Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful imprisonment

Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by stefan_ on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @09:30PM (#26897629)

> Ms. Haddaway had demanded that the state dismiss unrelated drug charges against her grandson in exchange for her testimony against Mr. Smith and Mr. Faulkner. The recordings also show that the state refused to place that deal in writing to prevent Ms. Haddaway from being cross-examined on the issue. The state, in fact, dismissed the charges three days before Mr. Andrews’s trial was scheduled to begin.

So they didn't just withhold information, 13 years after they manufactured a witness with some quid pro quo?

I think there was a crime committed here.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by codezero on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @09:32PM (#26897651)

The story behind a lot of these innocence project stories is one of corruption and/or incompetence. We don’t punish those things too hard in the US unless the target is poor or brown.

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[dead]

Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by agogdog on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @11:08PM (#26898295)

When people make comments like this do they seriously think providing a single example tears down the concept of systemic issues?

This is a "it snowed today, so global warming doesn't exist" type of comment.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by codezero on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @11:09PM (#26898302)

No, this is a troll looking to diminish the value of this community. Best move is not to comment or engage in the future. Downvote and/or flag. Or contact dang at HN moderation.

Or, ask curious questions. Trolls hate curious questions.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by codezero on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @11:08PM (#26898297)

What would you like to tell me? I’m listening.

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[dead]

Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by codezero on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @11:10PM (#26898310)

I’m confused. Bernie Madoff died in prison. Can you clarify your comment? How is it relevant to this thread?

His punishment, compared to the economic and personal impact of his crimes was very light in general terms. Try again.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by michaelcampbell on Thursday April 22, 2021 @09:45AM (#26902644)

> Try again.

This level of smugness is almost never the right response here.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by codezero on Thursday April 22, 2021 @12:31PM (#26904695)

I agree, thanks for calling me out.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by unstatusthequo on Thursday April 22, 2021 @08:24AM (#26901913)

Sarcasm. That’s what. He had 150 years in prison. Read: effective life in prison. What more punishment would you suggest? Oh two effective life in prison sentences? Gulag? Slow torture?

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by sthnblllII on Wednesday April 21, 2021 @11:02PM (#26898255)

Marc Rich

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by rytis on Thursday April 22, 2021 @03:49AM (#26899977)

For those not fluent in Latin (I had to look up) "quid pro quo" means "a favour or advantage granted in return for something".

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by jaclaz on Thursday April 22, 2021 @09:57AM (#26902774)

JFYI, it is only the English/American that use quid pro quo in that sense, in Latin (like in many other languages) it has a different meaning, while do ut des has that meaning:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quid_pro_quo

"The Latin phrase corresponding to the usage of quid pro quo in English is do ut des (Latin for "I give, so that you may give"). Other languages continue to use do ut des for this purpose, while quid pro quo (or its equivalent qui pro quo, as widely used in Italian, French and Spanish) still keeps its original meaning of something being unwillingly mistaken, or erroneously told or understood, instead of something else."

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by zapdrive on Thursday April 22, 2021 @04:06AM (#26900107)

I think all Americans know what "quid pro quo" is. A President was impeached for that. It was most likely the impeachment of the century.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by system2 on Thursday April 22, 2021 @04:36AM (#26900306)

You are overestimating the average Americans. I can assure you 90% wouldn't know what it is if you ask them.

Trying is free, ask your friends tomorrow and share the results here please.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by nindalf on Thursday April 22, 2021 @04:19AM (#26900200)

Many Americans have heard of it and know that Trump was accused of it, but might not know what it means. And not everyone on this site is American.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by thaumasiotes on Thursday April 22, 2021 @04:03AM (#26900090)

The literal meaning is "what for what?".

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by fouuler on Thursday April 22, 2021 @05:06AM (#26900498)

Not really. quid/quod can mean `what' or `something'. Here it clearly means `something'.

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by mettamage on Thursday April 22, 2021 @04:19AM (#26900201)

So kind of like a "something for something" ?

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Re:Jonathan Smith walks free after 21 years of wrongful impr... by tyingq on Thursday April 22, 2021 @07:37AM (#26901569)

And yet, it's still an Alford plea. He gets out, but no compensation or exoneration unless he leads the effort to clear himself.

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