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Related WebsitesOrganizations Supporting Dennis or other claims of Wrongful convictions:Innocence Project - Dennis Dechaine was one of its 1st clients.TruthInJustice - dedicated to the claims of the wrongfully convicted. The Dennis Dechaine case is in the Wrongfully Imprisoned section. Forejustice - about injustice around the world, with some history. Injustice Busters - Canada's premier website about wrongful convictions. Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern Univ - This organization exposed many Illinois cases of wrongful convictions. Justice Denied which bills itself as the "Magazine for the Wrongly Convicted" but which also has links to many individual cases. Point Park University Innocence Institute which approaches wrongful convictions from a journalism perspective. Among the many college-based Inocence Projects in the U.S., this one is unique. PBS's "Frontline the Case for Innocence" website asks why inmantes remain in proson even after DNA evidence almost certainly exonerates them. The show last aired (with updates) in October of 2000. Databases and information sources on wrongful convictions:Dr. Edmund Higgins Database of Wrongful ConvictionsProsecutorial Misconduct by the Center for Public Integrity and page on Maine's prosecutorial misconduct, and page with Exonerees from wrongful convictions involving Prosecutorial Misconduct Wrongful Conviction Reading Room, a treasure trove of information and links to other sources. "Trials of Innocents" Essay by Dennis Dechaine, published in 2000 "Inocence Cases at www.talkleft.com" This blog/webpage (misnamed as an "archive", because it's up to date) provides links to selective articles about wrongful convictions and gives readers the opportunity to make comments. Websites of Others claiming wrongful convictions:Frank Casteel, convicted of murdering three men on July 9, 1988 in Tennessee.Lisl Auman, Colorado. This case supported by Hunter Thompson, in an article in the New Yorker magazine, and at a demonstration prior to his death on 20 February 2005. William Heirens, convicted, when he was a college student, in 1946(!) of three murders. Bruce Lisker, California. Convicted of killing his mother in 1983. There is a detective named Monsue in the case who pursued his hunches and ignored truth. Mark Lundy, New Zealand, with link back to Dennis Dechaine website Patrick Swiney, convicted of murder in Alabama. Former law enforcement officer. Darlie Routier, convicted of murdering her two young sons in Texas in 1996. Marty Tankleff, still in prison for murdering parents; seeking a retrial West Memphis 3, West Memphis, Arkansas, still in prison "Potential Cases of Wrongful Conviction" maintained by the organization, "Citizens United against the Death Penalty. Dennis Dechaine's case is listed there. Guy Woolfolk, St. Louis, Missouri. If one still has the capacity for shock after seeing this website, the story of Guy Woolfolk will push the button. He is now serving his 4th year of a 25 year sentence. Websites of those who have been exonerated (or equivalent):Clarence Elkins, Ohio, convicted of a 1998 rape and murder. There is DNA underneath fingernails and elsewhere, and also an alternate suspect whose DNA is being sought by the prosecutor.Darryl Hunt, now exonerated in North Carolina of murder conviction. Ralph "Dewayne" Brock paroled in 2004 after 21 years in prison. Nick Yarris exonerated in July, 2003, in Pennsylvania after 8057 days (21 years+) on Death Row for rape and murder. The reason why this case is so important to Dennis is that the DNA under the victim's fingernails belong to the same man who left sperm DNA on her clothing and thus can be presumed to be the rapist/killer. See also, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 29, 2003, article "DNA test said to clear death row inmate jailed 21 years in rape, murder case" David Wong, a Chinese immigrant, was convicted of a 1986 murder in a New York prison. An appeals court reversed the conviction in 2004, and the prosecution decided not to go forward and dismissed the case. A documentary about the case, "The Fight To Free David Wong" has been shown at many film festivals. Law Enforcement Misconduct and Wrongful Conviction cases:It's not often alleged, and less often proven, but Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe has focused on that aspect of the Dennis Dechaine case by establishing, in October, 2004, a 3-person Commission to evaluate five allegations of law enforcement misconduct.See the Boston case of Stephen Cowans, where police misidentified a fingerprint at his trial as belonging to him."I was the not the man who did this". The two policemen in the lab were suspended during an investigation of the mistake, but subsequently no misconduct was determined. Books about specific Wrongful Convictions (post exoneration):Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA and taken as Innocence Proj. client about same time as Dennis Dechaine, 1993.When Justice Fails : The David Milgaard Story about one of Canada's most egregious cases. Guilty Until Proven Innocent - Story of Connecticut's Peter Reilly case. Until You are Dead - is the book about Steven Truscott and Canada's "Dechaine Case" Exit to Freedom by Calvin O. Johnson and Greg Hampikian. About Georgia's first DNA exoneree, and current member of the Georgia Innocence Project Board of Directors. Articles about specific Wrongful Convictions (post exoneration):Harold Hill and Dan Young case. Finally exonerated when DNA from fingernails and clothing matched, and did NOT belong to them. One clue to the wrongful conviction was that confessions were obtained from these two and from a third man, Peter Williams, with William's being the most specific. However, he