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Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law School, Aims to be Prosecutor

By Jeralyn, Section Innocence Cases
Posted on Thu May 11, 2006 at 04:10:23 PM EST
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The feel-good story of the day...and do we ever need one.

He was serving a life sentence for a murder he did not commit and was ready to end it all. But [Christopher]Ochoa didn't follow through. And on Friday, he will have a new life awaiting him when he graduates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School -- the same institution that rescued him from his worst nightmare.

....Ochoa, who grew up in El Paso, hopes to one day become a prosecutor so he can control investigations. He calls American justice the best system in the world, but says corrupt investigators and prosecutors have broken it.

Ochoa was the first person exonerated by the Wisconsin Innocence Project. His confession was coerced, and someone else later confessed to the crime. DNA also proved him innocent.

The project took the case because of the other confession and the potential of DNA evidence, project co-director Keith Findley said. Students tracked down biological evidence and DNA tests eventually ruled Ochoa out and pointed to a man already serving a life sentence for other violent crimes. Ochoa was freed in January 2001.

Ochoa graduates from law school Friday.

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    Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law School, Aims to be Prosecutor | 4 comments (4 topical)
    Re: Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law S (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 12, 2006 at 02:22:15 AM EST
    He calls American justice the best system in the world, but says corrupt investigators and prosecutors have broken it.
    And all the King's horses. And all the King's men. Couldn't put Humpty back to gether again. Good luck to the man. A daunting task before him.

    Re: Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law S (none / 0) (#2)
    by Aaron on Fri May 12, 2006 at 03:56:53 AM EST
    This is what so often happens when prosecutors and police investigators put their conviction rates and case closure rates ahead of every other consideration, including guilt or innocence. These individuals put their career ambition ahead of their oaths to uphold the law. Or when such individuals let their personal agenda and prejudices influence their professional conduct. But thankfully there's a simple fix for this problem, it's called ethics and morality. Oftentimes people in law enforcement will do extremely immoral and unethical things, then console themselves with the assurance that they haven't broken any laws. Inevitably such rationalization will lead to lawlessness in the people who are supposed to be safeguarding our society. And that of course is the problem with trying to control human behavior externally with the rule of law. For ultimately there can be no enforceable law or justice without a well-established ethical structure within members of a given society.

    Re: Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law S (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 12, 2006 at 07:59:40 AM EST
    No problem! We can be almost sure his brother did it: Wider Use of DNA Lists Is Urged in Fighting Crime

    Re: Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law S (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri May 12, 2006 at 09:07:28 AM EST
    One of your previously "exonerated" darlings

    Wrongfully Convicted Man Graduates From Law School, Aims to be Prosecutor | 4 comments (4 topical)