The murder and rape of a young woman in Baltimore in 1987 led to the wrongful convictions of two men. Each served more than two decades behind bars, and when DNA belatedly showed they had not sexually assaulted her, both faced the same choice: accept an Alford plea--a type of guilty plea--and be released, or maintain their innocence.
Megan Rose, a reporter for the nonprofit investigative site Pro Publica, describes how the repercussions of this choice played out, and why prosecutors often balk when new evidence surfaces. Read "What Does A Guilty Man Have to Do to Go Free?" here.
And we speak to Walter Lomax, who served nearly 40 years in prison, wrongfully convicted of murder. Lomax is the executive director of the Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative.
