Milk Grenades Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 DALLAS, Texas (AP) -- -- Charles Chatman said throughout his 26 years in prison that he never raped the woman who lived five houses down from him. Now 47, Chatman is expected to win his freedom Thursday on the basis of new DNA testing that lawyers say proves his innocence and adds to Dallas County's nationally unmatched number of wrongfully convicted inmates. "I'm bitter. I'm angry," Chatman told The Associated Press during what was expected to be his last night in jail Wednesday. "But I'm not angry or bitter to the point where I want to hurt anyone or get revenge." If released on bond at a Thursday court hearing as expected, Chatman will become the 15th inmate from Dallas County since 2001 to be freed by DNA testing. That is more than any other county nationwide, said Natalie Roetzel of the Innocence Project of Texas, an organization of volunteers who investigate claims of wrongful conviction. Texas leads the country in prisoners freed by DNA testing. Including Chatman, the state will have released at least 30 wrongfully convicted inmates since 2001, according to the Innocence Project. Mike Ware, who heads the Conviction Integrity Unit in the Dallas County District Attorney's office, said he expects that number to increase. One of the biggest reasons for the large number of exonerations in Texas is the crime lab used by Dallas County, which accounts for about half the state's DNA cases. Unlike many jurisdictions, the lab used by police and prosecutors retains biological evidence, meaning DNA testing is a viable option for decades-old crimes. District Attorney Craig Watkins also attributes the exonerations to a past culture of overly aggressive prosecutors seeking convictions at any cost. Chatman's nearly 27 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault make him the longest-serving inmate in Texas to be freed by DNA evidence, Innocence Project lawyers said. Chatman was 20 when the victim, a young woman in her 20s, picked him from a lineup. Chatman said he lived five houses down from the victim for 13 years but never knew her. At the time the woman was assaulted, Chatman said he didn't have any front teeth; he had been certain that feature would set him apart from the real assailant. "I'm not sure why he ended up on that photo spread to begin with," Ware said. Chatman, who was convicted in 1981 and sentenced to life in prison, said his faith kept him from giving up. Ware said Chatman would likely be released on a personal recognizance bond until the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals makes an official ruling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overtime Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 that happened in ga, and they didnt apologize, but slapped homie with a huge child support payment amount he didnt pay while in prison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEEB Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 good for him, man 26years of your life? are there any reparations for things like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R@ndomH3ro Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 better late then never?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeping Pills Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 good for him, man 26years of your life? are there any reparations for things like this? fuck this, this guy has missed out on pretty much his entire life. WHOOPS, sorry for the mistake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGG Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some1 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Wow tough break...I wonder if the chick who put him away is going to appologize. "Hey hows it going! Yea I been meaning to tell you about that whole false rape accusation...*sigh*sorry about that...no hard feelings riiight? K bai!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qawee Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 \ "I'm bitter. I'm angry," Chatman told The Associated Press during what was expected to be his last night in jail Wednesday. "But I'm not angry or bitter to the point where I want to hurt anyone or get revenge." if i had been in prison for 26 years on a bogus charge, the second i got out i'd be trying to hurt someone. after 26 years, there is no going back to any kind of normal life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milk Grenades Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 If released on bond at a Thursday court hearing as expected, Chatman will become the 15th inmate from Dallas County since 2001 to be freed by DNA testing. Texas leads the country in prisoners freed by DNA testing. Including Chatman, the state will have released at least 30 wrongfully convicted inmates since 2001, according to the Innocence Project. that's a lot of people. can you imagine all the other people who don't have dna tests to help them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAJ Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Way to be on top of the times. Brilliant thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y.FRESHJIVE Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 wow, fuck the system for real. this isnt even happening to me and im mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viperface Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Way to fuck a person up for good. He basically has to start from scratch! They made him a freak, no one will hire him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
After School Special Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 ^^^^ I don't imagine he'll have to work a day in his life. Unless he wants too. Dude should get whatever he wants from the state until he's cold and dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iloveboxcars Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 ^^^^ I don't imagine he'll have to work a day in his life. Unless he wants too. Dude should get whatever he wants from the state until he's cold and dead. exactly. how fucking ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackstand Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I'd sure rape her now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milk Grenades Posted January 3, 2008 Author Share Posted January 3, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Huxtable. Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spectr Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 ok just a little warning.... Don't be black in texas, or it will take 26 years for you to get out of jail for a crime you didn't commit... that is of course if you don't get excuted before you get a chance to prove your innocence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatso Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I think when this happens you get a certain amount of money for every year in jail It's not very much at all. I will research this further and get back to yall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatso Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 http://standdown.typepad.com/weblog/exoneration/index.html well 50 x 26 hmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overtime Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 i feel like if you do 26 years and then you're found innocent, you have 26 years worth of crimes you can commit, you've paid in advance 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iloveboxcars Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 the state should be required to put dude in a house, buy him a car train and find him a reasonable paying job. 26 years is way to large of a chunk of anyones life to not be required to do something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T ReXXX Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 i feel like if you do 26 years and then you're found innocent, you have 26 years worth of crimes you can commit, you've paid in advance Co-signed. ...and 50grand x 26years = 1.3 million bucks. I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 I would brutally rape the lying bitch that put me in prison for 26 years out of principal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClueTwo Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Bitter, Angry...UNDERSTATEMENT of the YEAR! I'd demand millions upon millions of back pay, or a 40...Whatever comes first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blart.BOS Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 i'd settle if they let me be dictator of the us for a day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeepTheCityUp Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 this guy WILL get paid. i read an article last year about some dude in chicago who supposedly raped some nurse back in the 80's and dna testing exonerated him. he was locked up for like 20 yrs and he was given something like 3.5 million dollars. hopefully he gets paid!!! fuck texas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~KRYLON2~ Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 damn if that were to happen to me i would be plotting to kill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shitting Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 what if the DNA is wrong and he goes and rapes her again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRUNKEN-ASSHOLE-ONER Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 that's a lot of people. can you imagine all the other people who don't have dna tests to help them out. Imagine all the people executed who were innocent. Everybody knows Texas leads the nation in executions. Or for that matter, people killed while they were in prison. They need to start aggressively prosecuting the agressive proescutors. Send them to prison when they deliberately convict the wrong people. Cause they do that shit all the time. Alls they give a fuck about is winning convictions, even when they straight up know dudes are innocent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.