Robert Clark (innocent) released after 24 years in prison

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 03 Jan 2006, 13:07

Did he get sentenced because he is Afro-American? Or just another 'coincidence'?

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/co ... 77,00.html

ATLANTA: Robert Clark always said he was innocent of the 1981 kidnapping and rape of an Atlanta woman - and after 24 years in prison, DNA evidence has finally proved his claim.

Mr Clark, 45, walked free from the Cobb County Superior Court on Thursday (local time) to rejoin his now grown-up family.

He is the 164th person in the nation and the fifth in Georgia to be freed through post-conviction DNA testing.

During his time in jail, Mr Clark's mother died and his children had families of their own.

"Thank God it's over," he said as he walked from the court.

"I want some food and some sleep, because I haven't got no sleep since I been in there."

Despite losing almost a quarter of a century of his life to incarceration, Mr Clark insisted he was not angry.

"I'm just happy to be home with my family. I'm going to try to be the best father I can be for my kids and make them happy."

Mr Clark was a 21-year-old with no prior adult felony convictions when he was identified and then convicted of carjacking a woman at gunpoint in July 1981 from outside an Atlanta Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and repeatedly raping her.

He was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years for rape, kidnapping and armed robbery.

Four years ago, the Innocence Project took up Mr Clark's case. DNA evidence from the victim was compared with his.

It did not match. When the DNA was run through state and federal DNA databases of convicted criminals, it was found to match that of Mr Clark's friend Floyd Antonio Arnold.

Cobb County prosecutors, who convicted Mr Clark, are now looking into whether to seek charges against Arnold. "I don't know if any decisions have been made at this point, but they are certainly looking at it," spokeswoman Kathy Watkins said.

A separate DNA search by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Arnold's DNA matched two other unsolved Atlanta area rape cases from 2003. He has not been charged with either crime.

"This is a truly horrific case," said Innocence Project attorney Vanessa Potkin. "While Robert Clark was wrongfully convicted, it appears the true perpetrator of this crime was out there harming women and children."

Georgia Corrections Department records show Arnold is serving five years in prison for a cruelty to children conviction and is scheduled to be released on January 31.

Mr Clark's son Rodrickus, 28, said his father had always told him he was innocent and he had always believed him.

Robert Clark with his son Rodrickus, a few minutes after the acquittal.

Robert Clark Jr. in the late 1970's, a few years before his arrest.

Mr. Clark in jail, a month before he leaves it.

In our Tookie Williams-thread I insisted that death is not a sentence that should be given by other human beings. However, I feel that a lot of the representers of the whole US system of courts should be shot for judging objectivley due to their racist attitude.

I'm not saying that only black people get sentenced for something they did not do. There sure are white people imprisoned wrongly. However, blacks never seem to receive a proper trial.

When Mr. Clark heard that, he interrupted, saying: "Your Honor, they had Tony here. I can't put him on the stand. He'll tell you I didn't do nothing but drive the car two weeks later. Y'all got him right here."

"Mr. Clark, you have had your trial," the judge admonished. "Just remain silent."

Also, take a look at the website of the Innocence Project.
http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/di ... =last_name

Most of them are Blacks, Hispanic or Arab people.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 03 Jan 2006, 13:29

I feel racisme plays a part of it, but also poverty.

Documentaries have shown the media is/was very negative about black people, always focussing about black people committing crimes and being in gangs anddoing drugs etc. TV shows like COPS and 9-11 focus heavily on non-white crime. Therefore, a jury is most probably more negative about a black suspect, then about a white suspect. With a white guy, juries usually wanna see why the guy went wrong. With a black guy, they just think: just another black criminal.

Also, with a crime... they will just say: black guy with glasses, or fat black guy... nothing too specific. Could be ANY black guy really. When there's a white suspect, they'll usually have a much more accurate description. This doesnt just apply to the description the police give, but also the description any bystanders would give.

Region has something to do with it, as in you will have very biased juries and police and judges in the south and middle part of america, where their only knowledge of black people is TV and 'fear'.

But also poverty. It's a fact that in the USA black people dont have much money (ofcourse there's lots of white trash as well that have no money), no prospects on a good job or future, and therefore are more likely to turn to crime. But having no money also means no money for a good defense in court, meaning these guys often don't get a very fair trial...

So yeah, I have absolutely no doubt there are many people in prison that are black, and also innocent. Also no doubt that racism is one of (if not: THE) reasons for this.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 03 Jan 2006, 13:37

George Rodriuez' case:
http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/di ... php?id=166

WTF? The man had an airtight alibi + even the real committers of the crime confessed. And yet he was sentenced to life (well, 60 years) of which he sat 17 years.

The investigations back then must have been really sleazy. Suppressed evidence, false testimonies due to blackmailing, overeager cops, sloppily working lab workers, eye witnesses that err. Man, the list of reasons for misjudgements goes on and on. And the amounts of misjudgements are not individual cases anymore. And DNA-analyses shouldn't be the solution of these errors. DNA-analyses are only pin-pointing the fact that misjudgements DO exist and that they are no rare cases. What bothers me the most is that only those who can prove their innocence with DNA-analyses get a fair and new trial. But what about the victims of misjudgements where there were no hairs, blood or so found at the crime scene?

If I lived in the USA, I'd be afraid to be one of the next Arabs put to prison due to a false judgement.

Mordib · Post by **Mordib** » 03 Jan 2006, 14:05

your original example, robert clark was a bad one because it clearly wasnt racially motivated, they merely got the wrong guy (in this case his so called 'friend'). still a very bad thing but to sugest it was a racial thing just doesnt fit.

however it does seem pretty clear that many people have been put behind bars for racial reasons, and it is most definately wrong. Without giving someone like me total power i dont see you can really do anything about it, in order to get a large enough police force to maintain order you cannot afford to be picky about who you recruit, there arent enough people wanting to become police and it seems a small but very active percentage of those that do want to join up are racist or flawed in their moral judgement some other way.

Its just the same here (the UK) or in any other country, its just that its better press to highlight the ones in the US because they are the bad guys at the mo. The thing you have to rememebr is that it is a very small percentage of the collective force. thats not to say it shouldnt be tackled if people can figure out a way, its just that like being hit by a drink driver, its just not very likely and the general fear around it has mostly been whipped up by the press.