Wrongfully Convicted Man Setlles 3.9M$ Lawsuit

"The state has now agreed to settle his lawsuit against the lead investigator, Dwight Ransome, $3.9 million.The prosecutors in the case, David Hoke and Debra Graves, were reprimanded by the State Bar association for how they handled the case.

The paramount issue in the trial was whether Gell could have committed the murder because he went to prison on April 4 but 17 witnesses testified that they had seen Jenkins alive after Gell went to prison. Ransome based his case on the statements of a witnesses who testified that Gell told her he killed Jenkins. It turns out the witness Crystal Morris was not a reliable witness, for a number of reasons, most of which Ransome and the prosecutors should have realized."

http://www.beaufortobserver.net/Art...s_innocent_and_that_the_System_is_guilty.html

[Gell's case is a good example of why I have long considered NC to be the state with the most corrupt criminal justice system. Mike Nifong, of Duke lacrosse rape case infamy, was neither an accident nor an aberration. Crooked DAs and ADAs are bred there.]

Trust me, NC is not the only breeding ground for corrupt justice systems. Just take a look @ what these judges in PA were up to.

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79572"]Pa. judges accused of jailing kids for cash - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

Wudge said:

"The state has now agreed to settle his lawsuit against the lead investigator, Dwight Ransome, $3.9 million.The prosecutors in the case, David Hoke and Debra Graves, were reprimanded by the State Bar association for how they handled the case.

The paramount issue in the trial was whether Gell could have committed the murder because he went to prison on April 4 but 17 witnesses testified that they had seen Jenkins alive after Gell went to prison. Ransome based his case on the statements of a witnesses who testified that Gell told her he killed Jenkins. It turns out the witness Crystal Morris was not a reliable witness, for a number of reasons, most of which Ransome and the prosecutors should have realized."

http://www.beaufortobserver.net/Art...s_innocent_and_that_the_System_is_guilty.html

[Gell's case is a good example of why I have long considered NC to be the state with the most corrupt criminal justice system. Mike Nifong, of Duke lacrosse rape case infamy, was neither an accident nor an aberration. Crooked DAs and ADAs are bred there.]

Click to expand...

Thank God this man was able to get a new trial and have the facts come out. Cases like this are why I can't support the death penalty.

Thanks Wudge, it's good for him he didn't live in Texas. He would have been executed by now. JMO

Suthrnqt said:

Trust me, NC is not the only breeding ground for corrupt justice systems. Just take a look @ what these judges in PA were up to.

Pa. judges accused of jailing kids for cash - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

Click to expand...

Other states are in the running for my most corrupt state award. Currently, I hold California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois and Florida to be far stronger candidates.

When prosecutors, like Mr. Hoke and Ms. Graves, are willing to knowingly withhold exculpatory evidence so as to gain a capital conviction that will further their State careers, it's hard to see how the cases (though very sad) referred to in Pa. can trump such heinous and heartless conduct.

As a point of interest, Mr. Hoke and Ms Graves were 'prosecuted' by N.C.'s Bar for how they handled the Gell case and trial. As you might expect, the N.C. Bar's prosecution of prosecutors was pretty uh, uh, gentle (kid glove treatment).

Alan Gell's attorney, Brad Bannon -- he later became famous for rescuing the young men indicted in the Duke lacrosse rape case from the evil of Mike Nifong -- wrote a truly engaging letter as regards how he saw the prosecution of Mr. Hoke and Ms. Graves, which basically indicts the Bar for turning a blind eye to what these prosecutors did (others might say he indicts the N.C. Bar for aiding and abetting).

http://www.askthelawguy.info/dissent/id4.html

(If you read Bannon's entire letter and your pulse is not pounding, you might have misplaced your heart.)