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Stidham overheard
Burnett discuss taking a lunch break with the jury foreman and heard the foreman reply that the jury was almost finished. According to Stidham, Judge Burnett responded, "You'll need food for when you come back for sentencing"; when the foreman asked what would happen if the defendant was acquitted, the judge closed the door without answering, thereby implying that he thought the three were guilty. Stidham then testified that his own failure to put this incident on the court record and his failure to meet the minimum requirements in state law to represent a defendant in a capital murder case were evidence of
288:, which allows the defendant to maintain their innocence while conceding that there is enough evidence to possibly convict them at trial. The men were resentenced to time served (18 years and 75 days) and immediately freed. In a February 2012 interview, Burnett stated, "I'm not real happy with the outcome. I would have preferred to see them have a new trial.” He stood by his actions, saying, "Frankly, everything I did was affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court."
300:. Burnett took almost 64 percent of approximately 8,600 votes cast. Burnett won election in the general election running unopposed. Due to redistricting, Burnett ran for re-election in 2012 in the 22nd Senate District. He was elected both in the Democratic primary and general election without opposition.
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Burnett was the presiding judge in the murder trials of Jessie
Misskelley, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin, collectively known as the West Memphis Three. In February 1994, after a jury convicted Misskelley of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, Burnett sentenced
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In 2007, new DNA testing became available that was not technologically possible at the time of the crime. It produced evidence that hairs found at the crime scene did not match
Misskelley, Baldwin or Echols but did possibly match the stepfather of one of the victims. Based on this new information,
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In
September 2008, Daniel Stidham, a judge since 2001 who had been Misskelley’s attorney in 1994, testified at a post-conviction relief hearing for the men. Stidham testified under oath that during the trial Burnett erred by making an improper communication with the jury during its deliberations.
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Dave
Wallace, losing by a margin of 62 percent to 38 percent. The race was the first that Burnett faced any opposition since the 2010 Democratic Primary for the state Senate 15th District's Democratic nomination, having run unopposed in the general elections of 2010 and 2012.
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Misskelley, then 18 years old, to life in prison plus 40 years. In March 1994, after a jury convicted Echols and
Baldwin of three counts of capital murder, Burnett sentenced Echols to death and Baldwin, 17 at the time, to life in prison without parole.
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ordered new evidentiary hearings for all three defendants based on the new DNA evidence. The state's high court rebuked
Burnett's 2008 decision not to grant Echols a new trial based on the DNA evidence.
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In 2015, Burnett introduced a bill in the
Arkansas Senate that would have abolished the death penalty in Arkansas. The bill failed to pass, officially dying when the state Senate adjourned
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In May 2010, Burnett defeated
Blytheville Mayor Barrett E. Harrison in the Democratic primary for the state's 15th Senate district to succeed the term-limited Sen.
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In
January 2010, Burnett denied motions for Baldwin and Misskelley to receive new trials based on inadequate representation during their original trials.
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all three defendants asked Burnett for a new trial. In September 2008, Burnett denied retrials for all three, saying the new evidence was "inconclusive".
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All three men were released from prison in August 2011 after they pleaded guilty to first-degree murder using an
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This article is about the Arkansas Senate member and former judge. For other persons with a similar name, see
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In November 2010, after Burnett had retired from the bench and been elected to the
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813:"Judge says no new trial for Baldwin & Misskelley in WM3 Case"
1027:"Arkansas 22nd District State Senate Results: Dave Wallace Wins"
708:"Youth Is Convicted In Slaying of 3 Boys In an Arkansas City"
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1075:"2016 GENERAL ELECTION AND NONPARTISAN RUNOFF ELECTION"
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Arkansas Senate 15th District Democratic Primary, 2010
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trial during which he made several serious mistakes.
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870:"Deal Frees 'West Memphis Three' in Arkansas"
543:Arkansas Senate 22nd District election, 2016
470:Arkansas Senate 22nd District election, 2012
401:Arkansas Senate 15th District election, 2010
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60:January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2016
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1118:Democratic Party Arkansas state senators
868:Robertson, Campbell (August 19, 2011).
682:"WM3.org – Dan Stidham's Case Synopsis"
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1002:"AR SB298 2015, 90th General Assembly"
811:Ashley Blackstone (January 20, 2010).
726:"Teens Found Guilty In Boys' Slayings"
977:"Bill filed to end the death penalty"
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16:American politician and former jurist
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849:. Associated Press. November 4, 2010
237:politician and former member of the
233:(born 1942 or 1943) is an American
975:Max Brantley (February 10, 2015).
896:"West Memphis 3 judge: I did good"
894:Max Brantley (February 10, 2012).
761:. Associated Press. Archived from
753:Zeman, Jill (September 10, 2008).
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1123:21st-century American legislators
264:ineffective assistance of counsel
930:. Associated Press. May 18, 2010
792:. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc
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21:David Burnet (disambiguation)
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180:(B.S. 1963, J.D. 1966)
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208:/assembly
101:In office
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847:NBC News
653:Archived
306:sine die
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214:/Pages
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202:.state
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