Anybody who believes in the infallibility of man, or of the criminal justice system, or of anything run by human beings has bumped his head. Yesterday, in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ray Towler, a man who was sent to prison for life for a crime that he didn't commit, was freed after serving twenty nine years. He spent most of his life in jail. He was released by DNA testing, which proved his innocence. For more details, read the account of the case in the Columbus Dispatch.
Mr. Towler is a much better man than most. He showed no signs of anger or animosity for losing so many years behind bars. I would have had many choice words for the criminal justice system, and for the delay in DNA testing, testing now is required by a recent state law, and for the prosecutors, whom while in convicting an innocent man, allowed the guilty person to escape justice. And so, Mr Towler is eligible for a cash payment in the six figures, so what? He lost twenty nine years of his life. Well, I guess, justice, even when it is delayed, is better than justice denied.
DNA testing has exonerated 253 men nationally, but only a few have served more time than Mr. Towler.
| Raymond Towler freed after 29 years in prison for rape he did not commit |