Judge: No new trial in West Memphis case
By The Associated Press
This article was published January 20, 2010 at 9:43 a.m.
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Jason Baldwin leaves the Craighead County Courthouse on September 21, 2008. Baldwin was convicted of capital murder in the 1993 deaths of three boys. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
JONESBORO — A judge in Craighead County has refused to grant a new trial for Jason Baldwin — one of the three men convicted in the 1993 killings of three young West Memphis boys.
Circuit Court Judge David Burnett issued an order Wednesday rejecting Baldwin’s claims that he wasn’t adequately represented at trial. Baldwin was convicted along with Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley in the deaths of 8-year-olds Christopher Byers, Steven Branch and Michael Moore.
The judge also rejected Baldwin’s claims that animals — likely turtles — caused multiple injuries to the boys’ bodies. Burnett noted that the medical examiner who performed the autopsies was a turtle expert who said the injuries were caused by a knife.
Baldwin was sentenced to life in prison for the killings.
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Comments on: Judge: No new trial in West Memphis case
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scooter38 says... January 20, 2010 at 1 p.m.
What rationale is the State useing in deciding to keep this proven murderer of children alive ?? This use-less , Mentally defective , animal that will NEVER be a member of society ? If One of the children had belonged to his Judge,
the punishment would have been much differant !
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okiemom582000_yahoo_com says... January 20, 2010 at 1:23 p.m.
OMG Well we knew Barnett wouldn't change his mind, that means he would be directly responsible for the loss of years these boys have endured. Read the book and you will see that there is no possible way these boys committed this hainous crime. This is the biggest case of injustice I think in the history of our nation. These boys are NOT murders.
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MrD says... January 20, 2010 at 4:39 p.m.
The system is designed to protect the court system rather than determine the truth...regardless of the facts that may surface later. It is probably easy to look the other way as long as it is not a friend or relative in prison. The judge may be looking forward to an upcoming election, or he may know something we don't. I suspect the judge is looking out for his own future interests. If so,then he is doomed forever for sacrificing a life to keep his own nest feathered. There is a GREATER JUDGE WHO SITS ON A GREAT WHITE THRONE AND HE KNOWS THE TRUTH ABOUT ALL THINGS. FROM HIS JUDGMENT THERE IS NO APPEAL. Perhaps his Honor will have an etenity to reflect if it was worth it.
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JaySojdelius says... January 20, 2010 at 5:26 p.m.
Scooter38, you have a very liberal concept of what constitutes "proof".
Jason Baldwin was convicted, yes. Proven guilty, no. If you knew anything about this case, you'd know there was not a single shred of physical evidence linking the three men currently in prison to the crime. And there hasn't been a single testmony that hasn't either subsequently been retracted, proven false or disputed by leading forensic experts in their respective field.
What this is is nothing short of a gross injustice where an incompetent judge is covering his own ass for failing to uphold the proper standards of the law.
There is not a single iota of doubt in my mind this case will be blown to smithereens once it reaches beyond the obviously corrupt and laughably incompetent Arkansas justice system.
Honestly, you Arkansans ought to be up in arms about this. If men like Judge Burnett can convict three teenagers for something like this on such flimsy legal grounds, you are only one short step away from a prison sentence yourselves.
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daisydaisy says... January 20, 2010 at 8:47 p.m.
I do not understand judges being elected. How can anyone expect judges to be fair and impartial, especially when judging high profile murder cases, when they have to follow the public's pressure (which is almost always 'hang 'em high). The system is obviously meant to cater to the worst in humanity.
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fwm3 says... January 21, 2010 at 12:59 p.m.
I think that everyone is entitled to their opinions , however I tend to feel pretty strongly about these men and their innocence. I have read every book, watched both documentaries, and find myself trying to find every bit of information I can regarding this case. Look at the lack of evidence in this case. Look at the judicial system. Take off your blinders. Forget god for a moment or the lack of god involved here. God doesn’t belong in a courtroom anyway. Go out on a limb and buy the documentaries or read the book.
Do a little investigation of your own, like I did, like the Free the West Memphis Three Support Group did. This is the most ridiculous case I have ever seen. These three men are innocent.
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ARAgitator says... January 21, 2010 at 4:20 p.m.
Anyone who has that sort of familiarity with this case (and over 3 functioning brain cells!) knows these boys are innocent. Jay - what you don't realize is that CRAPOLA like this (although not often so dramatic) goes on every single week in Arkansas!!! These boys were convicted because of "Devil Worship" (also never PROVEN!) hysteria fueled by the fact that Damian Echols wore black and is "different," in a part of the state that is notoriously ChristoFascist. This state is run by the Taliban branch of the Southern Baptist Religionist/Theocracy movement. It most often doesn't see the light of day outside the communities/counties where it occurs, but it OCCURS.
Arkansas is ALL about "religious" conformity - marry young (THAT is their solution to teen sex), don't apply yourself except in sports, by ALL means try to stay as physically close to your place of birth as possible, REJECT all "differences," equate smarts/education to "elitism," on and on ...
It's why we have 50% "dry" (no alcohol) counties and bulldozer drivers (elected as "County Judges") running ENTIRE counties because they're #1 job in days of yore was keeping the dirt roads passable!!! I kid you not ... AND that's no knock on bulldozer operators, only on low/no information voters! This case represents a pathetic microcosm of Arkansas as she be run!!
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tubeampman1_hotmail.com says... January 21, 2010 at 9:45 p.m.
ARAgitator - I assume by your statement that "It's why we have 50%"dry"... that you live in Arkansas. There are 49 other states available to you..We teach that sex is for marriage, we stay close to our place of birth because we care about and enjoy our families, we teach our children loyalty to family, integrity, act like your mama is standing next to you, take care of our elders... again, by all means please select another state if ours is so distasteful to you.
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jln says... January 22, 2010 at 7:22 a.m.
DNA-not enough to say you did, not enough to say you didn't and no one to come forward to say I did.....That's what keeps Burnett rubber stamping it......" justices denied" " JUNK SCIENCE" seems to work in Arkansas....sad
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robcat2 says... January 22, 2010 at 7 p.m.
It's scary; if it can happen to them, it can happen to any one of us. Can the case go to the United States Supreme Court?
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