James Dailey

James Dailey is an inmate on death row in Florida, and has been for three decades. He was sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of a 14-year-old Shelly Boggio. However, to this day he maintains his innocence. His legal team is sure that the case against he was nothing but circumstantial evidence and false testimony from jailhouse informants.

On October 23rd, Dailey was granted a temporary 90-day stay of execution. He was scheduled to be executed on November 7th of this year. He will now get to a chance, with his newly appointed federal counsel, to present his claims of innocence. Part of the reason for his conviction was his co-defendant, Jack Pearcy, implementing him in the crime. However, Pearcy later changed his testimony to exclude Dailey, even signing an affidavit stating that "he, and he alone, was responsible for the death of Boggio." There were also the two jailhouse informants who claimed that Dailey confessed to them, but it was later revealed that a detective tried to get 15 other inmates to implement Dailey. The two that testified agreed to do so in order to receive consideration in their own cases. Without these two pieces of clearly falsified evidence, the prosecution's case falls apart. There were no eyewitnesses, no DNA or any other physical evidence connecting Dailey to the crime.

Many people who hear this case are outraged at the injustice, and truly believe that Dailey is innocent and should be sent free. These people include the Witness to Innocence, Florida's Catholic bishops, and other death row exonerees. Many letters have been sent in support of Dailey, asking for him to receive the justice he deserves. His lawyers are hopeful about the new trial, and they think that justice will finally be on their side. After all, he is an U.S. Air Force veteran who honorably served in Vietnam, shouldn't he have justice on his side?

With Dailey's exoneration, this would be Florida's 30th since 1976. If things do not go Dailey's way, his execution will mark Florida's 100th execution since 1976. Florida has overturned the most death sentences than any other state in America. Sometimes juries get it wrong, and sometimes prosecutors are so sure they have the person that they neglect to look at anything that would prove their innocence. 

Hopefully Dailey gets the justice he deserves, and hopefully we stop sending people to their death's before seriously considering every single fact multiple times.