This week I read an article from KFSM news about a death row inmate. The story was called “Arkansas Death Row Inmate Walks Free After Nearly 17 Years In Prison.” I found the article in the Central Area section of CNN. The Arkansas inmate, Ricky Dale Newman, were dropped because of his mental illness. There is no evidence to support retrial, and would be a waste of time and money. Newman has the mental illness equivalent to an NFL player suffering from C.T.E., to the point where he couldn’t work with legal council, which infringed upon his rights. Newman has to see a mental health counselor once free, but is free from any crime.
This is a very unique case and article. The lede got my attention, as it is very unusual for someone to walk away from a death sentence, especially after such a long period of time. The story was more unique because the suspect has a mental illness, causing lots of controversy. After 17 years, Newman will walk free. I think the way the courts handled him were wrong, but he still killed someone. If it weren’t for the mistakes made in court by the prosecutors and his defense team, I believe Newman would still be behind bars or in a mental institute.
Arkansas Death Row Inmate Walks Free After Nearly 17 Years In Prison
This is a messed up story, bith for content and style. You’re righ that it’s odd for a death row inmate to get out of prison after 17 years. What’s scarier is that he is not being required to get help.
What’s messed up about the story is that you have to read to the fourth paragraph to figure out what his crime was. And it never explains why he is being re-tried. Did his mental capacity come up in the first trial? Did he win an appeal? I’m left with more questions than answers.