Category Archives: criminal justice

DNA Testing: Dates to be Set

Posted on January 16, 2019 by

A court has insisted that testing of DNA evidence for Willie Manning’s remaining case cannot be deferred indefinitely. The Circuit Court of Oktibbeha County yesterday ordered that the prosecution and defense must “set final dates for the testing of the DNA … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, DNA testing, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Status Conference

Posted on January 9, 2019 by

Willie Manning has won the right to a conference regarding the status of evidence testing in his remaining case (Stickler-Miller case). The conference is to be held tomorrow, January 10, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse Annex. … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, forensic testing, Mississippi, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Willie’s Family

Posted on December 18, 2018 by

Willie Manning’s daughter turned 3 years old soon after he entered death row; she is now 27. Willie has thus been absent for most of his daughter’s childhood and adolescence, and for much of her twenties; he has been unable … Continue reading →

Posted in African American, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, Death Row, Fly Manning, Mississippi, USA, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Significance of John Wise’s Car*

Posted on November 28, 2018 by

When Willie Manning was first indicted for the murders of two students, he was charged with kidnaping as well; the prosecutors later abandoned the kidnaping charge and substituted robbery. Both kidnaping and robbery allowed them to seek the death penalty … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, fingerprint comparison, John Wise, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Racial Bias

Posted on November 3, 2018 by

In violation of Willie Manning’s constitutional rights, the prosecutor at his trial, aided by the judge, unfairly excluded several African Americans from the jury.  Four Mississippi Supreme Court judges were later to recognize this as “a clear pattern suggesting pretextual … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, jurors, Mississippi, racism, Washington State, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ripples of Sorrow

Posted on September 12, 2018 by

Willie Manning’s trial for the murder of two students was held in November, 1994. A few months earlier, another Mississippi capital murder trial took place which was to change the life of one of the jurors forever.* In July, 1994, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bobby Glen Wilcher, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, execution, jurors, Lindy Lou Isonhood, Mississippi, post traumatic stress disorder, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Posted on August 27, 2018 by

Richard Burdine, who died last month, represented Willie Manning at the penalty phase of his trial. Burdine was an African American lawyer who deserves credit for frequently accepting indigent defendants as clients. He was publicly commended by the Mississippi legislature in … Continue reading →

Posted in African American, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, defense attorneys, Mississippi, Penalty phase, Richard Burdine, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Welcome Respite

Posted on August 8, 2018 by

Periods of active state execution are always traumatic for death row inmates: it is torturous watching people that you know being taken away to be killed. It is very good news for Willie Manning and his fellow inmates, then, that … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, executions, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Flawed Snitch Testimony

Posted on July 18, 2018 by

“Jailhouse snitch” testimony is notoriously unreliable because the incarcerated witnesses are strongly motivated to say what the prosecution wants, usually because they get substantial reductions in their own sentences in return.”                   … Continue reading →

Posted in capital punishment, criminal justice, Curtis Flowers, death penalty, jailhouse snitches, Mississippi, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Never give up hope.

Posted on June 29, 2018 by

Anthony Ray Hinton’s wrongful conviction and death sentence for murder in Alabama is as shocking as it is revealing. Soon after Hinton’s arrest a police officer told him: “You know, I don’t care whether you did or didn’t do it. … Continue reading →

Posted in African American, Anthony Ray Hinton, capital punishment, criminal justice, death penalty, Mississippi, racism, The Sun Does Shine, USA, Willie Manning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,