Have you heard of the “Norfolk Four”?
One of the greatest examples of justice denied and how DNA examination finally came to rescue!
Framed is one of the latest book co written by John Grisham which is his first work of nonfiction since The Innocent Man. John teams up with Jim McCloskey who is known as the godfather of the innocence movement
Our whole justice system is actually there so that even if a hundred guilty escape the law; no innocent must be punished! Unfortunately power, money and many people who are supposed to protect and upheld law make sure that the prisons all over the world have prisoners who are actually innocent!
There are several cases like that but Framed has taken ten!
Each and every story would make you question the whole justice and legal system and scratch your head in disbelief!
One of the top places goes to the Norfolk Four! When they could not get one guilty to convict, they convicted and put cases against four! This when the Guilty party later on confessed!
In 1997, Michelle Moore-Bosko was found murdered and raped in her Norfolk apartment. Four sailors, Derek Tice, Danial Williams, Joseph Dick, and Eric Wilson, were initially arrested and confessed to the crime. So far so good!
Well it is not so!
You must read the novel to get the whole detail but the summary is this.
The men later claimed their confessions were coerced through aggressive and misleading interrogation tactics used by Norfolk Police detectives. These tactics included threatening the death penalty, falsely claiming witness testimony, and using deceptive interrogation techniques. This when even the lie detector test was in their favor!
The case highlighted the dangers of false confessions and the need for reforms in interrogation practices. The true perpetrator, Omar Ballard, was later identified through DNA evidence and convicted!
In 2017, after years of appeals, the Norfolk Four were granted absolute pardons by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, officially clearing their names.
By the way, did you know what the Judge said while delivering the verdict?
“no sane person could find them guilty”.
The Norfolk Four received a combined settlement of $4.9 million from the City of Norfolk and $3.5 million from the Commonwealth of Virginia for their wrongful convictions. A pittance considering that they lost their life and reputation. One of them was actually with his terminally ill wife during the said night! She later died alone while he was falsely imprisoned and not allowed to see her.
Sad sad state of affair managed by the most intelligent species on the Earth!
The Norfolk Four is a grim reminder on the failure of the justice system…
A reminder of fair talent distribution though is the multi talented national award winner Mohan Agashe!
Just hoping that no one has to see a court or prison in his or her life…
Shubh ratri…
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