Apr 30 2008
James Woodard Released in Dallas After 27 Years of Incarceration
Innocence Project of Texas client, James Lee Woodard, was released from incarceration yesterday after serving more than 27 years for a murder that he has always maintained he did not commit. The victim, Woodard’s girlfriend at the time of the homicide, was found strangled and sexually assaulted on the banks of the Trinity River in Dallas, Texas. A rape kit was taken, and the evidence was preserved by the Southwest Institute for Forensic Sciences (SWIFS). When subjected to a DNA test, the rape kit indicated that James Woodard was not the victim’s attacker and that he had likely spent more than a quarter century in prison for a crime that he was not involved in.
Although at first glance this case appears to be a relatively simple DNA-based case, more than 1000 hours were spent by both the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and the Innocence Project of Texas investigating Woodard’s claim of innocence. Once the DNA results excluded Woodard as the victim’s rapist, both organizations set out to interview all relevant witnesses and piece together the story leading up to Woodard’s conviction. This collaborative effort is one of the first of its kind, and it is a testament to the integrity of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
For more information regarding James Lee Woodard and his case, please click here.
For more information about the collaborative effort of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and the Innocence Project of Texas, or to hear about the current state of justice in America today, please consider joining us tomorrow night for “Freedom and Justice in America: A Live Conversation Onstage” at the Angelika Theater in Dallas Texas. Details regarding this event can be found under the “Events” section of the ipoftexas.org website.
4 Responses to “James Woodard Released in Dallas After 27 Years of Incarceration”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] Woodard was represented by the Innocence Project of Texas, a member of the Innocence Network. Read a blog post on the case by IPOT Executive Director Natalie Roetzel here. […]
I’m appalled at our justice system. Mr. Woodard lost over 27 years of his life. He can never get them back. He spent half of his life in prison. I just saw his story on 60 Minutes and cried. I would like to apologize to him for the injustice of our criminal system. I think the least that should be done is that he should be compensated for all the years he spent in prison.
I think that it should be mandatory that the state in which these innocent people were tried, convicted and sentenced should receive not only monetary compensation (if and when they do get it)but health insurance as well to include dental, vision and any and all mental health services. These services should be free to them for how ever many years that they spent in prison WRONGFULLY CONVICTED!! They also need to have they’re records expunged free of charge and the state should be responsible in assisiting them with finding full time employment. It’s the least they could do. No amount of money will ever make up for the precious time that was taken from them but, monetary copensation, health insurance and employment would be a good start. Furthermore, I think that these so called prosecutors need to be held accountable especially when deliberate and intentional actions caused these people to be found guilty anyway. This country is so sick. We can spend millions/billions on a war that’s totally ridiculous but we don’t even think to help these citizens here in our own country that we locked away innocently with the basics to live life in the “Land of the free and home of the brave”. Everyone who saw this episode of sixty minutes should be angered and outraged. This could very well happen to you or someone that you know or love. I wish that I could help these people someway, somehow.
Guilty until proven innocent - It’s the American way,
He should sue big time and take as much money from the justice system as he can to prevent this from happening again in the future.
Make them pay James,