Thomas Raynard James had been in prison 30 years by the time Natlie Figgers, a lawyer only two years out of law school, was approached by friends of his who were raising money for his defense in 2020. He had been proclaiming his innocence throughout his life sentence for murder.
About the Show The acclaimed true crime series offers an extraordinary account of what happens when someone is formally charged with a crime and sent to trial—all solely from the perspective of the accused, their legal team and family members.
“Accused: Guilty or Innocent?” was a Top 10 True Crime series in 2021. The series reached 5.6 million Total Viewers in its second season. Among the cases this season are: a veteran finds a wanted fugitive on his land and shoots him in the back.
Exonerate the Innocent To date, 375 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 14 years in prison before exoneration and release.
15-yearBryan Steven Lawson pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and voluntary manslaughter in February 2019. After he accepted a plea agreement (aka plea bargain) in Hawkins County Criminal Court, he was given a 15-year sentence.
Bryan Steven Lawson is still in prison. Per the terms of his plea deal, Bryan Steven Lawson could be eligible for parole after serving 20% of his sentence (normal terms are 30%). He is still in prison. He's since expressed regret for the murder, and for exposing his young son to the tragedy.
Angel Bumpass, who was tried and convicted on first-degree murder charges and especially aggravated robbery in connection with the 2009 death of 68-year old Franklin Bonner, has been granted a new trial by a Hamilton County Criminal Court judge.
His father and brother, Bill and Billy Carter, sued him for her wrongful death and won a $10 million verdict in 2017, a decision upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court in March. But when his criminal case finally went to trail in 2019, the jury found Jason Carter not guilty.
ManchesterAccused was written by McGovern, Danny Brocklehurst and Alice Nutter and was filmed in Manchester.
Over 2400 people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989. When it comes to the number of wrongful convictions, the US is the undisputed leader, which is quite worrying. Wrongful convictions statistics for 2018 show there were 151 exonerations that year.
165: Actual assailants identified. Those actual perpetrators went on to be convicted of 154 additional violent crimes, including 83 sexual assaults, 36 murders, and 35 other violent crimes while the innocent sat behind bars for their earlier offenses.
Studies estimate that between 4-6% of people incarcerated in US prisons are actually innocent. If 5% of individuals are actually innocent, that means 1/20 criminal cases result in a wrongful conviction.
His father and brother, Bill and Billy Carter, sued him for her wrongful death and won a $10 million verdict in 2017, a decision upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court in March. But when his criminal case finally went to trail in 2019, the jury found Jason Carter not guilty.
ManchesterAccused was written by McGovern, Danny Brocklehurst and Alice Nutter and was filmed in Manchester.
Angel Bumpass, who was tried and convicted on first-degree murder charges and especially aggravated robbery in connection with the 2009 death of 68-year old Franklin Bonner, has been granted a new trial by a Hamilton County Criminal Court judge.
10Accused / Number of episodes
Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lynn (Bomar) and Randall Timberlake, whose own father was a Baptist minister. At the age of 11, he appeared on the show Star Search (1983), and even though he didn't win, it didn't dampen his ambitions. He also ...
It took a summer of acting in a children's theater group to convince Matthew Morrison that he wanted to become an actor. He auditioned and attended Orange County High School of the Arts, and followed that with NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, although he didn't enjoy his college foray. Despite a ...
Blue-eyed Vincent Cassel was born in Paris to a leading actor father, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and a journalist mother, Sabine Litique. Often labeled as a tough guy because of his roles, eclectic choices and talent have made of him a star of European cinema. First in La Haine (1995), the young actor, ...
Timothy James Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England. His mother, Maura Patricia (Langmead), was a school secretary, and his father, James Curry, was a Methodist Royal Navy chaplain. Curry studied Drama and English at Birmingham University, from which he graduated with ...
Hugo Wallace Weaving was born on April 4, 1960 in Nigeria, to English parents Anne (Lennard), a tour guide and teacher, and Wallace Weaving, a seismologist. Hugo has an older brother, Simon, and a younger sister, Anna, who both also live and work in Australia. During his early childhood, the ...
A likable, boyish-looking actor with thick eyebrows and a friendly smile, Justin Long is a native of Connecticut. He was born and raised in Fairfield, the second of three sons. His father, R. James Long, is a Professor of Philosophy at Fairfield University, and his mother, Wendy Lesniak, is a former...
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Berndt’s crimes were all committed in his classroom, mostly from 2008 to 2010. The reason that the victims of Berndt’s cruelty didn’t speak sooner was they had no idea anything wrong was being done. According to the sheriff of the special victim’s unit, the children thought that it was all a game.
