Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 25, 2006 0:47:34 GMT -5
Ex-Inmate Says Pirro Ignored DNA Evidence
Claims that Jeanine F. Pirro ignored pleas to review DNA evidence that
ultimately cleared a convicted murderer were the latest thorny issue to
dog her campaign for attorney general.
Those claims came on the same day that Ms. Pirro, a Republican who is the
former Westchester district attorney, abruptly canceled a news conference
at which she was to call for reinstating the death penalty.
The man who was exonerated, Jeffrey Mark Deskovic, was convicted in 1991
of raping and killing a classmate at Peekskill High School. He was cleared
of the murder charges this week after Ms. Pirro's successor, Janet
DiFiore, reviewed the DNA evidence, which linked the crime to another man.
Mr. Deskovic was released.
Mr. Deskovic made his comments about Ms. Pirro yesterday at a news
conference organized by the Innocence Project, a legal service that seeks
to free wrongfully convicted people through DNA evidence. He said that he
wrote to Ms. Pirro from prison some years ago, telling her that he had
heard about her support of motions to free wrongly convicted prisoners,
and had asked her to look into his case.
"I told her, you know, there's an old case in your files in which there's
DNA evidence that shows that a man, in this case me, is innocent," Mr.
Deskovic said.
Someone in Ms. Pirro's office wrote back a "very rude letter," he said,
declining to review the case and saying that he should not contact the
office again except through a lawyer.
"She knew I had no money for a lawyer," Mr. Deskovic said. "So, in other
words, what she was telling me was: 'I've got no time for you. It's over.
That's shut. That's it.' "
In an interview yesterday, Barry Scheck, a director of the Innocence
Project, said it was "cosmic irony" that Ms. Pirro "chose to hold a press
conference in support of the death penalty on the day that, by sheer
chance, another innocent man was exonerated."
Ms. Pirro had scheduled her news conference on the death penalty for 11
a.m., at the site of the World Trade Center, and her campaign said the
cancellation was not tied to the developments in the Deskovic case.
Anne Marie Corbalis, a spokeswoman, said the event was canceled because of
gridlock in Manhattan caused by the meeting of the United Nations General
Assembly.
Ms. Corbalis said that Ms. Pirro was scheduled to appear at a noon rally
near the United Nations in support of Israel and realized that the traffic
would not enable her to appear at both events. When she was asked whether
Ms. Pirro had considered taking the subway to Lower Manhattan, Ms.
Corbalis said that was not practical because Ms. Pirro had an afternoon
appearance on Long Island.
Her campaign staff said she supported the actions by Ms. Pirro's successor
in the Deskovic case.
"This defendant was convicted by Jeanine's predecessor, and no new
evidence surfaced while she was the district attorney," John Gallagher, a
spokesman for the campaign, said in a statement.
"Based on this new evidence, Jeanine supports the district attorney's
decision to join in the application to overturn the conviction. Jeanine
has previously worked with the Innocence Project to free wrongly convicted
defendants and she supports their efforts."
At his news conference, Mr. Scheck looked at Mr. Deskovic, standing beside
him, and said, "This is the 5th man to be exonerated in a murder case in
New York State in the past 10 months, and for all those who are thinking
that it might be a good idea to reinstate capital punishment in the state,
please, please, please look at the evidence in front of you."
(source: New York Times)
Claims that Jeanine F. Pirro ignored pleas to review DNA evidence that
ultimately cleared a convicted murderer were the latest thorny issue to
dog her campaign for attorney general.
Those claims came on the same day that Ms. Pirro, a Republican who is the
former Westchester district attorney, abruptly canceled a news conference
at which she was to call for reinstating the death penalty.
The man who was exonerated, Jeffrey Mark Deskovic, was convicted in 1991
of raping and killing a classmate at Peekskill High School. He was cleared
of the murder charges this week after Ms. Pirro's successor, Janet
DiFiore, reviewed the DNA evidence, which linked the crime to another man.
Mr. Deskovic was released.
Mr. Deskovic made his comments about Ms. Pirro yesterday at a news
conference organized by the Innocence Project, a legal service that seeks
to free wrongfully convicted people through DNA evidence. He said that he
wrote to Ms. Pirro from prison some years ago, telling her that he had
heard about her support of motions to free wrongly convicted prisoners,
and had asked her to look into his case.
"I told her, you know, there's an old case in your files in which there's
DNA evidence that shows that a man, in this case me, is innocent," Mr.
Deskovic said.
Someone in Ms. Pirro's office wrote back a "very rude letter," he said,
declining to review the case and saying that he should not contact the
office again except through a lawyer.
"She knew I had no money for a lawyer," Mr. Deskovic said. "So, in other
words, what she was telling me was: 'I've got no time for you. It's over.
That's shut. That's it.' "
In an interview yesterday, Barry Scheck, a director of the Innocence
Project, said it was "cosmic irony" that Ms. Pirro "chose to hold a press
conference in support of the death penalty on the day that, by sheer
chance, another innocent man was exonerated."
Ms. Pirro had scheduled her news conference on the death penalty for 11
a.m., at the site of the World Trade Center, and her campaign said the
cancellation was not tied to the developments in the Deskovic case.
Anne Marie Corbalis, a spokeswoman, said the event was canceled because of
gridlock in Manhattan caused by the meeting of the United Nations General
Assembly.
Ms. Corbalis said that Ms. Pirro was scheduled to appear at a noon rally
near the United Nations in support of Israel and realized that the traffic
would not enable her to appear at both events. When she was asked whether
Ms. Pirro had considered taking the subway to Lower Manhattan, Ms.
Corbalis said that was not practical because Ms. Pirro had an afternoon
appearance on Long Island.
Her campaign staff said she supported the actions by Ms. Pirro's successor
in the Deskovic case.
"This defendant was convicted by Jeanine's predecessor, and no new
evidence surfaced while she was the district attorney," John Gallagher, a
spokesman for the campaign, said in a statement.
"Based on this new evidence, Jeanine supports the district attorney's
decision to join in the application to overturn the conviction. Jeanine
has previously worked with the Innocence Project to free wrongly convicted
defendants and she supports their efforts."
At his news conference, Mr. Scheck looked at Mr. Deskovic, standing beside
him, and said, "This is the 5th man to be exonerated in a murder case in
New York State in the past 10 months, and for all those who are thinking
that it might be a good idea to reinstate capital punishment in the state,
please, please, please look at the evidence in front of you."
(source: New York Times)