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Wrongly Convicted Texas Man Freed
A Texas man who spent more than 20 years behind bars for a rape he did not commit was set free Wednesday, just weeks after a DNA test exonerated him.
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(April 16, 2008)--A 49-year-old Texas man who spent nearly 23 years in prison for a rape he did not commit was been set free after a court hearing Wednesday in Dallas.
A judge on Wednesday overturned the burglary and rape convictions of Thomas Clifford McGowan, who was convicted in separate trials in 1985 and 1986.
He was serving a life sentence.
A DNA test earlier this month showed that McGowan was not the source of the male DNA collected as part of a rape kit in May 1985.
Lawyers say the victim convicted him largely on eyewitness misidentification.
McGowan is the 17th Dallas man since 2001 to have his conviction cast aside because of DNA testing.
That's the most of any county in the nation.
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Latest Comments
Posted by: Missy
Location: Montgomery Texas
on Feb 18, 2009 at 04:25 PM
Look I know my story doesnt even compare to these, however I am 38 years old and very anti drug and anti alcohol and was arrested for DWI i blew 00 but taken to jail anyways...The only thing in my system was my prescription meds that i had not taken since day before....I have been mentally, physically, and financally drained for doing nothing wrong...I didn't hurt anyone, I didn't wreck I was going under the speed limit and was pulled over..I had just lost both of my parents to death/cancer and was just a basketcase, they took it as being intoxicated I have been treated as a murderer a rapist, they tried to raise my bond to 50 thousand dollars after ayear of being arrested, i had never missed court never been in trouble in my life...I have trial monday feb 23rd my attorney is 99.9% sure we will win but after the way I've been treated I don't buy it..I work in the medical field, I lost my job from this...I am 38 years old and believe me or not I've never been drunk and never drugs ever.
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Posted by: Betty
Location: Moody
on Apr 17, 2008 at 09:03 AM
What is wrong with eyewitness conviction? When the accused is convicted thru victim identification in a rape case and DNA is taken from the victim at that time, why does it take 23 years to find out an innocent man was convicted??? Texas is especially negligent in convictions of wrongfully accused!! Does the color of the accused skin have anything to do with this??? There are more african americans in TX prison system than caucasian or hispanic! The fact is that most had court appointed attorneys who wanted to plead the person out and get back to clients who paid for their services!! What is wrong with the TX "honorable" court system??
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Posted by: C
Location: Killeen
on Apr 16, 2008 at 06:45 PM
This man and others who are wrongly accused should be compensated by the state in some way-$$monetarily$$In 1985 DNA was taken from the victim,why did it take 23 years to compare it with the accused man????
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