THE BUREAU



After spending 32 whooping years serving jail sentence, prosecutors discovered Thomas Raynard James never committed the crime, a Florida court annulled his conviction and sentence on Wednesday, allowing him to walk free.

Assistant State Attorney Christine Zahralban told the court on Wednesday, "We have found that Thomas Raynard James is genuinely innocent." Judge Miguel M de la O subsequently vacated James' life sentence in front of his mother and family.

After the exoneration, James told reporters, "This has been a long time coming." He stated that he intends to begin looking for work and share his first supper with his family. "Now, let me go enjoy life," James stated as he prepared to leave the courthouse.

According to court documents, James, now 55, was arrested in 1990 and convicted of the first-degree murder of Francis McKinnon in 1991. One eyewitness' positive identification of James was crucial to the case. He received a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in jail, as well as extra sentences for armed robbery, aggravated assault with a firearm, and armed burglary of an occupied residence with a firearm.

"Mr. James, I don't want to see you in jail if you're innocent," Charles McKinnon, one of the victim's sons, said in court on Wednesday. He noted, however, that the family was not convinced and could not back the state's position.

According to State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, James' case was picked up by the State Attorney Office Justice Project (SAO Justice Project) last year after being denied twice by the Innocence Project of Florida owing to a lack of DNA evidence.

According to a motion to dismiss James' convictions and sentencing submitted by Rundle, James had filed more than ten post-conviction motions and appeals, all of which were denied.

The SAO Justice Project evaluated almost 20,000 pages of information and performed their own oath interviews with witnesses, some of whom were prison inmates, in June 2021. They looked into DNA, guns, and evidence from the crime scene and discovered no tangible evidence linking anyone to the crime.

The only eyewitness who positively identified James was the victim's stepdaughter, Dorothy Walton. She is mentioned in a Miami Herald piece dated 1991, according to the motion, adding, "I'll never forget his expression. I'll never forget the look in his eyes."
Walton, now 79, informed investigators with the Innocence Project of Florida in 2019 that she feared she had made a mistake when she identified James.

Rundle described the probe as a "unfortunate example of mistaken identity." "Eyewitness testimony, especially in those days, might be quite fragile."
In a sworn declaration to the SAO Justice Project in January 2022, James stated that he had never shot anyone and had never visited the apartment complex where the incident took place.

James also agreed to a polygraph test, in which he answered yes to questions about whether he was physically present in the flat when McKinnon was shot, whether he shot McKinnon, and whether he was engaged in the robbery/murder in any manner.

Rundle described Wednesday as "a day of joy for the James family and a day of anguish for the McKinnon family." "They still lost a loved one, their father, and they thought the person who killed him had been brought to justice, and that the case was closed."

After the court session, Charles McKinnon told reporters that he wants to see that his father receives justice.
"As family members, we haven't gotten enough information," he said. "I can't say I completely disagree, but I also don't believe I know enough to say I support it."

Rundle expressed her admiration for her Justice Project team's dedication to James' case.
She explained, "We have a sword and a shield." "We have a sword to pursue those who frighten, harm, rape, or murder others. But we have a shield, and the shield's purpose is to protect the victims, the community, and the innocent. That is our task for today. It's a fantastic sensation."

Source: The Bureau

32 years? He should be compensated

32 good years wasted.

I noticed It’s only black men. The white men playing black men like ludo. Stop chasing after their women. They developed their women. Develop yours and stop doing ojukokoro.

32 years. abeg let nobody tell him sorry oh. no be sorry matter be this one. give him 2 million dollars for each year served.

Omo :I

Reason why I would forever be against death sentence.

This life ehh

I hope he gets some good compensation...

As usual guess who the accueser is?

Christistruth00:


The Compensation is normally $1 Million for each year he was wrongly jailed and it is untaxed that means he will get at least $32 million but what is that compared to the injustice he has suffered

Only Jesus can heal him truly

The Judge that Freed him must be trembling just thinking about the case

I don't think you're right. Compensation is based on so many factors. Not every wrongfully accused gets compensated and some states in the US as a matter of law don't compensate at all.

complexBoss12:


I don't think you're right. Compensation is based on so many factors. Not every wrongfully accused gets compensated and some states in the US as a matter of law don't compensate at all.

He will get more than £32 Million if he decides to sue
They cannot Jail a man for 32 years and say sorry goodbye

Christistruth00:


He will get more than £32 Million if he decides to sue
They cannot Jail a man for 32 years and say sorry goodbye

I am not arguing dear, I am giving you facts. You can check on America's Compensation Law and read it up.

Besides, your $1m dollars a year postulation is unfounded.

complexBoss12:
I am not arguing dear, I am giving you facts. You can check on America's Compensation Law and read it up.

Besides, your $1m dollars a year postulation is unfounded.

The last case I read of that was what was paid as compensation

It will never be well with Buhari and Osunbade.

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triple996:
This life ehh

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[s]

helinues:
32 years? He should be compensated

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Many Nairalanders aren’t up to half the age. This one is a whole person’s life wasted. Poor guy. It always happens to black men.

WtF.... 32 sh*t years. Damn mehn... Either i remain inside or go out there and turn a to tyrant

BloomingDale:
I noticed It’s only black men. The white men playing black men like ludo. Stop chasing after their women. They developed their women. Develop yours and stop doing ojukokoro.

Blacks women hate to develop themselves which is why they are at the lowest rung of the ladder.

haslaw:


Blacks women hate to develop themselves which is why they are at the lowest rung of the ladder.

Black men are, not black women. Sorry to burst your bubble. See as the white man dey flog una like animals, while the black women just strolled through.

BloomingDale:


Black men are, not black women. Sorry to burst your bubble. See as the white man dey flog una like animals, while the black women just strolled through.

I see your issues are deep. May God heal you.

haslaw:


I see your issues are deep. May God heal you.

Back at you.