Swifts V. Swift Case Summary

The facts of this case start with a woman in her home in Detroit on September 2nd in 1982, who was playing with her 7 month old son when a man broke into her house. He dragged the woman to an upstairs bedroom and raped her on the bed. He then allowed her to put a robe on and led her down stairs and stole $60 dollars from her purse, her wedding band, and $100 more from the house. After the man left this woman called the police and they arrived then they collected the robe she wore and the sheets from the bed. She was then taken to the hospital for a rape kit to be collected. She described the rapist as a clean shaven black man, about 5’10 and with small, short braids for hair. 8 days afterward then they had the woman looking at photos of men

The prosecution focused on how Swift was identified and they gave an incomplete account on how he was selected. The jury was led to believe that out of all the photos shown, then the victim choose only Swifts picture and then confirmed it in a line-up. The jury was later proved to have never been informed of the fact the victim choose 7 pictures and not just Swifts was picked. The defense never investigated and the biological evidence was never presented to show his innocence either. Swifts only defense was his sole alibi who was his girlfriend who testified that he was with her at the time of the crime. Swifts attorney, Lawrence R. Greene, failed to cross-examine or call any other witness or analyst from the scene of the crime to testify on Swifts behalf. Mr. Greene’s license has since been revoked and suspended in Michigan for misconduct and inadequate representation. After a two day trial then Swift was convicted even after an officer working the case told the judge he thought he had been wrongfully convicted. For said talking to the judge the officer was transferred out of the sex crimes unit and into patrol for telling the truth. Swift was sentenced to 20-40 years in prison. Project Innocence took on Swifts case in 1998 and began sending out request for all evidence. Most evidence was taken had been lost or destroyed since the trial. The

And when this kind of thing happens once, then every single conviction is questioned by the public which creates further uneasiness. It will also leak from one generation to another and keep a cycle of hate and distrust going. There is absolutely no way to pay back an exonerated person either. No amount of money can pay back 26 years. He got 2.5 million for 26 years of missed life and opportunity. Swift completely had missed out on his daughter growing up. She was 27 when he got out and missed out on having a father growing up. His prime has been missed out and it was because of about 6 people not caring enough to help keep him from having his life missed out on. I understand that mistakes happen but for several people to have not properly done their jobs cost Swift everything he could have had like a family, friends he would have made, no work experience or retirement fund, and much