Records: Willingham's innocence in fatal fire not clear-cut

When protesters in Austin marched against the death penalty Saturday, they had a new face to put on their posters - Cameron Todd Willingham, a hulking unemployed mechanic with a history of bad behavior.

[P Smith]

If the same report had been produced at the trial BEFORE Willingham was convicted, would he have been convicted?

No, he would not have. People are innocent until proven guilty, and the report didn't prove either. Without the bias of the flawed "conviction", the report woudn't stand up. Willingham wasn't perfect, but you don't convict people, and you certainly don't kill people, just because you don't like them.

People who don't care about evidence or due process are sociopaths who enjoy seeing people killed.

[XTiger]

Dang...If anyone disagrees or has a different opinion with "P Smith" is a "sociopath" and enjoys "seeing people killed."

That takes a minute to process.

[JGK]

P Smith wrote:

If the same report had been produced at the trial BEFORE Willingham was convicted, would he have been convicted?

We don't know the answer to that question, because that report would be challenged at trial just like it is now. Plus, the jury would be hearing all the evidence just not that one report. I can not put myself in the mind of the jury to know what they would have done.

Do not let my opinion that it too early to come to conclusion be interrupted as me saying I am against this case being reviewed. I do believe a proper review panel should move forward and examine all the facts in this case.

No court has ruled there has been a flawed conviction.

[P Smith]

JGK wrote:

<quoted text>No court has ruled there has been a flawed conviction.

No court anywhere in the US has ruled there has been a flawed conviction because states are unwilling to allow such cases to be heard. If the appeal of Willingham's lawyer and family gets to court and they win, the state will be liable both for his wrongful death and for false prosecution. Governments are trying to bury such cases and not let them come to court for those very reasons.

There are also cases where murders were committed by people other than the wrongly convicted, and the guilty party has been walking free for years. In those cases, it means the prosecutors were deliberately turning a blind eye to evidence, being more concerned about winning percentage than guilty or innocence. That wouldn't mean only civil cases but potential criminal cases for politicians, judges, lawyers and police.

[Blame the prosecutor]

Corsicana Fire Department must be one of those backwood outfits full of sirenboys and know-it-alls. If they did this to my family the whole fking building and everyone in it would be gone as well as that fkng "police" station. Wow you people must have incredibly low low standards to put up with this garbage. I would have to say the best outcome here is to hang that malicious prodsecutor and the no-good governor for allowing this to occur on their watch.

This is why the "law" isrespected less and less. Imagine: Having a bunch of hillbilly hick knowitall firemen wannabees reading tea leaves using old techniques! Just remember you are lucky you did this to a sheep because if you did it to some people there would be violence beyond comapre in that shxxthole town.

You people live in hell.

[WALTER]

Blame the prosecutor wrote:

Corsicana Fire Department must be one of those backwood outfits full of sirenboys and know-it-alls. If they did this to my family the whole fking building and everyone in it would be gone as well as that fkng "police" station. Wow you people must have incredibly low low standards to put up with this garbage. I would have to say the best outcome here is to hang that malicious prodsecutor and the no-good governor for allowing this to occur on their watch.
This is why the "law" isrespected less and less. Imagine: Having a bunch of hillbilly hick knowitall firemen wannabees reading tea leaves using old techniques! Just remember you are lucky you did this to a sheep because if you did it to some people there would be violence beyond comapre in that shxxthole town.
You people live in hell.

Wow!
You are very upset!