Man Freed After Spending 45-Years In Prison For A Crime He Did Not Commit

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Man Freed After Spending 45-Years In Prison For A Crime He Did Not Commit

March 29. 2018

Richard Phillips

71-year-old Richard Phillips was recently released from custody in Michigan, after serving 45-years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 1972 Phillips was sent to prison for the murder of Gregory Harris. It was recently discovered that a witness in the case lied during trial, in conduct that criminally implicated Phillips. It resulted in a wrongful conviction and lengthy prison sentence.

The case was recently overturned, under a legal push by the Innocence Clinic at University of Michigan law school. Upon his release, Phillips amazingly stated, "I've never carried bitterness around, so I'm not a bitter man." Phillips is now eligible for $2,000,000 in legal compensation from the state, but it does not make up for what happened to him. He spent decades behind bars and his children grew up without him. Phillips now lives in Detroit and is a Christian churchgoer who shares his experiences with others.

Phillips' false criminal case is not unique. I've read about many cases of people being convicted of crimes they did not commit. Perjury is a serious crime and I wish people would be careful of what they say and do in court. It's bad enough when a witness lies, but it's even more abhorrent when it's the FBI (New Evidence Reveals The FBI Sent People To Death Row Who Were Innocent Of Crimes They Were Convicted Of).

Richard Phillips

In a perfect world, people who lie about crime and it results in wrongful convictions, would be sentenced in a court of law to spend the same amount of time in prison as the person they deceitfully placed behind bars. Then again, in a perfect world there would be no wrongful convictions. Nonetheless, the legal system can do better.

Phillips' case serves as more proof the justice system does not work. I've seen to many cases like Phillips' and government corruption to think it does work. There are criminals who have actually committed murder that are walking around free, while innocent people suffer in prison for crimes they did not commit. The justice system needs a complete overhaul. The sooner the better.

STORY SOURCE

US man cleared of murder after 45 years in jail says: 'I'm not bitter'

2 hours ago - A US man who was cleared of murder after spending 45 years behind bars has said he’s “not a bitter man”. Richard Phillips, 71, had his conviction erased last year but has now been exonerated and will not face a second trial. Mr Phillips, from Detroit, smiled as he said the criminal justice system "works - it just didn't work fast enough".

Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said a new investigation by her office backed his claim that he had no role in a 1971 fatal shooting. She said a key witness lied at his 1972 trial. "There's nothing I can say to bring back 40 years of his life," Ms Worthy said. "The system failed him. This is a true exoneration."...Mr Phillips has settled in a Detroit suburb and attends a church where he shares his story with others.

https://www.standard.co.uk