuratlarge.com) on Thursday February 07, @07:37PM EST (#3) (User #357 Info) http://www.amateuratlarge.com I'm the f**king prosecuter!!! Castor said it's possible the sperm sample taken from the carpet of one victim's home wasn't from the rape and could have been from "somebody who had sex there five years ago." In the other case, Castor said, it's possible the sperm taken from the victim was her husband's, not the rapist's. Well then you must be right you a**hole "I have those results and I have a tape-recorded confession from the defendant, which is full of details that only the rapist would know," Castor said. Have you never heard of a plea bargain? you jerk

Re:To hell with genetics! (Score:1) by crescentluna (evil_maiden@yahoo.com) on Thursday February 07, @11:52PM EST (#4) (User #665 Info) wouldn't one think that a DNA test can tell the difference between her husband's sperm and a different person? What a thought. This whole stuff about how it's information only a rapist would know, without any details (I suppose he doesn't HAVE to give US peons details, but it would've been nice) just doesn't convince anyone they have a legitimate concern.

Re:To hell with genetics! (Score:1) by yayme on Friday February 08, @12:36AM EST (#5) (User #664 Info) This whole stuff about how it's information only a rapist would know, without any details (I suppose he doesn't HAVE to give US peons details, but it would've been nice) just doesn't convince anyone they have a legitimate concern. There's also the possibility that the prosecution hints at what happened when the plea bargain is made... such as "Were you here? Did you do this?" There was a _Practice_ episode (yes yes I know TV is bad, but...) where this trick was used (ironically to get a person off by coercing the real perp to get a plea bargain)

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