"Vindication Now Arrives After a Battle of 28 Years" is an interesting article about a man named Freddie Peacock who was recently released from jail after five years. He was a churchgoing man from New York who had a severe mental illness and was trying to convince the world that he was not guilty of rape. Mr. Peacock was arrested in July 1976 when a woman who was attacked and raped outside her Rochester apartment building identified Mr. Peacock, who also lived in the building, as the assailant. Peacock's sister, Edith Leonard, explained how for the following 28 years Peacock refused to drop the subject, he would consistently try to tell his family and friends of his innocence. He even begged his parole officer not to release him from state supervision, fearing the action would undermine his many appeals. With barely a comment, Judge David D. Egan of the State Supreme Court in Rochester vacated the 1977 conviction in the face of new DNA testing that proved Mr. Peacock’s innocence. Neither the judge nor the prosecutor directly addressed Mr. Peacock during the five-minute procedure, and neither offered an apology. According to officials, Mr. Peacock was the 250th person nationwide to be exonerated by DNA evidence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/nyregion/05dna.html
3 comments:
Larissa summarized the article, "Vindication Now Arrives After a Battle of 28 Years," which was very interesting because of persistent Mr. Peacock was in attempting, and eventually, proving his innocence. In addition, it was interesting how only a woman's identification of Mr. Peacock could put him in jail for such a long period of time. Finally, I found it intriguing how many people have been proven innocent by DNA testing.
To improve this summary Larissa could have added more detail about how Mr. Peacock was originally convicted, if it was more than just a woman's identification. Also, it would have been helpful to understand why Mr. Peacock's appeal was finally approved.
I learned from "Vindication Now Arrives After a Battle of 28 Years," that DNA evidence and/or testing can override any verbal statement from a witness, victim, or suspect.
I thought this article, "Vindication Now Arrives After a Battle of 28 year," was very inrtiguing, and Mr. Peacock's persistence in proving his name innocent was very noble. This article shows how a woman who is accusing someone of rape can make a wrong accusation which can put a man away for many years. It is also very intriguing how so many people have been proved innocent through DNA testing, and Mr. Peacock is the 250th person to be proven innocence.
Larissa's summary was very detailed and well-written, however, i feel like i would have wanted to know more about how Mr. Peacock was convicted in the first place. It would have also been more interestingto know how exactly this DNA testing proved Mr. Peacocks's innocence.
By reading this article about the tragic wrongful convictions of Mr. Peacock, i truly understand the importance of DNA testing and how it can override wrongful convictions and statement made by victims in crimes.
The article, “Vindication Now Arrives After a Battle of 28 Years," was a very interesting article. It was well presented how a woman who is accusing someone of rape can make a wrong accusation. This led to putting a man away for many years. However, it is well shown how persistent Mr. Peacock was in attempting to prove he was not guilty. Finally, the fact that Mr. Peacock was the 250th person to prove his innocence was fascinating and well said.
On the other hand, I do have several suggestions for the article review. It would have been nice to know more about how the conviction of Mr. Peacock in the first place. As well,
I would have liked to know more about how DNA testing proved Mr. Peacocks's innocence. Overall, I really liked the article and found it incredible that DNA evidence can override any verbal statement from a witness, victim, or suspect.
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