Comments on: Innocence Evidence and Prosecutorial Misconduct Found in Tim Masters Case http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/ Res ipsa loquitur ("The thing itself speaks") Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:21:29 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Meplofettp http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-87470 Meplofettp Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:25:13 +0000 http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-87470 http://jhrtukeedoer.com/ http://jhrtukeedoer.com/

]]> By: Mr. Smith Goes to Court: Ethics Rules Prevented Attorney From Revealing Alleged Prosecutorial Abuse « JONATHAN TURLEY http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5994 Mr. Smith Goes to Court: Ethics Rules Prevented Attorney From Revealing Alleged Prosecutorial Abuse « JONATHAN TURLEY Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:26:19 +0000 http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5994 [...] discussed with regard to the Masters case and prior prosecutorial misconduct here, prosecutorial misconduct tends not to result in punishment [...] [...] discussed with regard to the Masters case and prior prosecutorial misconduct here, prosecutorial misconduct tends not to result in punishment [...]

]]> By: Susan http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5963 Susan Sun, 20 Jan 2008 01:50:49 +0000 http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5963 Pat, thanks so much for posting this link. Although it has a HUGE amount of information on the case, it was fascinating, not to mention outrageous and appalling. It is a reminder of other gross miscarriages of justice, to use the polite phrase. One example being the "child molestation" witch hunts in Bakersfield CA, and other such cases, where the panic and hysteria about so-called "child molesters" was precisely the same as the Salem MA Witch trials over 300 years ago. Some of those poor folks who were wrongfully convicted of not only crimes they never committed, but as it turned out, over a decade later, NEVER actually happened. Another example was the notorious Jeane Nicario case in DuPage County, IL where two or three innocent young men were wrongfully convicted of the brutal rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl. The original detective on the case was convinced that the men arrested and convicted hadn't done it, but was removed from the case by the prosecutors because he wouldn't go along. There are so many such cases, it seems, and many of them cannot be released by DNA evidence, because DNA didn't play a part in those cases. And without decent legal representation because many have no money for good lawyers, their cases may never be heard at all. Again, thanks for posting the Tim Masters link. I certainly hope his long nightmare will be over soon. Susan in VA Pat, thanks so much for posting this link. Although it has a HUGE amount of information on the case, it was fascinating, not to mention outrageous and appalling.

It is a reminder of other gross miscarriages of justice, to use the polite phrase. One example being the “child molestation” witch hunts in Bakersfield CA, and other such cases, where the panic and hysteria about so-called “child molesters” was precisely the same as the Salem MA Witch trials over 300 years ago. Some of those poor folks who were wrongfully convicted of not only crimes they never committed, but as it turned out, over a decade later, NEVER actually happened.

Another example was the notorious Jeane Nicario case in DuPage County, IL where two or three innocent young men were wrongfully convicted of the brutal rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl. The original detective on the case was convinced that the men arrested and convicted hadn’t done it, but was removed from the case by the prosecutors because he wouldn’t go along.

There are so many such cases, it seems, and many of them cannot be released by DNA evidence, because DNA didn’t play a part in those cases. And without decent legal representation because many have no money for good lawyers, their cases may never be heard at all. Again, thanks for posting the Tim Masters link. I certainly hope his long nightmare will be over soon.

Susan in VA

]]> By: Pat Hartman http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5961 Pat Hartman Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:21:25 +0000 http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5961 Now Det. Broderick - who, by the way, in his professional capacity is in charge of Ethics for the other members of the city's police force - is talking about "mistakes" and how important it is to determine whether there was any actual malice. That man devoted his career to single-mindedly, unswervingly pursuing Tim Masters. He is the architect, engineer, and shot-caller of the entire conspiracy to convict Masters, starting the very day of the murder. He's been a man on a mission - and nobody can sustain such wrong-headedness for so long without a huge motivating force of malice to activate it. I recommend this article as a detailed background of the case if you don't want to go through dozens of news clips. http://freetimmastersbecause.blogspot.com/2007/07/main-thing-to-know-right-now.html Now Det. Broderick – who, by the way, in his professional capacity is in charge of Ethics for the other members of the city’s police force – is talking about “mistakes” and how important it is to determine whether there was any actual malice.

That man devoted his career to single-mindedly, unswervingly pursuing Tim Masters. He is the architect, engineer, and shot-caller of the entire conspiracy to convict Masters, starting the very day of the murder. He’s been a man on a mission – and nobody can sustain such wrong-headedness for so long without a huge motivating force of malice to activate it.

I recommend this article as a detailed background of the case if you don’t want to go through dozens of news clips.

http://freetimmastersbecause.blogspot.com/2007/07/main-thing-to-know-right-now.html

]]> By: Susan http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5959 Susan Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:49:26 +0000 http://jonathanturley.org/2008/01/19/innocence-evidence-and-prosecutorial-misconduct-found-in-tim-masters-case/#comment-5959 I completely agree. There should be some kind of criminal penalty against all kinds of official misconduct, be it committed by police, prosecutors and judges. You are correct that most abide by the rules and don't cut corners to "win" cases. But since there are no laws against misconduct by law enforcement officials, the ones who are DIShonest and UNethical continue to get away with their...well, criminal behavior. The laws don't have to be harsh or unreasonable, but I believe there should be SOME jail time, and it should be a felony offense, so it stays on their record. A low felony, perhaps, with a minimum of three months up to a year maximum. It may sound harsh to some folks, but that's nothing compared to what prosecutors like Mike Nifong were willing to do to the three Duke lacrosse players, for example. And Bill Peterson in Ada, OK who convicted two innocent men, Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz on the flimsiest of "evidence." I don't believe civil suits are enough, and I think many judges throw those out of court anyway. While I hate suggesting MORE criminal penalties, I don't think official misconduct by law enforcement representatives can be considered trivial. At this point, I think criminal penalties are the only way to correct this problem. I seriously doubt that police, prosecutors and even judges would be willing to risk committing misconduct if they knew they might end up doing jail or prison time themselves. Susan in VA I completely agree. There should be some kind of criminal penalty against all kinds of official misconduct, be it committed by police, prosecutors and judges. You are correct that most abide by the rules and don’t cut corners to “win” cases. But since there are no laws against misconduct by law enforcement officials, the ones who are DIShonest and UNethical continue to get away with their…well, criminal behavior.

The laws don’t have to be harsh or unreasonable, but I believe there should be SOME jail time, and it should be a felony offense, so it stays on their record. A low felony, perhaps, with a minimum of three months up to a year maximum. It may sound harsh to some folks, but that’s nothing compared to what prosecutors like Mike Nifong were willing to do to the three Duke lacrosse players, for example. And Bill Peterson in Ada, OK who convicted two innocent men, Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz on the flimsiest of “evidence.”

I don’t believe civil suits are enough, and I think many judges throw those out of court anyway. While I hate suggesting MORE criminal penalties, I don’t think official misconduct by law enforcement representatives can be considered trivial. At this point, I think criminal penalties are the only way to correct this problem. I seriously doubt that police, prosecutors and even judges would be willing to risk committing misconduct if they knew they might end up doing jail or prison time themselves.

Susan in VA

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