[Note: Friends of Justice is a personal blog. I speak only for myself.]
In Bakersfield, California, Kern County’s Board of Supervisors has agreed to settle for $5.5 million a federal lawsuit filed by John Stoll, now 66, whose molestation conviction was overturned in 2004 after he spent 20 years in prison. Michael Snedeker, President of NCRJ, together with attorneys for two California Innocence Projects, filed the case for Mr. Stoll in Fresno, California, in 2005. Stoll was one of 46 people charged in eight alleged “child sex rings” in Kern County between 1982 and 1985. He was the last in custody when his conviction was overturned. The cases fell apart as witnesses recanted their testimony and investigators’ techniques were shown to have created rather than discovered the cases. “At first,” said Snedeker, “We thought the cases were the product of overzealous but well-meaning people. But when we found tapes of interviews that supposedly did not exist, showing the use of techniques they swore were not used, we saw corruption – a deliberate trampling of Mr. Stoll’s rights and wrongful deprivation of his liberty, as well as the infliction of harm on the very children defendants were charged with protecting.”
Stoll’s case along with the other Kern County ‘ring” cases were the subject of the documentary “Witch Hunt”, produced and narrated by actor Sean Penn, released last fall and shown on MSNBC in April.
“It’s a sad situation for everyone involved, particularly for a man who lost 20 years of his life,” Kern County Supervisor Don Maben said of Stoll. “Hopefully we’ve learned enough that it won’t happen again.”
I am happy for John Stoll, but at the same time recognize that 5.5 million is precious little compensation for the lost years, humiliation and anguish he has suffered at the hands of a corrupt justice system.
It seems a little strange to say so, but Mr. Stoll is one of the “lucky” few wrongfully convicted of sex crimes against children who have their cases overturned an receive some measure of justice. How many innocent people will languish in prison without recourse most of their lives for a crime they didn’t commit, a crime that in fact, never occurred?
When I 1st watched this in April, I felt they were telling our story. This is STILL happening all over our country and at a pace faster than any other crime. Why??? Because it’s a sure win for the prosecution. You no longer need any evidence, you only need an allegation. Our son is now serving 8-16 for a crime that never happened. We are asking Michael Moore to do a documentary on wrongful convictions in our country. If you feel compelled, please sign the petition at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ask-michael-moore-to-document-the-injustice-system
Witch Hunt exposed the Bakersfield hysteria. Perhaps Michael Moore can expose the country’s hysteria!