Innocent man jailed 9 days by computer match

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1 total messages Started by Wm Randolph Franklin Thu, 21 Jan 1993 23:51

#316

Author: Wm Randolph Franklin
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 23:51

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Here's theq latest reason why I'm suspicious of database matching.  This
makes innocent people guilty by default unless they can prove their
innocence.  In contrast to pre-computer days, it is now much cheaper for
the system to cost an innocent person a lot.

This information is from clari.news.law.crime.violent, Message-ID:
<jeffersonU3JF250pe@clarinet.com>, 15 Jan 93.

A woman was abducted and robbed in Michigan in Nov 91.  One criminal was
arrested and her car impounded.  A man called "Larry Jefferson" tried to
pick the car up.

Police did a nationwide search for people with that name with previous
court appearances.  (The article said "appearances" not "convictions".)
In Florida they found a real Jefferson, who had been imprisoned for
contempt for not paying child support.  Although he had an alibi and had
never even been to Michigan, he was arrested and held for 9 days while
Michigan tried to extradite him, based only on this match.  Luckily for
Jefferson, Florida refused to let Michigan have him w/o more evidence.
Finally Michigan agreed that Jefferson was not the man.

-- 
 ---------------------
Wm. Randolph Franklin,  wrf@ecse.rpi.edu, (518) 276-6077;  Fax: -6261
ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180 USA

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