pictures
Darrell Siggers', Wrongfully Imprisoned for 34 Years, Day in Court
There is much ado over the "White Boy Rick" Wershe's case, movie and now lawsuit who, in spite of the consensus that he was unfairly treated, did commit crimes. Overshadowed is a pending lawsuit brought by Darrell Siggers who served 34 years for a crime he did not commit. The suit alleges that a Law Enforcement Officer and a Lab Tech hid and fabricated evidence and testimony that led to his wrongful conviction.
By chance I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Siggers at an event we were both attending on Monday. It was the uplift of my day and of the week since. Far from being embittered, I found a man filled with peace, calm and positive purpose. "How could you endure that experience, being thrown into that chaos, knowing you were innocent and to make things worse knowing the real perp was out there possibly killing others?" I couldn't help asking.
"It was scary. I was only 20 and a little guy, [he's short, trim, and remarkably looks 15 years younger than his upper fifties age] but I determined to not let prison defeat me."
Indeed he didn't. He completed a GED, then earned an Associates Degree, read, studied, and, in spite of seeming hopelessness, he turned his head to the future making a point to "praise God" on a couple of occasions. The effort has shown. In the three years since his release he has hit the ground running and formed Access Plus LLC, a company that helps ex-offenders and others involved in criminal cases get access to court records, court files and other information.
As he deftly tapped and swiped his way around his smart phone to send me a link I asked, "It must have been a mind blow to discover devices like this when you got out, eh?" "Oh yeah!" he said. I see a great future for this man who had his youth and so much future stolen from him. This is the movie I'd prefer to see.
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