was in jail at the time of the murder of Kathy Morgan and could not have been involved. Other articles: "DNA Clears Two Of Rape, Murder Convictions" and "2 men exonerated in 1990 murder."Books & articles, Wrongful Convictions (pre-exoneration):Human Sacrifice by James P. MooreJustice Denied: The Trial of Erik Rasmussen written by Erik, this is a powerful story. The Maine connection is that his mother now lives in Maine and is a member of Trial and Error. Books & articles, Wrongful Convictions, generally:Actual Innocence: Five Days to Execution, and Other Dispatches from the Wrongly Convicted By Barry Scheck, PeterNeufeld and Jim Dwyer Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make It Right by Peter Neufeld, Jim Dwyer and Barry Scheck. Time of Death and other forensic information:ForensicOnline by Dr. Bernad Cohen, New YorkRelentlessDefense about autopsies and post-death changes, from Kevin Mahoney in Cambridge, Mass. Websites relating to planted evidenceForensic Fraud, cases where law enforcement tried too hard to convict.The Bridgewater Four in the United Kingdom The Role Of Gun Planting In Los Angeles Justice Websites/Articles related to retrials:Las Vegas, NV, Sun article on retrials in Nevada Outcome depends on reason for retrial, but most end with guilty verdicts.After 3rd trial, Providence man found guilty of 1998 murder Retrial Law and Legal Definition a short summary. Rule 33 "New Trial" of Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure This rule, and others before and after, are dry, but helpful. It is Rule 33 which says that a defendant must claim a retrial within 10 days of trial for most reasons. However, if the claim is due to newly discovered evidence, it must be brought within two years of the ORIGINAL JUDGMENT. (Thus, in Maine, if new evidence is found after those two years, unless it's DNA, inmates are out-of-luck.) STATE OF MAINE v. BRANDON THONGSAVANH, The Maine Supreme Court, on October 7, 2004, ordered a new trial for Brandon Thongsavanh because the prosecution showed a T-shirt worn by him, and the T-Shirt had religiously/sexually provocative language ("Jesus is a cunt."). The court did not address one of his other claims which was that the prosecutor improperly addressed the jury in the opening and closing statements. See Maine Bar Rule 3.7. See Press Herald article, 6 January 2005, about new lawyer for him, "Man facing second trial in student´s murder to get new lawyer." See a COMPARISON of the single reason for a retrial in the above case and the 16 reasons for a retrial in Dennis Dechaine's case.) Maine Bar Rules:"Code of Professional Responsibility" for Maine Lawyers (See Rule 3.7 regarding the conduct of lawyers, including prosecutors, during litigation.)Tribute to missing and murdered childrenIn Memory of Sarah Cherry at site: Children Who Never Made It HomeLaw Enforcement Organizations Dedicated to Truth and JusticeNational District Attorneys Association Policy Position on DNA Technology and the Criminal Justice SystemAmerican Bar Association's Criminal Justice Standards - Prosecutor Standards Our duty to free the wrongly convicted by Suffolk County (Boston) District Attorney, Daniel Conley. The best articles about the Dennis Dechaine Case:"Panel's review of Dechaine case must examine errors in investigation" Maine Sunday Telegram Op-Ed by Dennis Dechaine "Hope Shines on Murder Convict" Boston Globe, by Brian MacQuarrie. "What Dennis Dechaine's jury didn't see" Portland Press Herald, Op-Ed by morrison bonpasse. There's proof Dennis Dechaine didn't kill Sarah Cherry by James Moore in Maine Sunday Telegram. A Review of Human Sacrifice by the late John N. Cole in Lewiston Sun Journal Editorials about the Dennis Dechaine Case:"A New Trial for Dechaine requires DNA evidence" Portland Press HeraldChannel X Radio, Presque Isle, calls for Firing of Bill Stokes Editorial - A Travesty of Justice Lincoln County News Publications which have covered the case of Dennis Dechaine:Bangor Daily News(Brunswick) Times Record Lewiston Sun Journal Lincoln County News Portland Press Herald/Sunday Telegram Radio Stations which have covered the case of Dennis Dechaine:WJBQ (97.9) Portland, with Meredith Manning.WQSS 102.5 in Rockland, with Matt ThompsonTelevision Stations covering the case of Dennis Dechaine:WLBZ, Channel 2 BangorWCSH, Portland Channel 6 WMTW, Portland Channel 8 WGME, Portland Channel 13 States and the Wrongly Convicted, or Wrongly Imprisoned:Wrongful Convictions of the Innocent:Kentucky's Recent Experience, Response, and Remaining Reforms Political/Legal/Government information about State of MaineState of MaineLegalTrek - a web list of links Books about modern Justice, GenerallyCourtroom 302 - a year behind the scenes in an American Criminal Courthouseby Steve Bogira As with other books about justice, there are pages which ring true for supporters of Dennis Dechaine. On page 189, "There are certain kinds of cases where emotions override the facts", said Judge Locallo, who was featured in the book. On page 157 is the story of how police would maintain a "street file" which was separate from the files which might be furnished to defense attorneys. The analogous document for the Maine State Police is apparently the "handwritten notes" which have been treated as the personal property of a detective rather than valuable evidence in criminal trials. On Page 164, we learn of Frank Laverty, who investigated a case and was then stunned to learn that it had gone to trial of a wrong man. He took the unusual action of seeking to correct the mistake to ensure that a wrongful conviction did not occur. On page 343 begins the story of Dan Young and Harold Hill who were wrongfully convicted. [See above, on this webpage.] |
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