JAYFORCE

Herman Wallace spent the 41 years of his life in solitary confinement in Louisiana State Penitentiary (aka Angola).

A free man, Wallace died of liver cancer, three days after gaining his freedom. He was 71 years old.

“While already serving a 50-year sentence for armed robbery, Wallace was convicted of the murder of a prison guard in 1974, along with Robert King and Albert Woodfox. The men became known as the ‘Angola 3’ for spending most of their years in solitary confinement… All of them claimed to be innocent.

On Tuesday a judge overturned Wallace’s conviction on the grounds that he had been denied a fair trial because he was indicted by a grand jury comprised solely of men — in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Wallace spent the first 18 years behind bars without an appeal. The argument that finally won Wallace his release was one he had been making for decades, mostly acting as his own attorney.”

It didn’t take new legislation, new science or DNA (as was the case for freed Angola prisoner Henry James)… It just took work, reconsideration, and FORTY F**KING YEARS for a judge to do the right thing.

“It’s tragic it took 40 years for him to find a court that would say, ‘You’re right, Mr. Wallace, that violated your Constitutional rights; you are entitled to a new trial.'”

– Attorney George Kendall, one of Wallace’s advocates

This is sad, folks. Of course, we are talking about the wasted years of a man now at rest; but we are also talking about the denial of rights and protections that we are ALL supposed to be afforded in America. God be with you are denied due process in a time of legal trouble. Because if you are convicted, it might take half your life to get that ‘judiciary oversight’ even looked at by a judge!

I… I don’t have the words, but NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ does.

READ: ANGOLA 3 INMATE TASTES BRIEF BITTERSWEET FREEDOM (NPR)

– @ojones1

DOWNLOAD: NPR’S ALL THINGS CONSIDERED ON HENRY WALLACE (AUDIO)