Legislature, Supreme Court must address flaws that lead to wrongful convictions - Lexington Herald-Leader
The legislature and state Supreme Court must fix flaws in the system that led to Porter's and other wrongful convictions. Otherwise, more such errors and injustices will be inevitable.
This should be an urgent concern, not just for public defenders, but for all of law enforcement because convicting the wrong person lets the real criminal off the hook.
As is true of most wrongful convictions, a faulty eyewitness identification was at the heart of the case against Porter. This is not surprising as a growing body of science reveals the unreliability of eyewitness IDs.Police agencies should adopt model procedures for eyewitness identifications. Unless these procedures are scrupulously followed, the Supreme Court should exclude the use of eyewitness identifications by prosecutors.
Editorial | 14 stolen years - Louisville Courier-Journal
In 1997, Bill Clinton started his second
term as president of the United States,
Madeleine Albright became the first woman
secretary of State, Steve Jobs was rehired
by Apple, Princess Diana died in a car
crash — and Kerry Porter went to prison
for the murder of Tyrone Camp, a crime he
insists he didn’t commit.
Fourteen years later, Mr. Clinton is a gray
eminence on the world stage, Hillary
Rodham Clinton (his wife) is the third
woman secretary of State, Mr. Jobs died a
legend beyond Apple, the late Princess
Diana’s older son is married and nearing
30 — and Kerry Porter was just released
from prison for a murder others now
believe he didn’t commit.
Last week, he spent the first night of his
freedom, sleeping under the Christmas
tree in his mother’s living room.
