Criminal Justice
Free at Last After 25 Years, Former Inmate Marvels at Life
Posted Mar 21, 2008, 02:48 pm CDT
By Martha Neil
Life began again yesterday for Willie Earl Green, a 56-year-old man who has spent 25 years in prison for a murder he says he didn't commit.
Walking out of the downtown criminal courts building into the streets of Los Angeles with his wife at his side, "It's like I'm in a dream," he said, marveling at modern-day wonders he had never seen before, including a remote opener for a car's trunk, a reporter's cell phone and his first cup of Starbucks coffee.
Although he was not found factually innocent, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge overturned his conviction last week after a key prosecution witness recanted his testimony that he had seen Green at the scene of the murder. Prosecutors decided not to retry him, so Green was freed, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Despite his wrongful conviction, he isn't bitter and intends to focus on enjoying life and staying out of trouble, Green says. "The system that put me in here was the same system that got me out. It's not perfect, but it's the best system in the world."
Additional coverage:
Los Angeles Times: "Judge voids conviction in '83 killing"
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