An unethical prosecutor and a fraudulent lab chemist put Curtis McCarty on death row in Oklahoma, not once, but three times. After 21 years in prison, he's now been exonerated:

The Innocence Project details the case and says:

“For anyone who believes the death penalty is being carried out appropriately in this country, and anyone who believes that prosecutors and government witnesses can always be relied on to pursue the truth, this case is a wake-up call,” said Peter Neufeld, Co-Director of the Innocence Project. “Three separate times, an innocent man was sentenced to die because of the actions of an unethical prosecutor and a fraudulent analyst.”

McCarty is the 201st person in the United States exonerated through DNA evidence – and the 15th of those 201 who has served time on death row. McCarty is the ninth person to be exonerated by DNA evidence in Oklahoma and the third to be exonerated from the state’s death row.

As for the prosecutor, it was Bob Macy of Oklahoma City.

In an interview in the Kansas City Star yesterday, author John Grisham calls for a moratorium on all death penalties due to flaws in the system -- and for its permanent abolition in the U.S.

Grisham, whose books have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide, emphasized he was expressing his personal views..... it is his personal view that the death penalty is immoral.

“I’m a Christian, and you’ll never convince me that Jesus taught revenge killings are what Christians are supposed to be doing.”

He also calls for an end to snitch testimony:

“Let’s start with the basic concept of a fair trial. We are so far away from that in every state in this country.”

“Snitch testimony” should be outlawed, Grisham added. In some cases, including that involving Williamson and Fritz, prosecutors have paid individuals for their testimony. In other instances, prosecutors have hidden evidence or refused to share exculpatory evidence with defense lawyers.

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Iraqi President Talabani says:

Iraq’s Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, said Friday that his country may need U.S. troops for one or two more years. The statement came after lawmakers in Baghdad backed a drawdown in the number of foreign troops in Iraq. . . . “I think that in one or two years we will be able to recruit our forces, to prepare our forces and say goodbye to our friends,” he said.

2 years ago, Talabani said:

Sunday, April 10, 2005 Posted: 6:20 PM EDT (2220 GMT) BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The newly elected president of Iraq said Sunday he expects that U.S. troops will be gone from his country within two years. Jalal Talabani told CNN two years should be enough time for Iraqi forces to rebuild and secure control of the country as well as take over the job currently being performed by some 140,000 U.S. troops.

Benchmarks anyone?

The ACLU reports:

The American Civil Liberties Union today cheered an amendment to the House Intelligence Reauthorization Bill that would prevent illegal domestic wiretapping by the government. The amendment, by Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), will reaffirm the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as the only legal means of collecting electronic intelligence surveillance. The amendment was passed late last night by a vote of 245-178.

"Congress has signaled that it will not allow the president to continue the National Security Agency's illegal eavesdropping," said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office. "Passage of the Schiff/Flake amendment is Congress drawing a line in the sand. This amendment reaffirms that FISA is the law and it needs to be followed."

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Glenn Greenwald documents some of the big names that have caught it - and it all seems to be about David Broder, as far as I can tell.

It's funny, because I think most of the blogs absolutely revere good journalism and smart punditry. One of the guys I have liked and praised is Jon Alter, even though I have disagreed with him from time to time. I think Joe Klein has been living up to his talent this year, and yes, I think Klein is very talented and very smart. So when they say things like this and this, I can only chalk it up to BDS, Blogger Derangement Syndrome, on which Atrios has more today. Jon Alter's statements are really shocking:

There's one dimension of the blogosphere that never ceases to amaze me: Some people disbelieve nearly everything they read in the "mainstream media" -- and believe nearly everything they read online. Never mind that the ground-breaking reporting on which they base their opinions often comes from the MSM publications like Newsweek, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

Who are these "some people?" Let me be blunt - if this is an example of the political reporting we get from the MSM, and it is, it never ceases to amaze me that someone as GOOD as Jon Alter would choose to defend it. There are "some people" of course. But that is not Alter's insinuation. It is most bloggers he is thinking of. And that is just false. Bloggers have practically built churches for reporters and pundits like Dana Priest, Paul Krugman, Ed Wong and yes, for good strong reporter/pundits like Jon Alter.

President Bush believes in the War in Iraq but not in the plight facing our own country's farmers.

He's said he will veto the Iraq funding bill passed Thursday night by the House because it's not enough and comes with conditions. He wants more for Iraq. The bill authorizes $42.8 billion over the next two months.

He also says he will veto the $3.5 billion farm aid bill passed by the House today.

How is it that we have a President who wants to spend untold billions helping those in a foreign country but won't help those at home who need assistance, like the farmers and Katrina victims and those without health insurance? Why should we rebuild Iraq before rebuilding New Orleans?

If this is typical of all Republicans, it's time we vote them out for good.

A federal judge has stepped in and granted a restraining order against D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfry prohibiting her from releasing more of her client records, saying the release was a form of witness intimidation.

Related somewhat: Norway is going to follow Sweden's policy of keeping prostitution legal, but criminalizing purchasing sex services, and then prosecuting the Johns.

This is really rich. Via Think Progress:

At today’s House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales whether any U.S. citizens are “being held today, for over a month, who have been denied habeas corpus or access to an attorney.” Instead of giving an answer, Gonzales replied, “[Y]ou’re asking me a question I hadn’t really thought about.”

Sherman then followed up and asked whether there any “U.S. citizens being held now by foreign governments or foreign organizations, without access to attorneys, as a result of rendition.” Gonzales again said, “It’s just — quite frankly, I hadn’t thought about this.”

TP has the video. Also, the ACLU is staying positive in the habeas reform battle. Mark your calendars now for June 26:

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This is kind of funny. A cop took a suspect's marijuana and baked brownies with it. He and his wife ate the brownies and thought they were dying and called 911 to report they overdosed.

The cop later resigned from the force. Some are complaining the cop wasn't charged with a crime.

Yes, it's bad to take a suspect's pot. But I don't think it warrants criminal charges. Disciplinary charges, to be sure, but the cop resigned first. And, in the grand scheme of things, it's better that someone who overdoses on drugs like heroin not to be afraid to seek medical attention. Some things are better confined to the realm of the doctor-patient privilege.

She went to bed one night, in the bedroom she shared with her boyfriend, and a man she thought was her boyfriend got into bed and had sex with her. It turned out the man was her boyfriend's brother who pretended to be her boyfriend.

Is that rape? The Massachusetts Supreme Court says no. Sex by fraud and deceit that does not involve force is not rape. The state's rape law requires force.

Victims rights groups will be upset by the decision. I think it is the correct legal ruling. All the legislature has to do is change the law if it thinks sex by trickery should be punishable as a sexual assault.

The opinion is here.

Who devised the three-drug cocktail for lethal injections? An Oklahoma doctor and medical examiner named Jay Chapman. 30 years later, and in the face of numerous court challenges, he defends his baby.

A sample of his thoughts:

If states are looking for a way to quickly and painlessly put someone to death, he has a suggestion.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with the guillotine," he said impatiently. "It can be operated by an idiot and it is a very effective instrument."

A nice get for MSOC, Jeff Huber and Shockwave. They have an exclusive interview with fired New Mexico USA David Iglesias. Well done crew.

The Iraq bills are being debated and voted on. Catch it on C-Span. This is an Open Thread.

The McGovern withdrawal bill got a surprisingly strong amount of support, drawing 171 votes. The new Out of Iraq Caucus looks like it needs to expand its membership. Not surprisingly, Steny Hoyer votes with the Republicans.

The Short leash funding bill passed 221-205.