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Lawyers had to threaten BPD with a lawsuit to get documents that helped free man imprisoned for 38 years

Jeffrey Pyle writes about the legal wrangling with BPD over documents from a long-closed murder case that ultimately led to Frederick Clay being freed after 38 years for a Roslindale murder for which he had always maintained his innocence - and why that should matter to you.

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Please advocate opening City Stenographer Stenographic Record of Public Meetings of Boston City Council for folks with dyslexia, for folks hard of hearing, for ESL English Second Language folks, for all folks. The incumbent Candidate for Boston City Council Chairs Public Meetings as President but has been lacking in making available the Public Documents.

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Because this A does not equal that B.

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38 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit means he has 38 years of public hearings and City Council meetings to get caught up on

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the crime - he only stated that there was enough reasonable doubt based on a re-evaluation of the evidence. Big difference.

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Legally, the two are not distinct. They equate to "not guilty" in the eyes of the law and mean that he should never have served time.

Perhaps you should use your convalescence time to learn something about how the legal system works?

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He gets no presumption of innocence from you because SCARY! and "Must Be Spoiled!!!!".

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The results of the re-investigation into Clay's role in the murder did not offer conclusive proof of his innocence.

So, he may have been cleared of the charges, it is inaccurate to state he didn't commit the crime.

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And the DA is not a judge - the DA is a partisan adversary.

It is inaccurate to say he committed the crime, since the state did not prove that he committed the crime.

Remedial civics for you, dear.

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I typically agree with most of your posts re: transit and infrastructure but you just revealed a whole layer of idiocy I had no idea about....

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Clay insisted he was asleep in his room at a foster home on the night of the crime, and his foster mother corroborated his alibi at trial. Clay was also right-handed, not left-handed like the shooter. But the police figured they had their suspect. That’s why they failed to follow up on indications that two other Archdale residents — a left-handed 16-year-old who was 5 feet 8 inches and his much taller brother — may have been the real culprits. On Aug. 19, 1981, a jury convicted Clay of first degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

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Judge Christine Roach granted Clay’s motion, ordered his shackles removed, and declared him a free man — after serving 38 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

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Adam, thank you for publishing this.

Everyone, this is why we need to continue to improve public records laws. Our state is horrible when it comes to open-ness. Horrible. Shame on BPD for resisting the release of records from old case files.

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