$5.5 million dollars for one ruined life. That’s how much the state of New York will pay Anthony Broadwater for the sixteen years he served in prison and the almost twenty-five years after he got out and couldn’t get his old life back. Let me begin by reminding you that I’m a retired prosecutor who just wrote my first memoir. While the book touches on my work, its focus is on my family—the dysfunctional parts as well as the inspirational parts. I recently composed the disclaimer. I believe it’s important to provide one, especially when throwing memories out to the world as one might toss rice at a wedding. The thing about memory, is that it’s entirely unique. Two people can attend that same wedding and recount the event in such different ways, the listener might doubt they were in the same place at the same time. I used this very analogy in a couple of closing arguments as I urged a jury to convict someone based on testimony from several eyewitnesses which did not entirely match up.
Similar to the phrase “I’m sorry that happened to you.” It’s not an actual apology. Ms. Seybold SHOULD have said, “I’m sorry my incorrect identification led to the loss of your freedom for 16 years. I’m sorry that my incorrect identification led to decades of loss even after your release.”
Similar to the phrase “I’m sorry that happened to you.” It’s not an actual apology. Ms. Seybold SHOULD have said, “I’m sorry my incorrect identification led to the loss of your freedom for 16 years. I’m sorry that my incorrect identification led to decades of loss even after your release.”