SURPRISE HEARING Friday 18th August

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iluvmua said:
If they do admit guilt....... then that is just going to further my believe that they really did do this.
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Like someone else said - this is a double edge sword.

The State will want to save face, so perhaps the deal is to plead guilty to a lesser charge and get out of prison. Hell, I would do it if it meant living a free life vs. being on death row -- wouldn't anyone?

Or, Damien can continue to fight from DR and be there for the rest of his life.

I'm not going to judge any supposed decision until I hear what they say in court. BUT, if this is the deal -- I would prolly take it too.

Just my opinion - thanks.

Mel
 
I've NEVER heard of a case where three convicted men plead guilty and then get released from Prison....


I just does not make any sense for me.
 
I thought there was a gag order in place, if so isn't Terry Moore in contempt of court for that post?

I would hate a guilty plea especially after DNA not matching them but that is a long time behind bars and on Death row- freedom really is what is important not what other people think-after all there are people who will always believe they are guilty no matter what they do.

A no contest plea doesn't mean they are guilty just that they believe another trial would still find them guilty- the truth didn't seem to matter in the first trial so I could see them not trusting the system a second time.
 
iluvmua said:
I've NEVER heard of a case where three convicted men plead guilty and then get released from Prison....
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Lawrencia Bembenek was convicted of a 1981 murder and sentenced to life in prison. Eventually she won a new trial and, rather than risk a second conviction, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. She received a reduced sentence which was commuted to time served. She was released from prison in November 1992, having served a little over ten years.

This was well publicized at the time and a (very good) TV movie was made about the case. Bembenek wrote a book titled, "Woman On Trial". She died last year at age 52.
 
There are all sorts of rumors flying around including one that Terry Hobbs is in custody. All that I know for sure is that all three of the WM3 have been released to the custody of the Craighead County Court with all of their belongings. Judge Laser has scheduled a private and a public hearing for August 19, 2011 starting at 10 am local time. Local time is CDT. It looks like Christmas is coming early! I don't want to perpetuate any rumors because there's certainly a lot of misinformation out there. We'll all just have to wait a few more hours to see what's really true.
 
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/19/arkansas.child.killings/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

All three of the men -- Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr. and Jason Baldwin, dubbed the "West Memphis Three" -- are expected to attend the hearing in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

A source close to the case said a deal is in the works where the men can be freed Friday and maintain their innocence.

The deal involves a complicated legal maneuver in which the three men would have to acknowledge that the state has evidence it could use to try and convict them.
 
I am filled with hope tonight that tomorrow I wake up and the three innocent men have gone free.
 
I am so excited!!!!! I will be singing from the rooftops if they are free tomorrow!!!
 
I'm literally shaking,I'm so happy right now.I've been feeling it so strong the past couple of weeks that something big was happening soon.It's about time!!!!
I hope they don't have to plead guilty that would be ridiculous.I hope they have TH in custody!!!
I'm so so excited ! Justice for all 6 !
 
Okay, so they would plead no contest.

Now here is my question. If these three plead no contest to this... and then they DO charge someone else with the murders... isn't that going to make it really hard to get a conviction??

If they completely set aside their convictions and say there is new evidence that proves they are innocent... then they have a chance at convicting someone else.

http://wm3org.typepad.com/blog/2011...-innocence-claim-in-ark-boys-1993-deaths.html

I will absolutely cry if they walk out tomorrow... I will be as overwhelmed as I was at Casey's verdict.
This time it won't be because justice was denied... it will be because justice was finally done.
 
I'm not sure, but I think the original verdicts will have to be overturned before a plea deal can be made. Usually plea deals are arrived at before a conviction comes down. Legal help here, please!

What I've heard is that the no lo contendere plea will free them but not exonerate them. Some people might believe that they're guilty because they pleaded no contest. However, if they are truly guilty and in prison, why would the State of Arkansas permit such a plea? To me, the fact that the State is willing to entertain such a plea means that they know they don't have a case and they're trying to save face.

The Alford plea is a little more complicated. It means, if I understand what I've read, that they will maintain their innocence but concede that there is enough evidence that a jury might find them guilty at a retrial. Again, they will be freed, but some people will still believe them to be guilty.

From what I'm reading, what will happen tomorrow (really later today) will free but not exonerate the three. Not a perfect ending, but, if I had been imprisoned for 18 years for a crime that I didn't commit, I'd probably take the deal, too. I do believe that they will not have a criminal record for this, so that's something. PLEASE, SOME LEGAL MIND HERE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG!
 
Melanie,

A plea of no lo contendere (no contest) or an Alford plea will allow them to maintain their innocence. The Alford plea is a bit more complex, but it is not a guilty plea.
 
Either way though... there is an admittance that the state might be able to convict them, that they may have enough evidence to convict them... which undermines the possible guilt of anyone else.

So if the prosecution plans to ever charge anyone else... the only way to do that would be to totally exonerate the three... and leave open the possibility for a new suspect to be charged.

That's my concern. That in their effort to NOT admit they were wrong, the state is going to prevent any further prosecution of another suspect.

Sorry, I am like totally freaked out between the WM3 and Susan Powell developments and may not be making any sense.
 
Jdee said:
The way it reads to me is that it's a quote from Steve Branch...?? Sloppy editing maybe?
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Yeah my questio too, how can you plead guilty to all three crimes and walk out of prison? Somethings wrong in Oz.
 
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