The thing that drives me crazy about these DNA cases is that so many times there's a guilty person still out there, and yet the prosecution is still too caught up in preserving its conviction rate and status. It's disgusting.

Why is the person that wrote this article still referring to Dewey as a serial rapist killer instead of a possibly innocent man? Apparently his DNA hasn't matched the evidence found at the scene from the get go. Looks like they were looking for a scape goat to close the case regardless of the evidence. Apparently the people that investigated this should be fired for falsifying evidence in order to convict this man or at least their investigative techniques should be called into question and other cases they were involved with should be examined more closely.

Just because a person confesses to a crime DOES NOT MEAN THEY COMMITTED THE CRIME!! I know it sounds stupid but it's true: I was accused of a crime in 1996 but completely innocent but brought to the police station for reasons unknown as a suspect, I didn't know the person or the circumstances of the crime committed and the cops couldn't care less if I did the crime or not but they definitely wanted me to confess, I could not get water, go to the bathroom and repeatedly asked for a lawyer, only after 4 hours did they realize that it was no way I was involved in the crime but it was a long, long 4 hours filled with threats and plenty of intimidation and a lesser person may have confessed. If you have never been in this situation then you will not understand.

@ doobie mcstoned. Such suction should not go unrewarded.You are indeed a good ingine.

I have been called for jury duty 3 times. One time I served, and as it turned out we found the defendant guilty. In the sentencing hearing he admitted guilt, so that went OK. The second time, while we were in the wating room before jury selection, a deputy sheriff addressed us and said "You people are about to get an education"...and ended up by praising us "honest, upstanding citizens" for "putting these people where they belong". (How did he know we were honest and upstanding?) This was before the jury had even been selected. We went into the courtroom, and found a man who was the defendant, charged with selling drugs, sitting there in an expensive "zoot suit", with matching derby hat, with gold jewelry, a rolex watch, etc, the essence of a "candy man" uniform. He had a court-appointed lawyer who hadn't even instructed him about his appearance, including the need to remove his hat in the courtroom. He was not going to testify. he prosecution had a "hostile" witness, a woman who was charged with prostitution, who was going to testify against him in exchange for a suspended sentence for herself. So when I was questioned and asked if there was any reason why I shouldn't serve on the jury, I told them that it didn't appear possible for the man to get a fair trial. That he'd already been pronounced guilty before jury selection, and he did not have adequate representation with the appointed lawyer. I was excused. The 3rd time, I got myself excused because of my age. Too many times the jury is operating under the belief that it is their duty to find the defendant guilty.

I'd be willing to bet that there are lawyers lined up as we speak to grab Dewey on his way out of the courtroom to talk about a civil lawsuit. I hope he chooses a good one.

A classic example of how the system makes mistakes. And now? A (possibly) innocent man has been behind bars for almost two decades. I doubt very much he'll walk away perfectly OK from all this. What if he'd been in a state where he could've been executed? What then? A letter to his relatives saying "Whoops. Sh!t happens?"

As it is, yet another man (there's been a lot of them lately) is wrongfully convicted and his life is ruined forever because of improper (or just plain LAZY) forensics analysis. THIS is why I'm against capital punishment; you can't give the power of life and death to a system that is proven (time and again) to be THIS fallible.

This isn't a game here. The report is this man is 100% innocent. Now what is 16 yrs worth in a $ value ? I don't think their is an answer to my question. Once again we have a situation of sloppy investigation from the start & or wrongful misconduct on the police, prosecutor, & maybe the judge. Do you ever wonder how many prosecutors were elected to higher positions even though their have been cases prov en of the intentional misconduct they did to get the guilty verdict on the accused ? Then the public generally has to spend millions more in a settlement case of wrongful conviction, Yet the prosecutors are not held liable in any manner. In this case he had a judge that was very bias or truly believed in the prosecutors statements. For those of you that find interest in cases such as this one just go check out the innocenceproject.com Anyone that has respect for human life will be disgusted with our judicial system after checking out the site i mentioned. It's ashamed that prosecutors advance up to higher positions due to the #s of convictions they get. Watch around any election time for the increased #s of convictions. I feel very strongly that any one involved in entrapment,lying, withholding, tampering, ect. of any case where one is wrongfully convicted they should be charged and sentenced to the maximum the law allows. And the accused should be able to sue those that were personally involved in his/her wrongful conviction. And if it puts their Investigators,prosecutors, judges, ect.) families out on the street all the better, It would be a true deterrent for those that were considering framing an innocent person. I also think every case that D.N.A. can be used to prove innocence or guilt should be available to the accused at time of trial. Regardless of ones financial means. I guarantee it would save millions on appeals & settlements. Im not against capital punishment at all, if the before mentioned is used in every case. And then the D.N.A. should be sent out to different states to be tested, have a pool of different labs that test and pull a lab name for the test out of the box. I also highly recommend to those that are interested in these type of cases to check out The WEST MEMPHIS 3. It will make you sick of what the state of Arkansas courts did to 3 young men while their careers advanced to top positions in the state & government.