Such was the case with Laszlo Csatary, a 98-year-old man who died in Budapest in 2013. A former art dealer, Csatary lived comfortably in an apartment in one of the more cosmopolitan districts of Budapest.
Instead, he brutally murdered not one of his wives, but two . He also managed to have the foresight to stage the scenes so he could get away with the murders. In 2013, the 64-year-old Schirmer was found guilty of tampering with evidence and murdering his second wife, Betty, in 2008.
Peter originally claimed that Rosa was killed in a botched robbery and that he wasn’t home at the time. That alibi soon fell apart, and he became the prime suspect.
The vast majority of his killings took place at the Daniel Drake Memorial Hospital; it is estimated that 21 of his victims were killed there. The media began to speculate about why Harvey would do such a thing, with theories ranging from mercy killings to insanity, but the real explanation was far more terrifying.
One of the more frightening aspects of life is the fact that anyone around us could be a monster who commits horrible acts against others completely unnoticed. No matter how much you think you know someone, there’s always the chance that they could be pure evil just waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Investigators uncovered enough evidence to prove that the former minister was in fact a cold-blooded killer, and in 2014, he was convicted of the murder of his first wife and given an additional 20–40 years on top of his life sentence for his previous conviction.
Tell the Truth. If your lawyer doubts you in the consultation, or doesn't think you have a case, while that may change over time, getting over an initial disbelief is very hard. You have to prove your case. Your attorney is not your witness. They are your advocate - but you are responsible for coming up with proof.
If you don't pay your lawyer on the day of trial, or however you have agreed to, then while he or she may be obligated by other ethical duties to do his/her best, they won't be motivated by sympathy for you, and it will show in court.
It's expensive because we have to wait in line too. Going to court is more than dressing up in a fancy suit and knowing what papers to fill out. Attorneys have to wait in line just like the "regular folk" and we are at the mercy of the court staff just like everyone else. If you get a bill that includes time spent waiting in court, it's not usually exaggerated. While some people may stretch the truth - if you want to see whether I had to wait an hour for the case to get called, then just come with me to court. Some courtrooms have more than 50 cases on the call. Your case may not be first or even ninth. I have been number 210 on the list before. It takes time. Most people hired attorneys because they don't want to sit in court. Well, truth be told, neither do I. The difference between lawyer and client is that the lawyer expects it to take a long time and understands. The client typically thinks it's unjustified. So, your hard truth is that each case takes time. Be patient.
Most people hired attorneys because they don't want to sit in court. Well, truth be told, neither do I. The difference between lawyer and client is that the lawyer expects it to take a long time and understands. The client typically thinks it's unjustified. So, your hard truth is that each case takes time. Be patient.
If the judge can see your boobs, he's not listening to your story. If I can see your boobs, then I know you didn't care enough about yourself to talk to an attorney. Dress like you are going to church. Credibility is one of the most important things in this world - and most important in a courtroom.
If no one can confirm that the story is true, you will at least need something external, such as a hard copy document, to prove your case. Be prepared.
While lawyers can certainly take your money and your time and we can file a case that will be very hard to win, if you don't care enough about your life to get a contract, the judge is not very likely to be on your side. At least, not automatically. Oral contracts are extremely hard to prove. What are the terms.
Berndt’s crimes were all committed in his classroom, mostly from 2008 to 2010. The reason that the victims of Berndt’s cruelty didn’t speak sooner was they had no idea anything wrong was being done. According to the sheriff of the special victim’s unit, the children thought that it was all a game.
Such was the case with Laszlo Csatary, a 98-year-old man who died in Budapest in 2013. A former art dealer, Csatary lived comfortably in an apartment in one of the more cosmopolitan districts of Budapest.
Instead, he brutally murdered not one of his wives, but two . He also managed to have the foresight to stage the scenes so he could get away with the murders. In 2013, the 64-year-old Schirmer was found guilty of tampering with evidence and murdering his second wife, Betty, in 2008.
Peter originally claimed that Rosa was killed in a botched robbery and that he wasn’t home at the time. That alibi soon fell apart, and he became the prime suspect.
The vast majority of his killings took place at the Daniel Drake Memorial Hospital; it is estimated that 21 of his victims were killed there. The media began to speculate about why Harvey would do such a thing, with theories ranging from mercy killings to insanity, but the real explanation was far more terrifying.
One of the more frightening aspects of life is the fact that anyone around us could be a monster who commits horrible acts against others completely unnoticed. No matter how much you think you know someone, there’s always the chance that they could be pure evil just waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Investigators uncovered enough evidence to prove that the former minister was in fact a cold-blooded killer, and in 2014, he was convicted of the murder of his first wife and given an additional 20–40 years on top of his life sentence for his previous conviction.