Fla. man wrongly convicted of murder rejoices in freedom
Michael Snyder
Fla. man wrongly convicted of murder rejoices in freedom, seeks
compensation from lawmakers
SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. (AP) � No bars or razor wire hold former Florida
inmate No. 082629. Instead, William Dillon sits on furniture the color
of ripe lemons, surrounded by cheerful animal statues and blooming
plants, a prisoner no longer after 27 years.
He could get more than a million dollars in state compensation for his
wrongful imprisonment, though how much he'll get � if anything � is up
to lawmakers because he has a prior conviction for felony drug
possession. A hearing on the matter took place this week in Tallahassee,
though Dillon says it's impossible to put a dollar amount on his freedom.
"When I actually did walk down those steps, I was so lightheaded, felt
like I was being lifted down those steps, I really did," Dillon recently
told The Associated Press. "It was so awesome. I don't think I can ever
replace that feeling, coming out of there after so many years of feeling
I never, ever would."
Dillon, 50, walked out of the Brevard County jail last November after
tests showed that DNA found on the killer's shirt � which investigators
recovered, splattered with the victim's blood � wasn't his. A month
later, prosecutors announced they wouldn't retry him for the 1981
bludgeoning death of James Dvorak, and his conviction was erased.
Dillon, one of more than 200 inmates exonerated by DNA nationwide, plans
to move to Tallahassee soon so he can be available during those
hearings. Under the state's automatic formula, Dillon would receive
$1.35 million � $50,000 for every year in prison.
Eric Ferrero, a spokesman in the Innocence Project's national office,
said 27 states currently have compensation laws on the books. Of those
states, Florida is the only one where a roadblock occurs if the former
inmate already had a felony conviction on his record.
Norman Wolfinger, the state attorney in Brevard County, said in a letter
to the Legislature that while there isn't enough evidence to convict
Dillon again, lawmakers should consider that his innocence isn't proven,
either.
Dillon cried while testifying Monday at his first compensation hearing.
Afterward, he said he forgave the jailhouse snitch who recanted his 1981
trial testimony that Dillon had confessed to the murder. Roger Dale
Chapman testified Monday that detectives told him they'd send him to
prison on a fabricated rape charge if he didn't lie.
Although it isn't feasible, Dillon said he would prefer that his
compensation be paid by the prosecutors and law enforcement agents he
believes railroaded him � not taxpayers.
"I think the people that did it to me � knowingly did it to me � should
have to pay for it," he said.
Admittedly cocky during the 1981 investigation, Dillon was angry when he
went to prison. He said he grew suicidal after a parole hearing a few
years ago, when he was given a possible release date of 2043. He mourned
the loss of children he would never have, a youth that was stolen and
the holidays he would miss. But he "settled it" for himself when he
realized rage would do no good.
Dillon walked out of jail last year wearing a T-shirt that read "Not
Guilty" and a grin. At first, nothing was easy. After almost three
decades under the dim glow of prison lights, Dillon was uncomfortable in
the black of night. He couldn't eat unless he was told. When he tried to
buy a dozen chocolate doughnuts at a grocery store, he held up the line
for an uncomfortable lesson on debit card machines.
"Everything that was out here had completely changed to me," he said.
"It was like I was Fred Flintstone that came out."
He ate lasagna with his family on his first day home, and he celebrated
Thanksgiving with loved ones a few days later. In the year that
followed, he gained a few pounds and grew some facial hair. He still
plays guitar, an instrument he picked up behind bars, and now talks of
going back to school.
Dillon and Wolfinger both place some blame on John Preston, a dog
handler who claimed his animals could track scents months after a
suspect was present. He testified his dog found Dillon's scent on the
shirt and at the crime scene. He was later discredited and died last
year. Preston's testimony was also used against Wilton Dedge, convicted
in Brevard in the early 1980s of sexual assault. DNA evidence freed him
in 2004, and the Legislature awarded him $2 million.
Now, Dillon focuses on his most powerful weapon against those who
wronged him: telling his story to law students and law enforcement
agents. He said he harbors no anger toward the system, but he wants the
individuals involved in the prosecution and investigation to be held
accountable.
"I feel like I'm the thorn in their side right now and I am the scariest
thing that they have seen in quite a while compared to the system that
they've been running," he said. "My mouth is a dangerous tool on them.
Each day I think of more and more stuff that happened that shouldn't
have happened. And each day I remember it, it comes closer and closer to
getting in their closet."
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
JonesieCat
"Michael Snyder" <msn...@sonic.net> wrote in message
news:4af65e0f$0$1951$742e...@news.sonic.net...
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-wrongful-conviction,0,836452.story?obref=obnetwork
>
> Fla. man wrongly convicted of murder rejoices in freedom, seeks
> compensation from lawmakers
>
> ripe lemons, surrounded by cheerful animal statues and blooming plants, a
> prisoner no longer after 27 years.
>
> He could get more than a million dollars in state compensation for his
> hearing on the matter took place this week in Tallahassee, though Dillon
> says it's impossible to put a dollar amount on his freedom.
>
> "When I actually did walk down those steps, I was so lightheaded, felt
> like I was being lifted down those steps, I really did," Dillon recently
> told The Associated Press. "It was so awesome. I don't think I can ever
> replace that feeling, coming out of there after so many years of feeling I
> never, ever would."
>
> Dillon, 50, walked out of the Brevard County jail last November after
> recovered, splattered with the victim's blood � wasn't his. A month later,
> death of James Dvorak, and his conviction was erased.
>
> Dillon, one of more than 200 inmates exonerated by DNA nationwide, plans
> to move to Tallahassee soon so he can be available during those hearings.
>
> Eric Ferrero, a spokesman in the Innocence Project's national office, said
> 27 states currently have compensation laws on the books. Of those states,
> Florida is the only one where a roadblock occurs if the former inmate
> already had a felony conviction on his record.
>
> Norman Wolfinger, the state attorney in Brevard County, said in a letter
> to the Legislature that while there isn't enough evidence to convict
> Dillon again, lawmakers should consider that his innocence isn't proven,
> either.
>
> Dillon cried while testifying Monday at his first compensation hearing.
> Afterward, he said he forgave the jailhouse snitch who recanted his 1981
> trial testimony that Dillon had confessed to the murder. Roger Dale
> Chapman testified Monday that detectives told him they'd send him to
> prison on a fabricated rape charge if he didn't lie.
>
> Although it isn't feasible, Dillon said he would prefer that his
> compensation be paid by the prosecutors and law enforcement agents he
>
> "I think the people that did it to me � knowingly did it to me � should
If a person is wrongly convicted, especially one who's been framed, what's
the logic in looking at his/her other criminal history? Okay, $50k a year
maybe shouldn't apply for years served for a concurrent (rightful) sentence,
but otherwise it doesn't seem very just.
OTOH. DNA. Just because another man's DNA was on the shirt, by itself,
doesn't prove innocence. It annoys me that reporters aren't precise about
this. DNA cannot ever prove innocence really. Because it can simply point to
more than one perp or other scenarios. In this particular case, if they
found none of this released man's DNA whatsoever on the shirt, plus the
rest - the bogus dog handler, the recanting snitch who'd been threatened...
it's the totality of the evidence that makes it likely this guy is innocent,
not just the DNA. And so give him his compensation already.
Also, this guy has a way with words: "Each day I think of more and more
stuff that happened that shouldn't
have happened. And each day I remember it, it comes closer and closer to
getting in their closet." Hope he writes about his life.
jc