Death row inmate freed (sort of) after 20 years

It is a disgrace that this guy was not out on the streets two years ago -- and he still isn't!

A 46-YEAR-old inmate who languished on death row for more than 20 years was freed today after DNA tests called into question his murder conviction. Paul Gregory House was sentenced to death in 1986 for the rape and murder of Carolyne Muncey, a housewife and mother in the southern state of Tennessee. DNA testing was not available at the time of the crime, but genetic tests performed since his conviction failed to determine conclusively that House was the perpetrator of the crime.

Based on those inconclusive DNA tests, the US Supreme Court in 2006 ruled that a jury could find "reasonable doubt" in the case - a burden of proof lower than the legal standard to establish guilt in a murder case. News reports said there also have been claims of doctored evidence and witness tampering, which further cast doubt about Mr House's conviction.

A US district court ordered prosecutors either retry or release Mr House, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair to get around. Prosecutors in Tennessee said they no longer wished to retry the case or seek the death penalty against Mr House, citing his medical condition. But authorities have now confined Mr House to house arrest after requiring him to register as a sex offender.

Original report here




(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today)