Convicted for Blackness

In yet another example of what's all too common in the American criminal prosecution apparatus, an African American man was convicted and sentenced to hard labor where he languished for 23 years after the real perpetrator has been convicted.  Investigators told prosecutors no evidence existed to link Robert Jones to robberies, murders, and a rape – and that their evidence on the perpetrator was rock-solid (he wore the stolen jewelry, carried the gun ballistics proved fired the killing bullets, and admitted owning the distinctive getaway vehicle seen at each scene).  But the prosecutors had Jones in custody, and he was black, so despite their memos that show they knew there was no admissible evidence linking him to the crimes in any way they argued to a jury he was a dangerous criminal associate of known evildoers and had to be put away for murder, robbery, and rape. (His name was provided to a tip line when a $10k reward was offered; presumably, the tipster understood naming a black man was good business.)