Not guilty isn't the same as innocent - Reader comments at The New York Sun

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Reader comment on:
Exonerated of Rape Conviction, Man Is Freed After 26 Years

Submitted by Ben, Jan 4, 2008 16:49

The article portrays this case as a racially biased, or even racist, jury and an overzealous and possibly racist prosecutor who picked out a convenient scapegoat. That may well be the case, but DNA testing doesn't prove that it is. The prosecutor, judge and jury probably thought that they were doing their best for a victim of a heinous crime.

What the defense has proven is that there is reasonable doubt that Mr. Chatman is guilty. He's legally exonerated, and should never have been imprisoned, but that doesn't mean he's legally innocent either because there is no such thing as an "innocent" verdict. That's an inherent aspect of our justice system: once a person is accused of a crime, the accusation is always there. Just as there's really no way to compensate Mr. Chatman for 27 years of his life.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
I am not suprised about this article becaUse it is happening all over our nations particulary to the poor who... [MORE]	firefighterb	Jan 9, 2008 20:14
I find it difficult to understand why the State should not be liable for very severe financial damages - in... [MORE]	Victor Galindo	Jan 6, 2008 15:06
Hey, does anybody know if wrongfully convicted people are compensated? A bunch of money isn't going to give somebody back... [MORE]	Matt	Jan 6, 2008 12:40
Unless she was raped by two men and only one ejaculated, then mismatched DNA does indeed mean innocent (although the... [MORE]	Tom	Jan 5, 2008 13:16
So once again we realize many years later than some women lied and falsely accused some innocent man of raping... [MORE]	Kevin	Jan 4, 2008 20:10
Perhaps this woman thought she identified the right man, I'm not defending her because this type of identification (relying of... [MORE]	Nancy	Jan 6, 2008 10:56
The article portrays this case as a racially biased, or even racist, jury and an overzealous and possibly racist prosecutor...	Ben	Jan 4, 2008 16:49
I simply do not trust police or prosecutors blindly. We need reforms. Evidence should be preserved for at least 100... [MORE]	Chipper	Jan 4, 2008 16:17
Everything wrong with government today, and all of its facets, is directly attributable to politicians who have 'served' before today.... [MORE]	Willys	Jan 4, 2008 10:44
Anybody heard anything from the woman who identified him? [MORE]	Richard Aubrey	Jan 4, 2008 10:42