An old saying states, “Think before you speak as you can’t take back what you say.” While the proverb is typically used as a tool to teach children about the power of words, the saying holds weight in a variety of scenarios—one of them being false accusations. False accusations are incidents where someone is accused, charged, or convicted of a crime based on pretenses. While false accusations can come in multiple forms, they most often stem from sexual misconduct. Unfortunately, these accusations can ruin lives and reputations, something that can be seen through these testimonies.
Thomas Kennedy
Thomas Kennedy was accused of rape by his daughter on several occasions. Based on the sensitivity of the claims and the seemingly authentic evidence, Thomas was sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, after nine long years, Thomas’ daughter confessed that the physical pieces of evidence of that put Thomas away were caused by an elementary school boy that she was having relations with. As the boy was an adult at the point of her confession, he substantiated the claim, releasing Thomas from prison.
While Thomas is a free man today, he can never get back those nine years; and in the minds of some, he will always be a rapist despite his innocence.
Nora Wall
Nora Wall was an Irish Catholic nun working for the Sisters of Mercy who was wrongfully accused of rape in June of 1999. The women who accused her stated that she had raped them six years before the charge, claiming that they had forgotten the incident due to repressed memories. She was convicted to a life sentence, in which she served four days. After four days of imprisonment, one of the women who accused Nora of the incident stated that she had also been raped by a black man in Leicester Square. This cast doubt on her statements about Nora, and the other accuser eventually said she had made up her allegations.
While the accusations were false, the hatred Nora faced after the conviction was fierce. Some news outlets called Nora names like “Mercy Devil,” “Vile/Pervert Nun,” and stated the girls had been “Raped by the Anti-Christ.”
Despite these claims, once Nora was found innocent, she said that she would probably never work again because no job would take her regardless of her innocence. Publications did not apologize for their scathing remarks on the day of her conviction.
Daniel Hubbard
In May 2018, a Texas police officer by the name of Daniel Hubbard made a routine DUI stop which resulted in the arrest of a 37-year-old woman. The day after the arrest, Daniel was surprised to receive an official statement from a civil rights attorney on behalf of the woman he arrested the day before. The statement claimed that Daniel had told the woman that she could get out of her DUI charge if she performed sexual favors.
The media went wild, claiming that another cop had used his power to take advantage of a civilian. However, after a thorough investigation of the trooper’s dashboard and body cameras, the police released a lengthy video of the arrest that proved that Daniel Hubbard had upheld his duties as a cop.
While Daniel was never in fear of being convicted, the public had already lambasted him for inappropriate sexual behavior that he never committed.
These stories and the thousands of other stories that stem from false accusations are a primary reason why we at Caplan & Tamburino represent all kinds of men and women convicted of criminal charges. The goal of our firm is to defend the truth to the best of our ability, allowing juries and judges to make informed decisions based on the facts. We believe that people should never be convicted of a crime without experienced representation by their side.
Innocent until proven guilty is the foundation of our work. If you or a loved one have been convicted of a crime, contact us at (612) 444-5020 for a free consultation for your case.