Innocent man jailed in Texas since 1979 now free

[sonias]

CNN 1/4/11
Innocent man jailed in Texas since 1979 now free
A Texas man imprisoned 30 years ago on rape and robbery charges had his conviction overturned on Tuesday after DNA evidence exonerated him.

Dallas County Judge Don Adams overturned Cornelius Dupree Jr.’s conviction Tuesday, clearing his name officially.

"It's a joy to be free," Dupree, 51, said outside court.

Dupree has served more years in a Texas prison for a crime he did not commit than anyone else in the state who was later exonerated by DNA evidence. Only two other people exonerated by DNA have spent more time in prison in the entire country, the Innocence Project said. Texas has freed 41 wrongly convicted prisoners because of DNA testing since 2001, more than any other state.

Dupree told CNN after becoming a free man that he had "mixed emotions" about the hearing considering how long he had been incarcerated.

Good for Cornelius Dupree, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and the Innocence Project. The wheels of justice in Texas are so often jammed with horrible mistakes.

I'm so happy he didn't die in prison. I hope Cornelius Dupree can enjoy his freedom.

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[sonias]

1. Texan declared innocent after 30 years in prison

AP via Yahoo News 1/4/11
Texan declared innocent after 30 years in prison
DALLAS – A Texas man declared innocent Tuesday after 30 years in prison had at least two chances to make parole and be set free — if only he would admit he was a sex offender. But Cornelius Dupree Jr. refused to do so, doggedly maintaining his innocence in a 1979 rape and robbery, in the process serving more time for a crime he didn't commit than any other Texas inmate exonerated by DNA evidence.

"Whatever your truth is, you have to stick with it," Dupree, 51, said Tuesday, minutes after a Dallas judge overturned his conviction.

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