http://www.theagitator.com/2008/03/08/hattiesburg-american-calls-for-comprehensive-review-of-dr-hayne/ It rankles me when somebody tries to tell somebody what to do. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:12:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/03/08/hattiesburg-american-calls-for-comprehensive-review-of-dr-hayne/#comment-78896 william newmiller Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:01:44 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/03/08/hattiesburg-american-calls-for-comprehensive-review-of-dr-hayne/#comment-78896 It's often difficult for local defense attorney's when they have an innocent client on their hands. Most often, they find themselves advocating the best deal they can make for a culpable client, or arguing issues of mitigation rather than innocence. Much of their work is deal-making with DAs. So they're leveraged into a system where for their future, they have to worry about their relationships with prosecutors. Currently, our son who was wrongly convicted of murder in Colorado two years ago is facing appeal. If a retrial is ordered, we'd not choose a local attorney to represent him for this reason, even though his local attorney firmly believed in our son's innocence. His case is discussed at http://bearingfalsewitness.com. Mississippi is not the only state that has convicted innocent people. It’s often difficult for local defense attorney’s when they have an innocent client on their hands. Most often, they find themselves advocating the best deal they can make for a culpable client, or arguing issues of mitigation rather than innocence. Much of their work is deal-making with DAs. So they’re leveraged into a system where for their future, they have to worry about their relationships with prosecutors. Currently, our son who was wrongly convicted of murder in Colorado two years ago is facing appeal. If a retrial is ordered, we’d not choose a local attorney to represent him for this reason, even though his local attorney firmly believed in our son’s innocence. His case is discussed at http://bearingfalsewitness.com. Mississippi is not the only state that has convicted innocent people.

]]> http://www.theagitator.com/2008/03/08/hattiesburg-american-calls-for-comprehensive-review-of-dr-hayne/#comment-78804 Tanya Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:04:26 +0000 http://www.theagitator.com/2008/03/08/hattiesburg-american-calls-for-comprehensive-review-of-dr-hayne/#comment-78804 Actually, having lived in MS for long time, this seems unbelievable that a newspaper would take such a stance. Really proud of Hattiesburg. The press has a lot to do with it, especially the more local it gets. Maybe they're afraid. In Tyler Edmonds case, I saw the judge put every last member of the press on the stand, essentially to warn them about being too sympathetic to the defendant. Meanwhile, the judge wouldn't allow Tyler's defense to do much of anything, but supported every single motion of the prosecutor. When defense attorneys are fighting so many different elements in a case (judge, prosecutor, sheriff's dept., "expert witness"), it's pretty hard to focus on any particular one. They have to play the hand they're dealt and make their decisions moment by moment. I noticed that the local press publishes a lot of very personal and inappropriate letters to the editor about defendants but says very little if anything about inappropriate behavior of the people with the power. Maybe this is a start. Mississippi just needed a little (well maybe a LOT) of help from outsiders. Actually, having lived in MS for long time, this seems unbelievable that a newspaper would take such a stance. Really proud of Hattiesburg. The press has a lot to do with it, especially the more local it gets. Maybe they’re afraid. In Tyler Edmonds case, I saw the judge put every last member of the press on the stand, essentially to warn them about being too sympathetic to the defendant. Meanwhile, the judge wouldn’t allow Tyler’s defense to do much of anything, but supported every single motion of the prosecutor. When defense attorneys are fighting so many different elements in a case (judge, prosecutor, sheriff’s dept., “expert witness”), it’s pretty hard to focus on any particular one. They have to play the hand they’re dealt and make their decisions moment by moment. I noticed that the local press publishes a lot of very personal and inappropriate letters to the editor about defendants but says very little if anything about inappropriate behavior of the people with the power. Maybe this is a start. Mississippi just needed a little (well maybe a LOT) of help from outsiders.

]]>