John Grisham, Jim McCloskey talk wrongful convictions amid Texas case

The lawsuit of Robert Roberson is putting a caller spotlight connected nan decease penalty.

Roberson was convicted of sidesplitting his girl successful 2002, based connected a disputed test of shaken babe syndrome. He maintains his innocence. Roberson, who was group to beryllium executed past week until nan Texas Supreme Court temporarily halted it, would person been nan first personification put to decease for a shaken babe syndrome conviction.

New York Times bestselling writer John Grisham testified astir nan lawsuit connected Monday successful Texas. Now, he's calling for an extremity to nan decease punishment successful nan U.S.

"He (Roberson) was convicted of shaking her to decease successful Texas utilizing immoderate outdated, aged science that was utilized and celebrated 20 to 30 years ago," Grisham said of Roberson's case.

Texas lawmakers meet pinch Robert Roberson astatine a situation successful Livingston, Texas, Sept. 27, 2024. Criminal Justice Reform Caucus via AP

Grisham, on pinch Jim McCloskey, who founded a nonprofit statement called Centurion Ministries to thief free guiltless people, precocious released a book called "Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions." The book focuses connected 23 defendants caught successful a web for thing they opportunity they didn't do.

One of nan cases featured successful nan book is that of Clarence Brandley. He was a janitor supervisor astatine Conroe High School, which is astir 50 miles northbound of Houston, McCloskey said.

In 1980, Brandley, a Black man, discovered nan assemblage of a White 16-year-old woman who was visiting arsenic portion of a volleyball squad successful nan loft supra nan school's auditorium. She had been raped and strangled.

"Don't inquire maine why, but nan constabulary said because he recovered nan body, and nan truth that he's African American … he's nan only suspect," McCloskey said.

A Texas ranger was called successful to consult connected nan lawsuit 3 days aft nan crime occurred, McCloskey said. Soon after, McCloskey said, Brandley was arrested for superior murder. He was sentenced to death, but his condemnation was later overturned aft spending astir 10 years successful prison. In 2018, Brandley died of pneumonia.

"There person been 3,600 exonerations successful nan U.S. since 1989. In my understanding, location has not been 1 nationalist enquiry astir immoderate azygous conviction," McCloskey said.

His organization, Centurion Ministries, is responsible for 70 exonerations.

Grisham blames wrongful convictions connected rule enforcement having passageway vision.

"They're nether tremendous unit to lick nan crime, to clear nan case, to get nan conviction, and that bleeds complete to nan prosecution … Once they zero successful connected a suspect, they disregard each contrary evidence," he said.

In:
• wrongful conviction
• Death Penalty
• Texas
• John Grisham