• And perhaps the saddest of all is the case of Bernard Baran. Baran served 21 years in prison on child molestation charges that were overturned in 2006. As openly gay 19 year old working in a day care in 1984, he was a prime target for a false accusation. Baran’s trial was a miscarriage of justice on many fronts — homophobia, evidence to exonerate him undisclosed — and while in prison he was raped and beaten. There is little doubt he was innocent. Again, Martha Coakley was not involved in his prosecution but she defended the state when Baran sued for restitution and to have his criminal record expunged. Baran, understandably, did not want another trial. That means he was not found “innocent.” And that means he could not have his record expunged. Attorney General Martha Coakley could have decided not mount a defense of the state. But she did. Bernard Baran died September 1 at age 49. He died with a criminal record.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 23:02:39 +0000