Ronald Cotton: The Epidemic Of Incarceration
Sadly, many people have served time for crimes they did not commit. Unfortunately, this is an ongoing epidemic that has terrible consequences for the innocent people who are wrongfully accused and incarcerated. In class, we watched a video about a man who was convicted of burglary and rape in the first degree and sentenced to life plus fifty years. According to a reporter by the name of Lesley Stahl, who did a 60-minute Broadcast on this case, the individual who was wrongfully accused and convicted of this crime, endured 11 years in prison until he was finally exonerated of all charges and released from prison. Before DNA was used in the courts, a gentleman by the name of Ronald Cotton was wrongfully accused of a crime that was committed
on July 28th, 1984 in Burlington, North Carolina. On that day, Jennifer Thompson, a twenty-two-year-old college student, was raped at knifepoint in her off-campus apartment. At three in the morning, a man broke into her apartment and put a knife to her throat while he raped her for about twenty minutes. Immediately, she realized that fighting off her attacker would not be feasible. Therefore, she decided to surrender to the attack. Considering the situation, she focused on the individual raping her, she thought if she could memorize anything about him that could lead to his arrest afterward she had done all she could. After Jennifer won over the trust of her attacker, she offered him something to drink, he accepted the offer and she used that opportunity to escape her apartment and run for safety. After Jennifer successfully escaped from her apartment she was taken to a hospital where a rape kit was administrated. Unbeknownst to her, once she escaped her attacker ran down the road and rape another woman.
on July 28th, 1984 in Burlington, North Carolina. On that day, Jennifer Thompson, a twenty-two-year-old college student, was raped at knifepoint in her off-campus apartment. At three in the morning, a man broke into her apartment and put a knife to her throat while he raped her for about twenty minutes. Immediately, she realized that fighting off her attacker would not be feasible. Therefore, she decided to surrender to the attack. Considering the situation, she focused on the individual raping her, she thought if she could memorize anything about him that could lead to his arrest afterward she had done all she could. After Jennifer won over the trust of her attacker, she offered him something to drink, he accepted the offer and she used that opportunity to escape her apartment and run for safety. After Jennifer successfully escaped from her apartment she was taken to a hospital where a rape kit was administrated. Unbeknownst to her, once she escaped her attacker ran down the road and rape another woman.