DNA Clears Fla. Man of 1981 Rape, Robbery - Gosh he sure looked guilty

[NNN0LHI]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DNA_EXONERATION?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- A 45-year-old who has spent more than half his life in prison for armed robbery and rape will be freed after DNA evidence created "significant doubt" about his guilt, prosecutors said Friday.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office said it would support a defense motion to vacate Alan Crotzer's 1982 convictions and 130-year prison sentence.

"After carefully weighing all available evidence, the State Attorney's Office has concluded that significant doubt exists as to Mr. Crotzer's guilt in this case," the office said in a statement Friday.

Crotzer's attorneys with the Florida Innocence Initiative told him of the development in an afternoon conference call, said Sam Roberts, a Fordham University law student who has worked closely with attorneys on the case. Roberts described Crotzer as "overwhelmed, emotional and overjoyed."

[mtnester]

1. Significant doubt = oops

we fucked up but are not about to admit that at all.

How about saying he did not do it, and we are sorry? They are going to probably pay anyway, how about being a decent human being about it?

Too hard to do in the mean world we live in now and seem to accept with no qualms.

[SquireJons]

2. a different kind of innocent

OK, it seems that he did not rape the woman and little girl, but he apparently did take part in the home invasion. Doing 20 years for that doesn't seem too out of line to me. I recently lost 4 friends, including 2 little girls to a home invasion / multiple murder. It happened two blocks from my home on New Years Day. So, he's not a rapist but he is a violent criminal. I'm sick of people making excuses for violent criminals. IMO, second violent offense should get you life w/o parole. This country is too violent and we tolerate too much violence.

[wakeme2008]

4. where did you read that

the brothers where at both. But there isn't anything in the report about him only being at the robbery.

[Speed8098]

5. How did you come to the conclusion.........

That he participated in the home invasion?

(snip)
A victim picked Crotzer out of a lineup. But Douglas James now says Crotzer is innocent. He said he and his brother were the rapists and a longtime childhood friend was their accomplice.

From that statement, it seems Crotzer wasn't there. Am I wrong? Do you have another source of information?

When I was 17(32 years ago) I got a ride home(about 25 miles) from a friend of my older brother. Granted the guy was a drugee(Crank), but he was a friend of my brother. On the way, he stopped at a farmhouse, he told me the guy was lending him a stereo for a party he was having that weekend. He goes in, the door wasn't locked, and comes back with a couple of speakers and a stereo. As we are leaving the long driveway, the owner pulls in on his tractor. The two of them exchanged pleasantries and we went on our way. It was obvious they knew each other.
When we came close to the city we ran smack into a roadblock. Little did I know that the roadblock was for us. My brothers friend had robbed that farmhouse, and I was the dimwit accomplice.I had no idea what this guy was doing, yet I was an accomplice just by being there It cost my dad alot of money for an attorney and the outcome was that I either join the military or risk conviction. I joined the Navy.


My point is, things are not always as they seem.

[SquireJons]

7. My bad, ...probably

I probably misread the sentence. But from "A victim picked Crotzer out of a lineup. But Douglas James now says Crotzer is innocent. He said he and his brother were the rapists and a longtime childhood friend was their accomplice" it seemed to me that they were only talking about the rapes.

It's hard to believe that someone could be convicted of multiple crimes without any witnesses or testimony except the on woman’s accusation. Thank god that they have DNA testing now. This should never happen again. If the woman accuses the wrong man and the DNA doesn't match, then he innocent. It's that simple.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Umm, no he didn't take part in any robbery

If you had read the article you would have known that. Maybe the headline wasn't clear enough or you don't care?

Hey, maybe he got a fucking speeding ticket along the line somewhere and therefore deserves the 24 years he served? What do you think? Bet you know someone else who has been injured by a speeder. We can't tolerate speeding.

Don

[acmejack]

3. Glad he didn't have anything important to do these last 24 years!

This is reprehensible!

[mandyky]

8. Will he be pardoned or have the verdict overturned?

Other wise he'll have to register as a sex offender. I hope his lawyers are on the ball.