Regardless of how or why he was convicted originally, it probably stemmed from the requirement of media at the time for the cops to "arrest and convict" someone. And in the court of public opinion, guilty or not is never the issue. 80% of the public is just happy someone was "caught". I think media ought to take a much lesser role in the initial investigation or better yet, no role in it. That way police can catch the correct person, with out being vilified as not doing their job. I think that would have the most impact on wrongful conviction. As for compensation for him, he should receive some. Many states now have a flat amount they compensate a person per year they are wrongfully incarcerated. So I hope if he is exonerated that he receives whatever he can. Although the judge was wrong in his comments, don't forget to lambast the jurors who managed to find some way to convict as well.

It's hard to understand why the family of a victim can be satisfied just because SOMEONE was railroaded to prison, even if there is significant doubt as to his guilt. I would not rest until I knew beyond any doubt that the right person had been convicted. But the aptly named "Criminal Justice System" is only concerned with the prosecutor putting another notch in his gun or another decal on his warplane. Then he/she can get that really great job with a "distinguished" law firm that only hires lawyers with a track record of lots of wins in the courtroom. And the cops can support the illusion that they are "protecting and serving".

There are thousands of innocent people in prison in the U.S., a large number of them there due to overly zealous prosecutors who will stop at nothing to get a conviction.

Also, we need more innocence projects like that of Barry Sheck's. Convicted people who are exonerated should get a million a year for life (maybe part of the prosecutor's salary, if he/she proved to have lied, even by ommission, during the trial).

We also need to give IQ tests to prospective jurors, determine whether or not they have a personality problem with "power" (or lack thereof) in their lives, or if they view themselves as attorneys who couldn't afford law school.

I'm still trying to find out why these prosecutors aren't being charged with misconduct and sent to the very prisons they like to send innocent people. They're not above the law. 2 men in Dallas Tx, are being set free for a total of 42 innocent men sent to prison by prosecutors who weren't doing their jobs.

Why wouldnt he be set free if that proves it was not him? I thought it was just said wrong but every person said he may be released. Also, he has to prove that the investigators did something wrong in order to sue.. here is a thought THEY ARRESTED & CONVICTED AN INNOCENT MAN! Idiots

Today or yesterday I don't care the DNA was not a match back then and isn't now ... I hope they prove the individuals that have convicted him and put the case together had tunnel vision and show they didn't do their jobs ...

What is this poor man coming out to? Will he make it? No cell phones all new technology what about his family and what they have had to deal with ... has he lost anyone that was close to him? OMG what a horrible experience.

I feel bad for the victims family but I'm glad there are agencies out there to help the wrongfully convicted - 16 years in prison? This should not have taken this long ... HORRIBLE!

Well, I sure hope he is guilty, or we must have instant death penalty for the judge, the prosecutor and the witnesses- We sit here in the USA and claim we have the best court system in the world--possibly all the people here should get outside the country more often!

If it does exonerate him, my biggest question besides his conviction, is why the DA fought so hard to free an innocent man. You would think the state seeks the truth in all cases.

Hmm

This is just another example of:...DA's wanting to get a quick conviction to make themselves look good, even at a innocent man's expense.....I hope this guy becomes a millionaire at the county's and/or state's expense. On a more important note, how about they focus their efforts on catching the real scum that did this instead of trying to cover their butts for the blunder and trying to fight the reversal.

Zealous prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves can push through this kind of thing occasionally.

On the other hand, they certainly blew it in Boulder in their attempts to close the case on the little beauty pageant girl.

I trully feel horrified at what Mr. Dewey must have went through mentally and emotionally. But there are two thing that really stand out here for me. 1. At this late date, with the freeing of Mr. Dewey, can there be any justice for Jacie? 2. Since 1989 269 wrongly convicted people have been freed. Those are the ones that have come to light. How many others are there out there that are languishing innocently in prison?

DNA does not LIE, it's 100% accurate.

I know they haven't exactly stated what is is that they found, but it must be something HUGE to free this man !

GOOD LUCK to you DEWEY, and I know you can't be given back the years wasted in prison, but I hope they

COMPENSATE you well. GOD BLESS !

I'm just wondering how a prosecution can have a man convicted when the DNA is not a match. I mean, the jurors & judge had to know this also but went ahead and found him guilty. Hmmmm. WTF

Guess they were all tired/hungry and wanted to go home and rest in their nice comfy home after a few weeks on jury duty.

The man is White ! Texas and Florida are notorious for locking up and convicting the wrong person, I just hope he sues. And as for the Redman , perhaps he too dumb to complain ,They had everything taken from them and drove from land that was clearly theirs.

Yet ANOTHER reason to be against the death penalty. In most states this man would have been sentenced to death. Can you imagine how many people are wrongfully found guilty by our faulty justice system? Prosecutors, Mayors, Governors, Police Chiefs all have a duty to make sure THE RIGHT person gets convicted. In a lot of cases as long as they have someone they can pin the case on, it's fine with them and gives their positions justification. Malicious prosecution happens more times than not.

If you killing a thousand guilty people doesn't justify one life being taken. Think about cases like this before you call for someone's head. A life sentence at least still gives a person a chance to prove their innocence. A death sentence satisfies nothing!

Hey there, all you people stomping and screaming against the death penalty. Have you ever heard of appeals? People don't get executed before the appeals process does a thorough examination of all the facts and evidence. Cases such as these with any doubt are reviewed, re-reviewed, and reviewed again.