Could you imagine serving time for a crime that you did not commit? It is hard to imagine the injustice of it and how one may deal with the fact that they are losing time in their life for something that they did not do. For some, this scenario is a nightmare but it is exactly what happened to David Morris, a Maryland man who was convicted for murder in 2004. Last Thursday however, Mr. Morris was finally exonerated and left prison since entering approximately 17 years ago. The fact that this can happen is a crime in and of itself, as is telling of the effectiveness of the US justice system.
After two days of jury deliberation, the jury emerged with a verdict that freed Morris, exonerating him of all alleged offenses, including murder. This meant that Morris was now a free man, and he was now able to step outside of the walls that had held him for just under 16 years. However, 16 years is far too long a time to be taken out of any person’s life, especially if this occurs for no reason at all. While the 36-year-old has not yet spoken out about his case, it is understood that he is currently enjoying real food again and spending time with his family. It is likely that any other person would be outraged and want revenge against the courts for taking away such an important part of someone’s life, but it speaks volumes about Morris’ character that this is not the case with him.
The alleged offense took place on December 10th, 2004, when a Mr. Mustafa Carter was shot three times in the head in Baltimore. This happened at a time when Morris himself was a teenager, which played into the prosecutor’s hands as securing a conviction against Morris would likely have been much easier as a teenager, than it would have had he been an adult. The sentencing could not have happened at a worse age though, as the formative years of Morris’s life were taken away from him; instead, he spent that time behind bars. There is no amount of compensation that can make up for this time as it meant that Morris could not spend much time with his family either. Ironically, there is no indication that Morris has even received a settlement for the wrongful conviction.
Fortunately for Mr. Morris, there were several factors at play that helped bring to light his innocence. It was found that evidence was withheld at trial, and there was zero physical evidence tying him to the scene. In addition, DNA found on the victim’s clothes does not match Morris, essentially eliminating the chance of him being the killer.
Morris can now live a life in freedom following the verdict and enjoy entertainment he had previously never had access to, like online gambling. Those who like to stay at home can play on these sites online for the most convenient way of playing casino games. Whatever Morris chooses to indulge in, it is clear that he will not take any year of his life for granted again.
