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Amy Goodman

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Vietnam veteran released after serving almost 18 years on death row

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Charles Fain, a Vietnam veteran, released after serving almost 18 years on death row for rape and murder of a nine year old girl, Darilyn Johnson. False testimony from jailhouse informers was damning, and led to his conviction. Now, forensic laboratory concludes that Charles Fain’s DNA not a match.

Almost 100 people have been freed from death rows in 22 states, since the death penalty was reinstated in1973. 6 death row prisoners have been exonerated, in the first half of this year.

We speak to Fred Hoopes, an Idaho attorney that has worked on Charles Fain’s case, for almost a decade, and we speak to Christine Harding, a library assistant who testified in the 1982 trial.

00:20:43 “Gotta Serve Somebody” Bob Dylan

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