DNA Helps Free Inmate After 27 Years

60 Minutes: James Woodard Owes His Freedom To Project Started By Dallas County D.A.

(CBS)  Law student Alexis Hoff selected James Woodard's file for review, almost three decades after he went to prison, convicted of killing his girlfriend.

60 Minutes was with them last November when Hoff started questioning Woodard, along with The Innocence Project's Michelle Moore.

"James, at any point in time during this process, did you ever admit to being guilty of this?" Moore asked.

"No, ma'am," Woodard replied.

"What is your ultimate goal?" Moore asked.

"To clear my name," he replied.

Woodard gave a DNA sample back in November; it was processed by the Orchid Cellmark lab in Dallas. In most places it wouldn't be possible to reach back years for a DNA match, but Dallas has an unusual policy of saving physical evidence from cases that are decades old.

This past Monday, Alexis Hoff and Jeff Blackburn brought James Woodard the results of his DNA test.

"The conclusion of the test was that there was not a match. It means that someone else raped Beverly Ann Jones," Hoff told Woodard. "It is my honor to be here today to tell you that after spending 27 years in jail for a crime that you did not commit you will walk out of this courthouse tomorrow, a free man."

"I'm speechless. That’s about it. You’ll have to give me a minute to gather myself, to sink this all in," Woodard reacted.

When Woodard went to prison in 1981, Alexis Hoff had not yet been born.

"I mean, don't crack jokes now," Woodard said.

"No. It’s really happening. I know," Hoff replied.

"Are you sure I get out tomorrow?" Woodard asked.

"Yep," Blackburn said.

The next day, last Tuesday, James Woodard went to court. In addition to the DNA, District Attorney Watkins' office discovered that the prosecutors, 27 years ago, failed to tell the defense and the jury that Woodard's girlfriend had been in the company of another man the night of her death, a man who was charged in another sexual assault.

"Mr. Woodard, we'd like to apologize to you. Not only on the part of the district attorney’s office for the state of Texas but for the failures of the criminal justice system throughout this country," Watkins told Woodard.

State District Judge Mark Stoltz set Woodard free. "Unfortunately, Mr. Woodard you're not getting justice today. You're just getting the end of injustice," the judge said.

[milcahq]

I think it was very admirable that this man was willing to suffer that long in jail to stand up for truth and justice. It is about time somebody did! This case should make people everywhere, especially in Texas, where this occurs all the time, take a long, long hard look at our Justice System and stand up and make the changes that would keep innocent people with their families and maintain their American- given right to freedom. It should start with changes in the DA's offices throughout Texas!!! Well-done IPOT and Craig Watkins!

[mtwtdallas]

What a shame that these 17 men have had to endure with the irresponsible acts by the prosecutors of the Dallas District Attorney''s office. It''s good to know that there are still a few good attorney''s that really believe in justice being served through the Innocence Project. Unfortunately, the cycle yet still continues when innocent people are found guilty for crimes that they did not do. www.angelfire.com/crazy4/texas/trial
Let''s not let history repeat itself under Distrct Attorney Craig Watkins watch by sending innocent people to prison. District Attorney Watkins, don''t be a disgrace to Dallas County like District Attorney(s) Wade and Hill have been. Make a difference and a change...a change for the better!!!!

[ymerch1956]

THE DA WADE SHOULD BE THROWN IN JAIL FOR LIFE BECAUSE HE TOOK SOMEONE''S LIFE. HE SOUNDS LIKE A RACIST. I''M WILLING TO BET THAT MOST OF THE MEN HE SENT TO PRISON WAS BLACK AMERICANS. HE BETTER HOPE THAT NONE OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS EVER SUFFER AN INJUSTICE. HE IS A VERY COLD HEARTED PERSON TO SEND PEOPLE TO PRISON WHO CONTINUALLY CLAIM THEIR INNOCENT FOR YEARS AND THEN TO FIND OUT HE WAS. THE JUSTICE SYSTEM NEED AN OVERHAUL BECAUSE IT IS NOT UTILIZING EVERY ASPECT OF THE CASE TO BE COMPLETLY SURE BEFORE YOU TAKE AWAY SOMEONES FREEDOM. I GUESS IF ENOUGH WHITE PEOPLE WERE BEING WRONGLY ACCUSED IT BE CHANGES OVER NIGHT, BUT FOR BLACK AMERICANS WE DO NOT HAVE THAT LUXURY OF A FAIR TRIAL,WE ARE JUDGE BY THE COLOR OF SKIN AND THEY ARE SEEN AS HUMANS. THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WRONGLY ACCUSED SHOULD BE GIVEN MILLIONS FOR THEIR FREEDOM THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY.

[alastair8-2009]

What a disgrace that this, the richest country in the world, doesn''t give him a bunch of cash as restitution.
We appear to have unlimited funds to promote war and terror abroad, but not enough to take care of our own.
This man deserves better!

[inmo-2009]

I got chills I as watched this.
Mr Woodard''s comment "A man has to stand for something." as to why he didn;t was he was sorry and admit his guilkt.
Mr Woodard - I hope you are reading these - you have suffered an injustice no one ever should. Through that you have stood your ground and been proven INNOCENT! Your strength and courage should be a shining example for all. You truly are a great man - overcoming this while staying storng to your own life. You are amazing!

