Barney Brown freed after 38 years

Barney Brown freed after 38 years

At last Barney Brown freed after 38 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Last September 24, 2009 Barney Brown freed after 38 years will celebrate his first year of freedom. Barney Brown freed after 38 years was one of the most egregious wrongful convictions in the history of the United States.

It was started in 1970, when Barney was falsely accused of raping a white woman and robbing her husband.

Barney was a 31 year of age, an African American child living in Hollywood, Florida. It was the most horrific day of Barney. Barney told the police that he is innocent and he didn’t know anything about the crime but the police didn’t believe him at all.

Barney was brutally interrogated.  He was beaten so badly that his right eye swelled shut. Because of that he can’t see out of it.

He went on trial in juvenile court. The victims story was inconsistent and she even couldn’t picture out if Barney was the suspect so Barney was acquitted.

He thought that his nightmare was ended there but it wasn’t. The district attorney was undeterred. The prosecutor filed a case against Barney in adult criminal court on the same charges and Barney was eventually convicted and even asked for death penalty.

In violation of the Constitution's prohibition of double jeopardy, which says a person cannot be tried for the same crime twice, Barney was convicted. The jury voted 7-5 to have mercy on Barney, and so instead of being sent to his death in the electric chair, they sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Prison," Barney explains, "was a living hell." And yet Barney refused to be a victim. "Every day, then every year, then every decade, I knew I would get out of prison because I did nothing wrong."

You know what, it took almost 40 years after the truth prevailed.  Lawyers Benedict Kuehne and Susan Dmitrovsky took his case before Judge Antonio Marin of Florida's 11th Judicial Circuit Court.

In his written opinion, Judge Marin ordered Barney's conviction to "be vacated and the defendant discharged from all liability for the charged offense."

"This case," Judge Marin ruled, "presents a clear example of a grievous constitutional double jeopardy violation. ... Mr. Brown should have never been forced to defend himself against the same rape and robbery charges a second time. His life sentences for the 1970 adult court convictions should have never happened. His incarceration within Florida's prison system for most of his adult life should not have taken place."

It was worst because when the news about Barney’s released reached the prison on the evening of September 24, 2008, Barney Brown freed after 38 years was awful. The guards simply released him into the dark rainy night with no one to meet him and nowhere to go. That’s horrible situation.

Luckily, he noticed a guy talking on a cell phone. Fortunately, he still remembered his sister’s phone number and without hesitation he asked the stranger if he could use his phone to call her sister and tell her sister that he was already release and if she could pick up him.

For me, it was the best day of my life. I was free; free to live my life; free to help others; free to be me; Barney Brown, not Inmate 029663." Barney said.

“The message is hope, educate yourself, its empowerment,” Brown said.

While he was in prison, Barney earned his high school diploma and a college degree. When Barney Brown freed after 38 years he is currently a paralegal in Midami-Dude Country and works with youth programs.

Barney Brown freed after 38 years became a story when Jonathan Jackson of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition invited Barney to tell his story at their Saturday Morning Forum.

Barney Brown freed after 38 years was his first time talked to the public.

My Opinion

Barney Brown freed after 38 years his story was very sad. Can you imagine being convicted of 38 years knowing you are innocent? That was very hard to Barney.

Why is that happening? Why people like that? Accusing someone without knowing he’s innocent.

I felt touched by his story. Barney never gave up that one day he will be free. And he was right Barney Brown freed after 38 years. So what will happen to the prosecutor attorney who violated this constitutional right? And even the judge and defense attorneys who allowed it to happen. They made a wrong decision.

The government should give Barney financial support. They accused him as if he is the suspect and convicted for 38 years, that’s horrible, so horrible.

And while Brown can never get back the time he lost in jail; the fact that he is keeping kids on the right path and helping them avoid the pain he endured is what gives him hope for the future.

I am started to admire him.