Wow. Ontario announced compensation today - $6.5m for him and $100,000 for his wife and they're going after the feds for a portion of it. <br> <br> I know it's not about the money but geez, that's more like 'getting costs'. I am sure that in lost income while he was in jail and the cost of his parents to visit him in prison probably cost about that much over 30 years it came to about that - don't mind lawyers costs etc. <br> <br> I have always had an interest in the Truscott case. My parents had the Isabel de Bourlais book written about him - which was groundbreaking in a day where 'investigative journalism' for crime cases did not really exist. I was about 12 or 13 when I read it and it really struck me because Truscott was only a year older when he sentenced to death for the crime. <br> <br> I've watched most of the TV shows on him and had a chance to meet him and Jim Lockyer (who must have been cold because he was wearing his hair over his toque ;-) the Fort Garry a couple of years back. What I find fascinating is how mild mannered and 'normal' Truscott is. To be released, start a family and be a regular dad for 30 years and even after the kids were grown looking to clear his name to be so calm about it. I think most people would have been too screwed up to do any of that, or do it and be filled with rage and self pity. <br> <br> Hats off to him that his part of the journey is over 49 years later.I feel bad for the Harpers, though. They'll never know who killed their 12 year old Lynn and likely never will. They've had a life sentence as well.
I read the same book Mr C.........it was a must read in grade 10 high school, we totally disected that book. Fascinating story about Truscott, I hadn't heard about him in a long long time, it amazes me that he is so calm about all this, thats more then I could say for myself if I was in his shoes. Kudos to Stephen for being such a man!
I asked my mom about it and she said that it was very controversial when the book came out in the 60's. Nobody ever really questioned the police and courts - especially in that great a detail. Back then policemen's gut instinct and the ruling of a judge were all people needed. She said a lot of people, even tose many years later, felt that Truscott should have hanged because that's what the courts said.
I feel so sorry for the guy, what a way to screw up someone permanantly. Imagine it could have been any of us, or one of our relatives if we were around then at the same time.
Truscot considers the compensation "the final step" in his journey to clear his name. http://winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4195729p-4787109c.html I guess if that closes the book for him then it was adequate. I doubt his parents are alive (Stephen is 63) to see this. it would have been nice. Can you imagine the life they led with everyone in the nation "knowing" that your 14 year old sun is a murderer for your entire life.
There have been so many false convictions! What a great system, that has groups of lawyers working to undoe these horrible injustices!
I remember reading about Milgaard, and the way that the police, and the Crown conducted themselves was so bad, I believed that there should have been charges against those that screwed him, by concealing and withholding evidence.
<blockquote><cite>Posted By: EastSider</cite>Milgaard, Marshall, Driscoll, Sophonow...........anyone I miss?</blockquote> Oh, many more. These are just cases from the one group <a href="http://www.aidwyc.org/cases/item.past-cases "> Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted </a>- it appears only 2 never ended with a dismissal or acquittal (one died, the other in limbo still). <br> <br> Wilfred Beaulieu<br> Gordon Folland<br> Peter Frumusa <br> Clayton Johnson <br> Kulaveerasingam Karthiresu<br> Donald Marshall Jr. <br> Richard McArthur <br> Michael McTaggart <br> Felix Michaud <br> Guy Paul Morin <br> Wilson Nepoose <br> Richard Norris<br> Gregory Parsons <br> Benoit Proulx <br> Thomas Sophonow <br> Gary Staples <br> Donzel Young <br> <br> <br> Cases they have on the go right now at different areas of the legal system. Some have already been acquitted : http://www.aidwyc.org/cases/ <br> <br> Robert Baltovich<br> Christopher Bates<br> Wilbert Coffin<br> William Mullins-Johnson<br> Dr. Smith <br>
Romeo Phillion<br> Steven Truscott<br> Kyle Unger<br> Erin Walsh<br> <br> These are their cases that are still under inquiry:<br> <br> Lamer Inquiry <br> Milgaard Inquiry<br> Driskell Inquiry<br> <br>
These are other higher profile major crimes where the person was found to have been wrongfully committed<br><br>
Michel Dumont <br> Norman Fox <br> Rejean Hinse<br> Herman Kaglik <br> Steven Kaminski <br> Jamie Nelson <br> <br> <br> There's many more. <br> Osgood Hall Law School's The Innocence Project is working on Romeo Phillion (murder) <br> <br>
<blockquote><cite>Posted By: FreakyGirl</cite>This case is in part why I tell people to NOT assume everything they are told is true.</blockquote> and why i could never support the death penalty. Funny that the people who support it the most are usually the people who dislike the bureaucracy and moan about the courts the most the most. Sort of odd - too incompetent to handle drivers license registrations; can't get sentencing right for minor crimes - yet life and death of someone: sure, we'll trust you'll be able to get that right !
yes and all but the 6 in the "These are other high profile..." are just from the one group.The link above will give you a synopsis of each case. It appears that group has been around since 1999.
A US list from <a href="http://www.innocenceproject.org/know/Browse-Profiles.php">The Innocence Project </a> only of people exonerated from the 90s to 2006. (see link for more detail)<br> <br> Abdal<br> Adams<br> Alejandro<br> Alexander<br> Anderson<br> Atkins<br> Avery<br> Bauer<br> Beaver<br> Bibbins<br> Bloodsworth<br> Booker<br> Boquete<br> Bostic<br> Bradford<br> Bravo<br> Brewer<br> Briscoe<br> Brison<br> Bromgard<br> Brown<br> Brown<br> Brown<br> Brown<br> Bullock<br> Buntin<br> Butler<br> Byrd<br> Cage<br> Callace<br> Capozzi<br> Chalmers<br> Charles<br> Charles<br> Chatman<br> Clark<br> Coco<br> Cotton<br> Cowans<br> Criner<br> Cromedy<br> Crotzer<br> Cruz<br> Dabbs<br> Dail<br> Danziger<br
Holy Cow Mr C! After I posted I remembered Guy Paul Morin but I had no idea of all these others, what the hell gives here? Thats alot of cases to be wrong about........you've definitely given me food for thought on my death penalty stance.
Yes but most of these are old cases convicted before much of the modern tools we and police have today the big one DNA and Computer based records and tracking of criminal records And ID. We are able to access info that was unavailable to some 45 years ago hell 25 yrs ago . Not to say it can't be screwed up but it is alot less likely today then x years ago. I agree this amount of compensation seems to pale for what the courts have put him thru.
True jim true. But I believe there is still a lot of *tunnel vision* from the PD to the Crown. Lose the tunnel vision and the win at (seemingly) any cost and maybe we have fewer wrongly convicted.
Yes there is but it is not as narrow as in the US where you might not keep your job at election time. Sherrif, Prosc Attorney , Judge. all run in most states.