Late last year a friend of mine was sentenced for a crime that he didn't commit. The Charges were two counts of rape of a child under the age of 13.
My friend had never been in any legal trouble before and he was an outstanding citezen. He is not originally from the state of Tennessee but if he knew this is what goes on in Blount county he would of never of moved here.
The whole trial was unbeilivable. The DA, Robert Headrick pranced around the courthouse like his crap doesn't stink. Everyone in my friends family as well as I couldn't believe the way this mans attitude came off.
The DA had no physical evidence at all and was only going by the girls testimony. The first day of trial she couldn't point my friend out as the perpatrator. The state rested and on day 2 of the trail the jurors wanted to know if the little girl could come back into the courtroom to try and locate him again. This was allowed even though the state had rested its case. Robert Headricks other workers had been sitting in the court room that whole morning, they were the ones that picked this little girl up from school to bring her back in.
When the little girl came back into the courtroom as she was walking in her eyes found him and then she didn't take her eyes off of him. Of course she was able to point him out on this day. When she was asked if he was in the courtroom the day before she said yes, but when she was asked why she didn't point him out she couldn't give an answer.
12 Jurors found this man guilty based on just her testimony alone no physical evidence what so ever. We found out later that the jurors based their decision on my friend not showing enough emotion and they couldn't picture someone else who could of done this to her. Well there are many people in her family that I am sure they didn't investigate at all.
At sentencing the girls mother read a statement stating that her daughter even to this day is still telling stories to her mom or the counselor but not the father. Hmmmm doesn't that make you think that maybe her father is the actual perpatrator but he is telling her to keep saying its this other man?
My friends family has suffered a great deal of pain since he was found guilty. Their children have suffered from severe depression and being disrespectful in school and at home because they feel that if they do something wrong that maybe they can go be with their father. My friends wife has not been able to work since this occured do to severe depression and panic attacks in which she takes over 10 medications for. She is now having to rely on welfare which doesn't pay squat. He was the main bread winner in their family. My friends wife has even thought about sitting on the DAs lawn or the judges lawn and picket until this issue gets resolved.
The judge is Judge Thomas and we are now waiting for the judge to make his decision on wether there will be a retrial, a overturned conviction, or it sent to court of appeals. We have been waiting to hear this answer for over 4 months now. Does anyone know how long Judge Thomas takes to answer?
Judge Thomas seems to be a reasonable judge but this is killing my friends family and friends just waiting for him to come home to start his new life over. Beware Fellow Tennesseeans don't ever be left alone with a child that is not yours because this could happen to you and they don't need physical evidence in this state to convict someone. Can you imagine how many innocent men are in prison? Then they put the prisoners on the other side of the state so family and friends can't go visit.
I have been reading articles that Aaron from townsend has been writing about our precious "Little Bobbie."
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