NorthStar News & Analysis News Briefs

Wrongfully Convicted Man Released After Spending 31 Years In Prison
The Innocence Project announced on Wednesday that a man who spent 31 years in prison for crime he did not commit has been released from prison. Dallas Judge John Creuzot ordered Rickey Dale Wyatt released for a 1981 aggravated rape conviction after DNA evidence cleared him of the crime. Judge Creuzot also recommended that Wyatt's conviction be overturned.

In an e-mail, Maddy deLone, executive director of the New York-based Innocence Project, said prosecutors withheld evidence that would have proved Wyatt's innocence.

"The case was built on faulty eyewitness testimony, yet the victim the victim originally described a perpetrator much taller and heavier than Wyatt," deLone wrote. "The prosecution dismissed these inconsistencies, arguing that the defendant's appearance could have changed in the interval between the crime and his arrest. But there were documents in the prosecutor's file, proving  that his appearance had not changed. Had this been shared with the defense as required by law, Wyatt may never have been found guilty."

DeLone also praised the Dallas District Attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit for seeking the truth.

Job Creation Remains Flat
Gallup's Job Creation Index reported on Wednesday that U.S. job creation has not improved, but it has not deteriorated either. "It instead remains near the high point for the year and is significantly better than a year," Princeton, N.J.-based Gallup noted.

Police Chief Placed On Leave, Following A Growing Number Of Police Brutality Allegations
North Chicago, Ill., has put its Police Chief, Mike Newsome, on paid leave, pending the outcome of an investigation into six separate cases of police brutality, including the beating death by police of Darrin Hanna, 45, in November.  The City Council had voted to suspend Newsome, but Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., who is African American, declined to implement the decision. Mayor Rockingham changed his mind after three more individuals came forward, claiming police beat them.

Two British Men Sentenced For 1993 Murder of a Black Teenager
Two white men were each sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old black teenager.  Lawrence and a friend were waiting at a London bus stop when Gary Dobson, David Norris and several other white teenagers attacked them with knives. Lawrence's friend escaped and called police. Lawrence's parents have sought justice for their son, who wanted to become an architect, for 18 years. Neville Lawrence, Stephen's father, said he wants to see the other teenagers convicted of his son's murder.

Correction
Here is Dr. Warren Farrell's response to the article on the White House policy on boys and men in the Dec. 15 issue of Northstar News and Analysis:

Fred, Thank you for your thoughtful article in the Northstar News and Analysis which so accurately pinpointed some of the problems faced by boys and men, and particularly young African-American men. If you do letters to the editor, may I make two minor but important corrections. I was not asked to be a board member of the White House Council on Women and Girls by Joanna Martin, but only if I would be interested in advising. The report was not written by me, but by an 18-month effort by most of the 34-Commission members that included me. Again, Fred, thank you for your overall excellent article.