Justice Is Blind, And Slow

A Texas convict was declared innocent yesterday, after spending 30 years in prison for a 1979 rape and robbery he didn't commit. Cornelius Dupree Jr., 51, could have cut his prison stay short and made parole had he admitted he was a sex offender, but Dupree refused to do so and maintained his innocence throughout. Dupree was sentenced to 75 years in prison in 1980 for the crimes against a 26-year-old Dallas woman. DNA evidence finally exonerated him. "It's a joy to be free again," he said. Under Texas compensation laws for the wrongly imprisoned, Dupree is eligible for $80,000 for each year he was behind bars, plus a lifetime annuity. He could receive $2.4 million in a lump sum that is not subject to federal income tax.