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Willie Burnett

Race:Black
Era:1970s
State:Kentucky
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Biography

Black Kentucky man convicted in 1974 and sentenced to life without parole for the rape of a white woman he says he did not commit; The Black Panther Vol. 14 no.9 (1975) reports the state appeals court overturned the conviction for insufficient evidence and freed him on bond, and that he refused to plea-bargain. [Source: The Black Panther (Black Panther Party newspaper), v14 no.9; digitized at marxists.org — https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/black-panther/index.htm]

Case

Charges: Rape
Incarcerated: 1974
Sentence: Convicted in 1974 and sentenced to life without parole for the rape of a white woman he says he did not commit; the state appeals court overturned the conviction for insufficient evidence and freed him on bond. He refused to plea-bargain. Verdict as recorded: Convicted 1974; overturned on appeal for insufficient evidence
Convicted: Yes