A man was released from prison in 2005, after spending 19 years of wrongful imprisonment for a sex offense conviction. The man was exonerated by DNA evidence after having lost nearly 20 years of his life. Now, the man has been sent to prison again –this time on charges of gun possession.
After being released from prison in 2005 for the Sex offense, the 54 year old man went on to sue the city, securing a $3.7 million settlement. A previous robbery conviction which was on the books before the man's rape conviction, effectively barred him from ever being able to legally own a firearm again. The man was stopped by police in August 2013 as a material witness in a murder investigation, and was found to be in possession of marijuana, crack cocaine, and a firearm.
The Allegheny County Judge whom presided over the man's most recent case scolded the man for his poor choices. Saying that the man had apparently not learned his lesson after sitting in prison for 19 years, the Judge sentenced the man to 11 1/2 to 23 months in county jail.
This was not the first time the man has had legal problems since his 2005 release from prison. In 2007 he was charged with unlawful restraint and reckless endangerment when he sped off with a 17-year old girl in his car after meeting her at a local bus stop. He was not sentenced to jail at the time.
Numerous studies have documented the hardships former inmates face after release from prison. Most notably, is the inability of the former prisoner to assimilate back into society as a law abiding citizen due to lack of rehabilitation and effective transitional programs in our prison system. Sadly, the gentlemen in this case seems to add to the sad statistics.
Attorney Frank Walker of Frank Walker Law is a National Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer and Personal Injury Attorney with offices in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Morgantown West Virginia.
If you or someone you love are facing criminal charges or seriously injured in an accident, contact Attorney Frank Walker immediately at 412-315-7441, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for aggressive and experienced Criminal Defense or Representation in a Civil Case.