http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/19/wrongly.convicted.ap/index.html

jesus chris; so these attorneys knew that this guy was wrongfully imprisoned but couldn't step forward b.c of attorney/client confidentiality. I know our justice system is not perfect but this is absurd. I respect the "confidentiality" thing but is there not a way for them to disclose the evidence that the other guy was wrongfully accused while keeping the name of the real criminal confidential or at least make it non-admissable in court.

If i was stuck in the butt hut wrongfully and found out some guys had evidence that proved my innocence that they withheld for nearly 3 decades i would have some lawsuits going there way.

4/19/2008 1:56:05 PM

Owned

4/19/2008 2:03:02 PM

I would say that the ethical offense for knowingly keeping an innocent man in prison would be much greater than breaking attorney/client confidentiality.

Human Ethics > Professional Ethics

4/19/2008 5:29:11 PM

^ Lawyers knowingly defend guilty criminals all the time, does that make them unethical as well?

[Edited on April 19, 2008 at 5:36 PM. Reason : .]

4/19/2008 5:36:01 PM

Was on 60 minutes a while back. Report can be seen at

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3920205n

[Edited on April 19, 2008 at 6:17 PM. Reason : url]

4/19/2008 6:13:39 PM

HUR... so naive.

If the lawyers acted before their client died, they would be disbarred and the client's confession would be inadmissable in court.



[Edited on April 19, 2008 at 6:35 PM. Reason : 2]

4/19/2008 6:25:17 PM

old

4/19/2008 8:19:38 PM

this is what a pardon is for

4/19/2008 9:01:39 PM

Quote :

"If the lawyers acted before their client died, they would be disbarred and the client's confession would be inadmissable in court."

that is my point. With the current system a man known to be innocent was left to rot in prison

4/19/2008 11:05:15 PM

How can you hold lawyers accountable for facts learned under privilege?

4/20/2008 2:51:42 PM

Will there should be some way around it to save the innocent guy w/o violating teh privacy of the client who discretely disclosed the information. I am sure if your brother or sister was locked up for 20 years for a crime they did not commit you would be pretty pissed if you found out people knew all along that they were innocent.

4/20/2008 7:29:43 PM

Quote :

""Poor Mr. Logan was locked up all these years for something he didn't do, and that's unfortunate that it worked out the way it did," Coventry said. "I wish [the release] had happened a lot sooner, but unfortunately, there was no way to do anything." "

But the lawyer could somehow put his uneasiness aside and continue on with his lucrative law practice while he knew an innocent man languished in prison.

Isn't that what lawyers do? Massage the law? Surely these two could've done something more to get the case re-opened.

If I couldn't get the case re-opened. I would've ratted that jerk out and tried a new career.

4/20/2008 8:39:26 PM

Anonymous letters to the editor. "John Smith did this crime and the evidence can be found up his sleeve. BTW, this letter is from his mother, not his lawyer. Good luck proving otherwise. Bite me ethics committee!"

4/20/2008 10:18:50 PM

Quote :

"^ Lawyers knowingly defend guilty criminals all the time, does that make them unethical as well?"

No matter how you make the system, you have to get someone to defend every person who comes to a major trial, even if the person refuses to confess and it's blatantly obvious to everyone that he did it. If it is not blatantly obvious to society that he did it, and somehow the lawyer comes up on incontrovertible proof (only available to said lawyer) that the person did do it... that just shouldn't have happened - somebody fucked up.

4/21/2008 9:32:57 PM

Quote :

"^ Lawyers knowingly defend guilty criminals all the time, does that make them unethical as well? [Edited on April 19, 2008 at 5:36 PM. Reason : .]"

Yes it does. It is also the number one reason why I could never be a defense attorney.

4/21/2008 10:14:55 PM

The issue isn't if Johnny Ax murder who killed 50 people on camera deserves to have a defense from a lawyer who will do what needs to be done to get him out of trouble. The issue is an innocent man rotting in prison when a select few individuals knowingly knew he was wrongfully convicted. If the issue were white and black i'd say the guy innocently stuck in the butt hut gets precedence.

4/21/2008 10:50:32 PM