Interesting News Day
Oct. 30th, 2007 09:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akashiverNew Evidence in West Memphis 3 case
In 1994, three teenagers in the small city of West Memphis, Ark., were convicted of killing three 8-year-old boys in what prosecutors portrayed as a satanic sacrifice involving sexual abuse and genital mutilation. So shocking were the crimes that when the teenagers were led from the courthouse.
But according to long-awaited new evidence filed by the defense in federal court on Monday, there was no DNA from the three defendants found at the scene, the mutilation was actually the work of animals and at least one person other than the defendants may have been present at the crime scene.
Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the scales of justice:
Immunity deal hampers Blackwater inquiry
State Department officials declined to confirm or deny that immunity had been granted. One official — who refused to be quoted by name_ said: "If, in fact, such a decision was made, it was done without any input or authorization from any senior State Department official in Washington."
And I don't know what to make of this case yet. Clear case of injustice? Cautionary tale about the dangers of publicity-stunting charity work?
Chad charges French nationals with kidnapping
Six French nationals have been charged with kidnapping after a failed attempt to fly from Chad with 103 children a charity said were orphans from Sudan's Darfur region, authorities said Tuesday.
Interior Minister Ahmat Bachir said that, if they were found guilty, they would face up to 20 years in prison with hard labor. Prisoners in Chad are often put to work for the state.
In 1994, three teenagers in the small city of West Memphis, Ark., were convicted of killing three 8-year-old boys in what prosecutors portrayed as a satanic sacrifice involving sexual abuse and genital mutilation. So shocking were the crimes that when the teenagers were led from the courthouse.
But according to long-awaited new evidence filed by the defense in federal court on Monday, there was no DNA from the three defendants found at the scene, the mutilation was actually the work of animals and at least one person other than the defendants may have been present at the crime scene.
Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the scales of justice:
Immunity deal hampers Blackwater inquiry
State Department officials declined to confirm or deny that immunity had been granted. One official — who refused to be quoted by name_ said: "If, in fact, such a decision was made, it was done without any input or authorization from any senior State Department official in Washington."
And I don't know what to make of this case yet. Clear case of injustice? Cautionary tale about the dangers of publicity-stunting charity work?
Chad charges French nationals with kidnapping
Six French nationals have been charged with kidnapping after a failed attempt to fly from Chad with 103 children a charity said were orphans from Sudan's Darfur region, authorities said Tuesday.
Interior Minister Ahmat Bachir said that, if they were found guilty, they would face up to 20 years in prison with hard labor. Prisoners in Chad are often put to work for the state.
