Civil libertarians

I've been traveling all day, so i didn't get a chance to post this.

Congratulations to all those honored by the ACLU of North Carolina last night at the Frank Porter Graham Award ceremonies, held in the ATC (which is in Durham, for you NPR listeners), especially to Maitri "Mike" Klinkosum and Kelley DeAngelus, who received the ACLE of North Carolina award for their work in freeing Floyd Lee Brown. Brown was held for 14 years in Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh after being found incompetent to stand trial, charged with a murder which he could not have committed. He was finally released last year. It's a cliche, but it was humbling and inspiring to be in the same room with folks who do that kind of thing on a daily basis.

It was also pretty cool to hang with my landsman Lewis Black for a bit after the show. I'm not sure i'm down with his whole "non-partisan" schtick, but man, he is gut bustingly funny in person.

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Floyd Lee Brown update

From the comments:

Thanks to the wonderful efforts of DA Parker, Floyd had a rough start when he was released. He basically left Dix with nothing. If any of your readers would like to help him, one of my coworker's and her family adopted him for Christmas this year. You can contact Beverly McJunkin at the Office of Indigent Defense Services to find out what he still needs.

As some of you may recall, Brown was released last year after spending most of his adult life in prison for a crime he could not have committed. Rather than provide assistance, the DA's office in Ransom County pretty much harassed the owners of the group home that had agreed to house Brown, leaving him to his own devices.

I hope my Lie Stoppers readers click through on the above link to find out how they can help. Actually, i hope all of my readers do that. But especially my friends at Lie Stoppers.

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Judge orders release of Floyd Lee Brown

Floyd Lee Brown has been in state custody for 14 years, accused of robbery and murder. He's got an IQ of fifty, and the evidence linking him to the crimes has been scant to non-existent. He was ordered released earlier today.

A mentally retarded man ruled incompetent to stand trial on robbery and murder charges but held in state custody for 14 years while he fought his case was ordered released on Monday.

A judge dismissed the charges against Floyd Brown, 43, even though prosecutors said he was dangerous and refused to drop the case. He's been held at a state mental hospital while he challenged the allegations.

"Somehow, it is possible for him to be held until he dies," said Durham County Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson. "To me, it doesn't seem right."

Let's see how much compensation he gets for fourteen years of his life.

(Previously discussed in DE here)

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Nifonged

From the Herald-Sun:

Because their pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears elsewhere, defense lawyers have turned to Durham's top judge in a last-ditch effort to free a mentally retarded man held 14 years without trial for allegedly killing a woman in Wadesboro.

Court documents describe the case as a "quintessential example" of a prosecution run unconstitutionally amok, a "perfect storm of injustice."

On Oct. 8, Judge Orlando F. Hudson will hear arguments about whether the defendant -- Floyd Lee Brown -- will continue to be detained at the state's Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, and whether the homicide charge against him should be dismissed.

It wasn't all that long ago a great hue and cry went up around the land that out-of-control prosecutors needed to be reigned in. Supporters of the three wrongfully accused Duke lacrosse team members all over the internet (and, as i recall, one or two of the lacrosse players themselves) were railing against injustice and vowing to make sure this kind of thing never happened again.

Here's your chance to step up to the plate, folks. It's not like a whole lot of people are talking about this case right now.

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