Wrongly convicted, 21 years in jail - now has to pay back child support

[The Straight Story]

Freed, but not from his bills
Ex-inmate, like Graves, has been dunned 21 years for child support owed during time he served for crime he didn't commit

GALVESTON — Anthony Graves isn't the only Texan found innocent of capital murder to be billed by state officials for thousands of dollars in child support payments that built up while he was on death row.

The attorney general is seeking more than $4,000 in child support from Graves, but Clarence Brandley, who spent nearly 10 years on death row for a murder he didn't commit, has been paying child support nearly every year since he was released from prison in 1990.

In 30 years on the bench, "… No case has presented a more shocking scenario of the effects of racial prejudice, perjured testimony, witness intimidation (and) an investigation the outcome of which has been predetermined," state District Judge Perry Picket wrote about Brandley's case after a hearing in 1987.

To relieve Graves of the responsibility of child support payments, his attorneys are citing a 2007 law enacted because of Brandley's experience that compels the state to take over payments for time spent in prison by the unjustly convicted.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7554139.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Where's the wrongly convicted CEO?

Hell, where's the convicted CEO?

:shrug:

[ZombieHorde]

2. That guy could use a break. nt

[bobbolink]

3. Sadly, I'm afraid this is fairly common. Why isn't this a progressive issue?

Why aren't we hearing more on this?

Thank you for posting this...injustice is so common in this country!

[Exultant Democracy]

4. The rethugs scared us good with the Willie Horton bullshit. We let the justice/industrial complex

run away with the store for the last 20 years.

[bobbolink]

6. wellll.... how does that explain why this isn't a "progressive" issue?

Are we afraid of the RW?

Or incapable of reasoning?

If so, we don't deserve to be in power, do we?

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. The state screwed up, so the state should have to pay.

[Vehl]

7. +1

You took the words right out of my mouth