[tanne11]

Texas is not the only state that has innocent peoples in jail. My cousin Rodney Macon has been in a Louisiana prison since the age of sixteen, the youngest ever sentence to life in prison for a rape he did not committ. He has been in jail for twenty nine years. He now sufferes from heart failure. His pray now is that the innocent project will take his case and he can died outside of jail and ouside of the state of Louisiana. Shame on the America justice system when D.A.s moves up the civil service ladder by the number of people they send to jail. Whether they are innocent does not matter. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

[nannadavis]

I thought this was a great story. I am glad for this man James Woodard. I am so sorry it took so lang for him to be found inocent.
I am telling this story in churvh on Mother''s Day.Henry Wade that convicted Woodard was also the lawyer that had Roe. Vs. Wade. law about abortion.I am the director of a crisis pregnancy center, and am daily trying to convince young men and women not to kill their babies in abortion. Alexis Hoff is the law student that pick James Woodards file and choose to work his case and found the DNA didn''t match. James was set free. Alexis Hoff is the law student that choose his case. The part that grabbed me is Alexis Hoff wasn''t even born yet when James was arested. Alexis was chosen by God to be the one to set James free. In Psalm 139:I saw you before you were born. Everyday of my life was recored in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. God chose Alexis to be the one, three decades later to set James free. WOW!!!That is one of the reasons she was born.... Amen Amen... You go girl.....

[joboost]

Well - good news - at least for one - and his family. And even better news: that a prosecutor admits that things can get wrong - even deliberately, just for vanity''s sake - andthat he is dtermined to avoid that in future.
The bad news: without the Innocence Project none of thos would happen. Think of it: If the ones at the top can coomit crimes others were hanged for in Nuremberg, what can you expect from those lower down the line - but still in the line of power?
Think of the thousands who "confess" every year, because they got "5 years to life" and would never get out unless they "confess". And also remember that 50% of all rape accusations are false! How many innocent men does that make in US prisons (out of nearly 1% of the US population who are in there)? But you have seen DA Nifong and the Duke accuser: She has not suffered one iota of penalty - Is that what Women''s Rights should mean? A bad state is bad enough. But women going that way too? Let''s turn it all around. G.W. AND N.O.W.!
J. Boost

[joboost]

Well - good news - at least for one - and his family. And even better news: that a prosecutor admits that things can get wrong - even deliberately, just for vanity''s sake - andthat he is dtermined to avoid that in future.
The bad news: without the Innocence Project none of thos would happen. Think of it: If the ones at the top can coomit crimes others were hanged for in Nuremberg, what can you expect from those lower down the line - but still in the line of power?
Think of the thousands who "confess" every year, because they got "5 years to life" and would never get out unless they "confess". And also remember that 50% of all rape accusations are false! How many innocent men does that make in US prisons (out of nearly 1% of the US population who are in there)? But you have seen DA Nifong and the Duke accuser: She has not suffered one iota of penalty - Is that what Women''s Rights should mean? A bad state is bad enough. United bad States are worse. But women going that way too? Let''s turn it all around. G.W.B. AND N.O.W.!
J. Boost

[promethe-2009]

smitty448

What else would you expect? Geo. Herbert Walker was Hitler''s patron, and Prescott Bush Hitler''s Banker. The Third Reich was a Bush Family enterprise.

I think you mean *** the Butcher (Henry VI, act II)

[promethe-2009]

frankmas1 your web-site is not readable by most of us.
Use real HTML, XML and Java. You are just wasting your time and money with .NET and Visual Studio.

[frankmas1]

Los Angeles might have the most ethically, morally and monetarily corrupted, anti-constitutional injustice system in the country.

My parents, survivors of the death camps, had to return to Germany in the nineties, to experience both justice and to be treated like human beings because they sure did not experience in the past 50 years here in the U.S.

Thousands of hours of Los Angeles police resources have been consumed to protect one hateful criminal family and hundreds more to

Persecute an extremely law abiding family over a period of 27 years.

Our democratic republic nation is in serious trouble. Our

Anti-constitutional government has to be stopped before it is to late.

www.american-justice.us

[frankmas1]

is Cbs blocking my comments?

[cpjordan13]

Great story by Scott Pelley, and my wife made the following comment. What do you want to bet that the female victim of this story was white and so was the last guy she was seen with before her death? Scott could you please answer my wife''s question, because if she is right it would explain a great deal.

[frankmas1]

Los Angeles might have the most ethically, morally and monetarily currupted, anti-constitutional injustice system in the country.

My parents, survivors of the Nazi death camps, had to return to Nazi germany in the nineties, to experience both justice and to be treated like human beings because they sure did not experience in the past 50 years here in the U.S.

Thousands of hours of los angeles police resources have been consumed to protect one hateful criminal family and hundreds more to

persecute an extremely law abiding family over a period of 27 years.

our democratic republic nation is in serious trouble. Our

anti-constitutional government has to be stopped before it is to

late.

www.american-justice.us

[frankmas1]

Los Angeles might have the most ethically, morally and monetarily currupted, anti-constitutional injustice system in the country. Thousands of hours of los angeles police resources have been consumed to protect one hateful criminal family and hundreds more to persecute an extremely law abiding family over a period of 27 years. our democratic republic nation is in serious trouble. Our anti-constitutional government has to be stopped before it is to late.

www.american-justice.us

[werners4]

Scott Pelley: another great story well reported

[avigil2]

Stupid white Americans! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!

[dmotte]

Shoot the prosecutor, judge and anyone else connected with this case and then give this man any amount that he sues the state for.

[wegraham]

The least they could do is give guys like that a standard state pension for the rest of their lives.....I think they should give him an average salery for the 27 years he spend in jail, too.