Man wrongly convicted can sue LAPD, federal court panel rules

Source: LA Times

A Los Angeles man who spent 19 years in prison for murders he did not commit will be able to sue the LAPD, a panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

Harold C. Hall should be permitted to amend his complaint against the city to allege that officers coerced his confession, which the court said was made as a result of "desperation, fear and fatigue," in possible violation of the 5th Amendment.

The majority in the 2-1 decision said "the extraordinary circumstances" of Hall's conviction justified the court's unusual action "to prevent a woefully unjust result."

Hall's double-murder conviction in 1985 was based on "falsified" documents by a jailhouse informant and a confession Hall made when he was 18, the court said. He agreed to admit guilt only after several hours of interrogation in which he was handcuffed, denied food and never advised of his rights, the court said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-confession-lapd-20120925,0,4210451.story

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16 replies	Author	Time	Post
Man wrongly convicted can sue LAPD, federal court panel rules (Original post)	azurnoir	Sep 2012	OP
Any chance that the officers who violated his rights so badly could have their	cstanleytech	Sep 2012	#1
If it turns out they coerced his confession solely because they needed a fall guy	DFW	Sep 2012	#2
+1. Cops need to meet a higher, not a lower standard. nt	bemildred	Sep 2012	#10
Oh I agree they should serve jail time but has the statute of limitations	cstanleytech	Sep 2012	#14
you're kidding right???	Suji to Seoul	Sep 2012	#3
Hall spent 19 years of his life	christx30	Sep 2012	#4
---also, the fuckin' prosecutor.	jerseyjack	Sep 2012	#5
DU seriously needs	christx30	Sep 2012	#6
you're kidding right???	Suji to Seoul	Sep 2012	#15
Towns/Cities should cancel all Cop insurance...	kooljerk666	Sep 2012	#7
That is insane.	bitchkitty	Sep 2012	#8
This message was self-deleted by its author	AnotherMcIntosh	Sep 2012	#11
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars, to pay for cops with no self-control. nt	bemildred	Sep 2012	#9
true enough but what struck me here is that the conditions this guys confession was obtained under	azurnoir	Sep 2012	#12
Dumb AND violent, yes.	bemildred	Sep 2012	#13
Right out of "Les Miserables" and the "Count of Monte Cristo". My, how we've progressed!	Vidar	Sep 2012	#16

Response to azurnoir (Original post)

Tue Sep 25, 2012, 03:27 AM

cstanleytech (5,292 posts)

1. Any chance that the officers who violated his rights so badly could have their

retirement/pension from the police department taken away?

Man wrongly convicted can sue LAPD, federal court panel rules

1. Any chance that the officers who violated his rights so badly could have their

2. If it turns out they coerced his confession solely because they needed a fall guy

10. +1. Cops need to meet a higher, not a lower standard. nt

14. Oh I agree they should serve jail time but has the statute of limitations

3. you're kidding right???

4. Hall spent 19 years of his life

5. ---also, the fuckin' prosecutor.

6. DU seriously needs

15. you're kidding right???

7. Towns/Cities should cancel all Cop insurance...

8. That is insane.

9. Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars, to pay for cops with no self-control. nt

12. true enough but what struck me here is that the conditions this guys confession was obtained under

13. Dumb AND violent, yes.

16. Right out of "Les Miserables" and the "Count of Monte Cristo". My, how we've progressed!