Are the familys onboard with the defence due to the plea or because they think the guys are truely innocent ?
I dont know what to think , except it makes no sence that they would accept this plea much less bring it to the table themselves. Trust or no trust who would accept being a child murder after making so much headway in the case if they were truely innocent when a court date in dec had a very real chance of justice to an innocent man. 18 years in jail for a crime you claim you didnt comment and claim LE forced you to say this and etc just to enter a plea instead of even trying to clear your name. This isnt just a speeding ticket ,or a simple A&B
I personaly know how I felt when I was wrongly convicted ,I appealed and won my appeal and WOULD NOT take a plea.
Thanks for coming back to me, I appreciate that. Off the top of my head I think one of the families were doubting their guilt about 10 years ago and then laterly there were questions raised by another family as to their guilt. I'd have to check all of the details on this though, I used to be very well read on this case until about 3 years ago (I have a debilitating illness which prevents me from reading/doing as much as I would like) so I am not fully up to date with the recent developments.
I agree it sort of makes no sense if maintaining innocent, but I would say, it is not me who has to live in their shoes, facing life in prison or the death penalty. I'd like to think that I'd hold firm till I got exonerated, but *if* those guys are innocent I wouldn't have much trust in the justice system after all they have been through. Heck, I haven't got much trust in my legal system as it is at the moment.
I can, to a certain extent see why they would plea out, in terms of DE facing the death penalty. But I would fight like mad to prove my innocence. It would be a bittersweet day and I would never stop trying to prove my innocence.
I am really sorry to hear that you we wrongly accused and I am glad that you were exonerated. I don't want to pry, (as I don't know your case) I am just thinking how best to word this to you...
The stakes are very high for them in terms of punishment, if you were in their position would you still fight for exoneration while incarcerated, or would you do as they have done, plea and then attempt to fight the guilt from the outside?
Personally, I would be conflicted in that whilst I would want to fight my innocence, I would be aware of having been inside 18 years, having missed 18 years of my life, having watched my parents age...would I want to live a normal life, have time with my relatives, BUT I would not be happy to accept guilt. I would want to fight that tooth and nail, whilst I was on the outside. I would want to prove my innocence once and for all.