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Charles Chatman

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Charles Chatman (born 1961) served 26 years in prison due to a wrongful conviction. He had been convicted in 1981 at the age of 20 of aggravated rape and sentenced to life in prison. He was released on 3 January 2008. Chatman became the 15th inmate from Dallas County since 2001 to be exonerated by DNA testing.[1] He stated that race was a factor in his conviction. "I was convicted because a black man committed a crime against a white woman."[2] Chatman was represented by Michelle Moore and Jeff Blackburn, attorneys for the Innocence Project of Texas.

Artistic Responses to the Chatman Case

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In 2009, New York City Poet Jeanann Verlee wrote "Resurrection," a poem written in the voice of Charles Chatman. The poem was broadcast on the August 31, 2009 Indiefeed Performance Poetry Podcast.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "DNA clears man in prison for 26 years". Associated Press. January 3, 2008.
  2. ^ "Texas Man Freed After 26 Years in Prison". The Guardian. January 3, 2008.