Tuesday, March 10, 2009

This is a great story about the failures of eyewitness identifications.

She sent him to jail for rape; now they"re friends

Raped at knifepoint, Jennifer Thompson-Cannino identified Ronald Cotton as the man who did it. After 11 years, he was exonerated by DNA evidence. Today they are friends and co-authors fighting together to change police procedure. Link

These two were featured on 60 Minutes last Sunday night as well. Now they have written a book together, called "Picking Cotton". Read about the book here.

False eyewitness identifications, one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions, don't just hurt the wrongfully convicted defendant, they hurt the innocent witness, in this case the victim of rape. She was left to feel guilty for the part she played in incarcerating an innocent man. Fortunately for these two, they have made the best out of a horrible situation. They have forged a lasting friendship, they have both built happy families, and they have worked together to bring much-needed attention to the problem of eyewitness identifications.

I can't wait to read this book.

1 comment:

Language Lover said...

What an inspiring story. Thanks for calling out attention to it. I'm eager to read it too.

 
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