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| Exonerated by DNA, gets 700k in settlement - |
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victims cry
 Posted:
Sun Jan 07, 2007 12:55 am |
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Exonerated by DNA, gets 700k in settlement
| Quote: | Man freed by DNA gets $700,000
SERVED SEVEN YEARS FOR RAPE HE DIDN'T COMMIT
By Brett Barrouquere
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOUISVILLE - A man freed by DNA evidence from a Kentucky prison after serving seven years for a rape he didn't commit settled part of a lawsuit over his incarceration for $700,000.
The settlement between William Thomas Gregory and Kentucky State Police forensic examiner Dawn Ross Katz also will result in a review of her findings, which led to the charges, attorneys said.
Katz, a forensic examiner with the state police crime lab in Jefferson County, found that hairs in a stocking worn by the attacker were consistent with hairs taken from Gregory.
Gregory, 58, was convicted in 1993 based in part on that finding. He was sentenced to 70 years in prison for rape and two counts of attempted rape.
The settlement covers only the conduct of Katz. Gregory still has a lawsuit pending against the city of Louisville and various police officers and investigators. Settlement talks are set for the end of January and, if no resolution reached, a trial is scheduled for July.
Gregory, who has worked in retail and electronic sales since being released from prison in 2000, said the money will help pay off bills and ease the financial burdens he's faced.
"It's a long time coming," Gregory said. "I thought it was good for this point. I'm expecting bigger things from the rest of the case, though."
Kentucky State Police Lt. Phil Crumpton referred calls about the settlement to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
Jeff Middendorf, an attorney for the cabinet, said the settlement didn't require a review of Katz's findings, but one is being conducted anyway.
"Even though the analysis took place close to 15 years ago, we believe it is important to review the work because the ongoing integrity and accuracy of results from the state lab is our primary concern," Middendorf said.
Gregory filed the lawsuits because Kentucky is not among states that compensate people who are wrongfully imprisoned.
In court filings, the city and police say Gregory has failed to make a case that police intentionally did anything wrong, and that they shouldn't be held responsible for honest mistakes.
DNA tests were not available at the time of the trial, but became available in the late 1990s.
Gregory, with help from the New York-based Innocence Project, successfully appealed to have the hairs tested. DNA tests showed that the hairs could not have come from Gregory, who was freed after prosecutors opted not to retry him. No one else has been arrested in the case.
"William is now in a position where he has some breathing room," said his attorney, Nick Brustin. "He's got the ability to wait out a trial now."
Gregory has accused Katz of falsifying the results of a hair comparison test done on hairs found at the scene of a sexual assault.
Katz, in court filings and an affidavit, has denied any wrongdoing.
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Much of what is wrong with the system is shown here.
1. States that refuse to compensate men/women completely innocent of crimes they spend years in prison for.
2. the justification of it being "an honest mistake"
3. The prosecutor "opted" not to retry him. Say what?????? DNA showed it was impossible to be him. wtf? but many DA's treat it as if released on a technicality. 
4. As Nifong shows, prosecutors have complete immunity except for whatever a state bar chooses to do - which normally is nothing. Im not saying it happened here, but there are rogue prosecutors who believe in convictions over justice any day, and they should be able to be sued if they abuse their power to put an innocent man away.
5. Hair comparisons are as reliable as polygraphs. sometimes accurate, sometimes not. They should not be allowed in testimony except as a generalization. Certainly not as they are now. "consistent with" says to a jury .. same as. Not the case.
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On Vacation!
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 9299
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| iwabwu
Posted:
Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:00 am |
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Wouldn't it be great if we had DNA evidence in the Natalee case?
Perhaps a body?
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** Banned **
Joined: 17 May 2006
Posts: 6314
Location: Third Rock From The Sun
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| Heli
Posted:
Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:02 am |
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| iwabwu wrote: | Wouldn't it be great if we had DNA evidence in the Natalee case?
Perhaps a body? |
A body would have allowed for a thorough toxicological examination to be carried out. Yes, that would be great and probably would
have solved the case.
Last edited by Heli on Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:05 am; edited 1 time in total
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Transcription Goddess
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 23422
Location: Puffed Up DimWit
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| GeorgiaMom
Posted:
Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:05 am |
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| iwabwu wrote: | Wouldn't it be great if we had DNA evidence in the Natalee case?
Perhaps a body? |
I, as I'm sure most people think that would be Wonderful! Then again if she ran away which I think she didn't, she definately doesn't want to be found.
As for this guy, that's one hell of a savings plan over 7 years. It really pisses me off when they convict the wrong person. A jury of our peers is a joke. To many times it's a matter of "yeah he did it, let's go home". I'm just glad he's getting at least some part of his life back.
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Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Posts: 4163
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| WordsofWisdom
Posted:
Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:07 am |
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| iwabwu wrote: | Wouldn't it be great if we had DNA evidence in the Natalee case?
Perhaps a body? |
Wouldn't it be great if they had the Twitty's DNA to compare to that toothbrush? I am sure Jug would comply..... What?!? He refused? But .. but ... but I thought that "if you have nothing to hide" ........... you should submit to a "search" - even without a warrant.
What was that? Jug was so angry about the request he turned a table over and shouted? Nah... that can't be true.... he had nothing to hide. 
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Athena
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
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