Wrongful Conviction

Miami, FL: (May-08-08) Jerry Frank Townsend, a mentally retarded man, brought charges against the city of Miami, after he spent 22 years in jail for crimes he did not commit. Townsend was sentenced for murders and rapes he didn't commit based on his own confessions. Experts say that Townsend has an IQ of 58, making him vulnerable to police coercion. Court papers reveal that after he was arrested in 1979, he was questioned for five days by Miami police and the Broward Sheriff's Office, without an attorney present. The suit stated that following much coercion by both police departments, Townsend claimed responsibility for several crimes in Miami-Dade County, Broward County and the state of California. Sources stated that though Townsend's confessions displayed several inconsistencies, he was sent to prison anyway. Records show that in 2001, DNA evidence cleared Townsend, leading to his release.

As part of a settlement reached in the wrongful conviction suit, Miami commissioners agreed to pay $2.2 million to Townsend for the injustice he suffered. [MIAMI HERALD: CLEARED CONVICT GETS WHOPPING SETTLEMENT]

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Published on May-12-08