Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wrongful Imprisonment-False Allegations-Part 2

I take seriously the suggestion that I mischaracterize a case that I take from the news to Blawg about, here, which is why I link to the stories that resonate for me.  It is true that reporting about legal matters often lacks the dimension of comprehension and that claims are made in news stories that upon greater scrutiny do not bear up.  So the other day I wrote about Robert Doyle based on a report from Alabama Online.  According to the news account Doyle who had been convicted of molesting his own daughters stemming from allegations arising out of a divorce was exonerated shortly before his death from congestive heart failure.  A reader commented that this was inaccurate and that Doyle in fact was a molester--I offered to correct the post if she would provide me with a source.  She has not responded.

I confess that it is my natural bias to believe allegations of sexual abuse even though I know that false allegations do happen.  When I encounter a case of false allegations I try to publicize it;  and, here is a sad case out of New York.   A construction worker was sent the prison for the violent rape at knife point of a 22 year old womand, that did not happen.  The conviction of construction worker William McCaffrey was thrown out following DNZ evidence that cleared him of the crime and more importantly a confession by Biurny Peguero that she perjured herself in a bid to win sympathy from girlfiriends she was trying to impress.  McCaffrey spent several years in prison on a twenty year sentence for the kidnapping and rape he did not commit.  Ms. Peguero is facing 7 years on the guilty plea for perjury. 

Congratulations to Innocence Project and NYC lawyer, Glenn A. Garber for persistence and outstanding lawyering. 

See:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579928,00.html

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