An Utter Miscarriage Of Justice: Harry Connick Nearly Gets Away With Judicial Murder, And John Thompson, His Victim, Is Denied Compensation

This story sort of floated to the surface and vanished in the furor of events in North Africa, and the soap opera staged this week by the children who inhabit elected office in Washington.

Long story short, District Attorney Harry Connick's office deliberately railroaded an innocent man toward the electric chair, both by misuse of the legal process and the witholding of exculpatory evidence.

John Thompson, his victim, tells his story at the link. The Supreme Court threw out his lawsuit (won in lower courts) for 18 million dollars, one million for every year Connick's office stole from his life; 18 years in Angola prison, Louisiana, many of them spent on death row.

OS thinks we best pay attention. It was only by the extraordinary pro-bono efforts of a law firm that Thompson is alive to tell his story. It is why OS is so very uncomfortable with the death penalty. He has been around too many lawyers in his lifetime. He has rubbed elbows with respectable attorneys, gents who sit on boards and teach Sunday School, who would gladly see an innocent person put to death, just so long as the case was won, the career advanced, and the tee time not delayed in the process.

The case of the Duke students wrongly accused of rape was chilling as well. In this case, though, the families of the boys had the resources to fight back. The case fell apart before ever making it to trial. DA Nifong ended up disbarred, discredited, filing for bankruptcy. Further lawsuits are still in litigation, and Duke paid a high price in cash payouts, loss of reputation, and more. Here's hoping the bleeding continues, until a sense of appropriate caution descends upon the institution and its faculty.

(Would any sane mother send her son to Duke, aware that most of that school's administration and faculty are still in place? Would any sane person move to Durham, knowing the investigators, and assistant DA's are still in circulation?)

In this case, the stakes were so much higher, and Thompson did not have those resources. How many more innocents has Connick killed or sent to Angola to live out their days? We'll not likely know, but we do know that of 30 allegations of prosecutorial misconduct brought against Connick, 19 acquittals have resulted.

Hmmm...

Juries are supposed to be the counterweight to prosecutors. But if juries are misled by prosecutors, that safeguard goes away. It is obvious that this conviction was deliberately, fraudulently obtained, with the death of the defendant as the outcome sought. Isn't that a definition of conspiracy to murder, even attempted murder? Why shouldn't the prosecutors, police and judges be required to put their law licenses, careers, wealth and houses on the line when they prosecute felonies, especially death penalty cases?

Would it not encourage a certain sobriety?

Again, OS repeats: It is very common to create a highly educated, effective, literate, articulate adult who can take the bar exam, without ever taking care to ensure a conscience takes hold. Such a person can hold public office. He can get innocent people killed, one-by-one in the case of Mr. Connick, or by the boxcar load in the case of a Himmler.

The Supreme Court (Ivy League lawyers all...) failed to see, once again, what happens to small people ground under by a large government.

More detailed analysis from Atlantic Magazine here.