FROM INNOCENCE PROJECT PRESS RELEASE;
HENRY JAMES WILL BE RELEASED FROM ANGOLA PRISON FRIDAY MORNING AND ATTEND A PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS AT 1.00 PM;
WHAT: A Jefferson Parrish court late Thursday vacated the rape conviction and dismissed the charges against Henry James, who has been incarcerated one month shy of 30 years for a rape that new DNA evidence proves he didn’t commit. James, who has served longer than any other person in Louisiana who was cleared by DNA, is expected to walk out of Angola prison on Friday morning, October 21, 2011.
WHO: Henry James, who served 30 years for a rape that new DNA evidence proves he didn’t commit; and his legal team, Vanessa Potkin, Senior Staff Attorney with the Innocence Project; Paul Killebrew, a staff attorney with the Innocence Project New Orleans; Thomas Golden, Partner, and Jeanna Composti, Associate, at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.
BACKGROUND: Henry James was convicted of aggravated rape and sentenced to life without parole on May 7, 1982. James, who testified on his own behalf at trial and presented three alibi witness to back up his testimony, has always maintained his innocence of the rape of a woman who he had met on several occasions and who lived adjacent to him. Although the defendant was with the victim’s husband the day before the attack and had several encounters with the victim on that day, she told police immediately after the crime that she didn’t know her attacker. However, two days later she identified James from a book of suspects and later picked him out of a lineup.
James requested the help of the Innocence Project, which sought to do DNA testing of the rape kit. Although officials at the Jefferson Parish Crime Laboratory were cooperative, the initial searches for the evidence proved fruitless. On May 3, 2010, Milton Dureau, who worked for the lab, was looking for evidence in a different case when he stumbled upon a slide from James’ case. Fortunately, he remembered the case number from his earlier search. The evidence was sent to Orchid Cellmark, which did STR DNA testing on the slide. The testing, which was completed on September 26, 2011, excluded James as the perpetrator in the rape.
With the consent of Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick, Jr., a Jefferson Parish judge vacated the conviction and dismiss the charges late Thursday. James is expected walk out of Angola prison on Friday morning.
The Innocence Project is affiliated with Cardozo School of Law.The release can be found at:
https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/13323871eea4f39d
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;
