Our courts aren’t
infallible. There are people in jail who have been imprisoned for a
crime they didn’t commit, and in need of people to pursue their
quest for freedom. For example, Mary Virginia Jones was sentenced to
a life sentence 32 years ago. However, she’s now free with the help
of Fort Lauderdale criminal attorneys.
Jones’ new lease on life
can inspire Floridians whose loved ones are still behind bars. The
Sunshine State has had its fair share of wrongful convictions that
were successfully overturned after new evidence came to light. A
skilled criminal attorney can help people prove their innocence and
get out of prison. He or she will study the case fully, to properly
lay down the facts and figure out which elements are missing or have
been glossed over in the verdict.
In Jones’ case, the
defense noted that the jury failed to consider the fact that she and
her then- boyfriend Mose Willis, the co-accused, was already in an
abusive relationship. He threatened to kill her and her daughter if
they talked to the police.
The case study and
additional evidence can be the basis for asking the court to commute
a prisoner’s term. With the help of Post-Conviction Justice
Project, Jones’ case was commuted from first-degree murder to a
no-contest plea for involuntary manslaughter, which, the judge
decided, she has already served (involuntary manslaughter having a
maximum sentence of 11 years). The prosecution agreed to the plea,
and Jones was released soon after.
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