George Stinney, Exonerated 70 Years After Wrongful Murder Conviction As 14-Year-Old

[CherryPanda]

After seven decades, a black 14-year-old boy has been cleared of murder.

In 1944, George Stinney was convicted of murdering two white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina. He was executed via the electric chair after his white lawyer called no witnesses and performed no cross-examinations.

Judge Carmen Mullen vacated the conviction against Stinney on Wednesday, WISTV reports.

In January, a judge agreed to hear new testimony and arguments in the case.

At a hearing that month, Solicitor Ernest "Chip" Finney III argued the conviction should stand.

"They weren't trying to railroad every black person associated with Alcolu and these little girls. They made a determination based on facts we don't have today that George Stinney should be detained," Finney said.

But an attorney arguing on behalf of Stinney said the state handled the case so badly that it merited another look.

"The state, as an entity, has very unclean hands," attorney Miller Shealy argued.

George Stinney Exonerated 70 Years After Wrongful Murder Conviction As 14-Year-Old

I like such stories, really like them. In some of them people are already dead, in others they have spent all their life in prison (like the recent story about the guy released after what, thirty years). Those who are still alive have nothing – family, job, education, I even doubt their social skills by the moment they get out of prison. And all they get after justice was finally served is just some “we are very sorry” words and other useless signs of regret. The dead are lucky – they know no regret or remorse.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

He was executed via the electric chair after his white lawyer called no witnesses and performed no cross-examinations.

IOW, he was railroaded.

A legal lynching.