Despite frequent reports about what is wrong in Jefferson Parish from indisputable political corruption to total absence of prosecution of same, there occasionally arises the isolated acts of a few which bring a glimmer of hope for the Parish. Hope that those in public service,both elected politicians and parish employees, will take note that just doing your job everyday professionally focused and unselfishly serving others can make a difference.
In the case of one erroneously incarcerated citizen named Henry James, the dedicated public service of Jefferson’s chief criminologist, Milton Dureau, made a big difference. How big a difference you ask, how about giving Henry back his life and freedom, that is what’s left of it.
Wrongly convicted of a rape he didn’t commit and sentenced to life in prison,Henry was destined after even serving 30 years to die at Angola. But fortunately to right that wrong along comes the nationally acclaimed Innocence Project whose staff has a sixth sense of identifying potential innocent convicts.Mention the O.J. Simpson trial and one conjurers up ugly memories of judicial misconduct and jury nullification.However, out of that evil darkness came the genesis of judicial light on truth and justice, namely the Innocence Project. A group of idealistic lawyers hell bent on using the same DNA science birthed and revealed during the O.J. trial to free the wrongly convicted. Continue reading “Excellence in Public Service? : How About Jefferson’s Milt Dureau and Emily Maw of the Innocence Project. A Lockemuptight guest post.”