George Stinney Jr., the youngest person ever to be executed in the United States in the past century, is seen in this undated file photo [1944]. A South Carolina state judge, in a Dec. 7, 2014 ruling, vacated Stinney's conviction in the deaths of two young girls, clearing his name.


After seventy years, a 14-year-old black boy has been cleared of murder.

Seven decades after he was convicted of murder and executed by the state of South Carolina, a 14-year-old South Carolina was exonerated (cleared) by a circuit court judge on Wednesday.

In 1944, George Stinney was convicted of murdering two white girls in Alcolu, South Carolina. He was executed after his white lawyer called no witnesses and performed no cross-examinations.


Judge Carmen Mullen vacated the decision against George Stinney, who was convicted of beating Mary Emma Thames and Betty June Binnicker to death in 1944.

Stinney was executed in June 1944 by electric chair. The teen was so small he had to sit on a phone book to be executed by the chair.

Judge Mullen's ruling effectively clears Stinney's name. In her ruling, Mullen said she found Stinney was never given any kind of defense and his due process was violated.

"Given the particularized circumstances of Stinney's case, I find by a preponderance of the evidence standard, that a violation of the Defendant's procedural due process rights tainted his prosecution," Mullen said in the ruling.

Stinney's family and judicial advocates have spent the past several years doggedly trying to get the case re-opened because they believe Stinney was forced into a confession by police.

Stinney's trial lasted about 3 hours. According to reports, the defense presented no witnesses, no physical evidence, and did not file an appeal. It took a jury of 12 white men 10 minutes to decide Stinney's fate.

"The state, as an entity, has very unclean hands," attorney Miller Shealy argued and Defense attorney Steven McKenzie applauded the judge's ruling.

"By not putting the state's case to the test at all, by not cross examining witnesses, not putting up a defense at all, not giving a closing argument, George was never afforded effective council and as a result his Sixth Amendment rights were violated," McKenzie said.

Attorneys say at this point they don't believe the true murderer will ever be caught.



Sources: http://www.nbcnews.com, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/george-stinney-exonerated_n_6342148.html

70 years too late...


But it is never too late for justice.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIC-qBLDWUg

Man, it's almost unbelieveable how intimidated this little boy would have felt with the police, law enforcers, attorneys and prosecutors. They could have done absolutely anything to him at that time.
Even the look on his face is just so....I don't know. Sometimes American justice could just be such a pain.

Never ever too late, long live his legacy. Still, no less heartbreaking

(The US have better things to be doing in 1944 tbh )