The U.S. Supreme Court has thrown out a $14 million award to John Thompson, a New Orleans man who spent 14 years on Death Row -- until it was discovered that prosecutors failed to reveal that a blood test had cleared him of the crime, the L.A. Times reports.
The 5-4 decision delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas shielded the New Orleans district attorney's office from being held liable for the mistakes of its prosecutors. The evidence of their misconduct did not prove "deliberate indifference" on the part of then-Dist. Atty. Harry Connick Sr., Thomas said.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg emphasized her disapproval by reading her dissent in the courtroom, saying the court was shielding a city and its prosecutors from "flagrant" misconduct that nearly cost an innocent man his life.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, JoJo!
