HuffPost: George Stinney, Exonerated 70 Years After Wrongful Murder Conviction As 14-Year-Old
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Stefanie Faucher
Dec 18, 2014, 11:06:46 AM12/18/14
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/george-stinney-exonerated_n_6342148.html
George Stinney, Exonerated 70 Years After Wrongful Murder Conviction As 14-Year-Old
The Huffington Post
By Simon McCormack
Posted: 12/17/2014 1:50 pm EST
After seven decades, a black 14-year-old boy has been cleared of murder.
In 1944, George Stinney was convicted of murdering two white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina. He was executed via the electric chair after his white lawyer called no witnesses and performed no cross-examinations.
Judge Carmen Mullen vacated the conviction against Stinney on Wednesday, WISTV reports.
In January, a judge agreed to hear new testimony and arguments in the case.
At a hearing that month, Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III argued the conviction should stand.
"They weren't trying to railroad every black person associated with Alcolu and these little girls. They made a determination based on facts we don't have today that George Stinney should be detained," Finney said.
But an attorney arguing on behalf of Stinney said the state handled the case so badly that it merited another look.
"The state, as an entity, has very unclean hands," attorney Miller Shealy argued.
--
Stefanie Faucher
Communications Director
8th Amendment Project
sfau...@8thamendment.org
Mobile 510.393.4549
8thamendment.org
George Stinney, Exonerated 70 Years After Wrongful Murder Conviction As 14-Year-Old
The Huffington Post
By Simon McCormack
Posted: 12/17/2014 1:50 pm EST
After seven decades, a black 14-year-old boy has been cleared of murder.
In 1944, George Stinney was convicted of murdering two white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina. He was executed via the electric chair after his white lawyer called no witnesses and performed no cross-examinations.
Judge Carmen Mullen vacated the conviction against Stinney on Wednesday, WISTV reports.
In January, a judge agreed to hear new testimony and arguments in the case.
At a hearing that month, Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III argued the conviction should stand.
"They weren't trying to railroad every black person associated with Alcolu and these little girls. They made a determination based on facts we don't have today that George Stinney should be detained," Finney said.
But an attorney arguing on behalf of Stinney said the state handled the case so badly that it merited another look.
"The state, as an entity, has very unclean hands," attorney Miller Shealy argued.
--
Stefanie Faucher
Communications Director
8th Amendment Project
sfau...@8thamendment.org
Mobile 510.393.4549
8thamendment.org
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