> Ms. Haddaway had demanded that the state dismiss unrelated drug charges against her grandson in exchange for her testimony against Mr. Smith and Mr. Faulkner. The recordings also show that the state refused to place that deal in writing to prevent Ms. Haddaway from being cross-examined on the issue. The state, in fact, dismissed the charges three days before Mr. Andrews’s trial was scheduled to begin.

So they didn't just withhold information, 13 years after they manufactured a witness with some quid pro quo?

I think there was a crime committed here.

On top of all the other bullshit, his trial was thrown out a year ago but they still forced him to spend the pandemic locked up because... there's no reason given.

Ms Haddaway made a secret deal with the prosecutors and the prosecutors did not reveal this. But did she lie?

What this article forgets to mention is that Ms Haddaway wore a wire and got Jonathan Smith on tape that he committed the murder in order to get $60000 [1]. Here's part of the dialog for reader's convenience:

"[BH:]Why were you in that field with blood all over ya? And they take, I seen ya goin’up the road that day, you know it? And you had a blue coat on and Ray [Andrews] and you both had huntin’hats on. And then when I come back by there and you were in that cornfield and you said that blood come off a dog, but I think that you held her and David [Faulkner] killed her or one of you three done it.

[JS:]They never found out yet have they?

[BH:]I know, that’s why I want to know ‘fore I die. I seen ya, did I ever tell anybody? You know I ain’t gonna tell on ya, goddamn, you’re my blood. I just wanted to know if you done it. I didn’t really think you did. I think crazy David did

[JS:]It’s a secret. It’s a secret when one person knows[.] It aint [sic] a secret when two people know.

[BH:]Well, the three of you know.

[JS:]Right, there’s only two left.

[BH:]It was you and Ray and David.

[JS:]Ray wasn’t there until after it was over.

[BH:]Where was he?

[JS:]Down the road.

[BH:]Ray was right with you in the goddamn field.

[JS:]Yeah. That was after it was all done with.

...

[BH:] Tell me. I ain’t gonna tell nobody, I just want to know (inaudible).

[JS:]He didn’t do it.

[BH:]You done it.

[JS:]Uh huh.

[BH:]You said you did it before. Why did you kill her? I thought she let you in there when you went fishin’[.]... What, you didn’t know her?

[JS:]I knew she had money.

[BH:]You knew she had money.

[JS:]She had money."

[1] https://www.courts.state.md.us/sites/default/files/unreporte...

> evidence that the prosecution improperly withheld from the defense regarding the reliability of informant testimony

What are the consequences of this for the prosecution?

Prosecutorial misconduct like that should be punished severely -- there needs to be accountability for destroying other people's lives.

EASTON — Jonathan Smith, one of three men implicated in the 1987 murder-burglary of Adeline Wilford in Easton, was released as part of a plea deal on Wednesday after spending more than 20 years of a life sentence behind bars.

Smith entered an Alford plea to first-degree felony murder and daytime housebreaking in the case of Wilford’s death. The plea is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges a potential for conviction if the case had gone to trial.

The conditions of his pleading guilty were that his sentence be suspended and he be granted probation. Talbot Circuit Judge Stephen Kehoe accepted the plea and handed Smith five years of supervised probation and a suspended life sentence.

Joseph Michael, special prosecutor in the case, said he reached the agreement with Smith’s attorney Don Salzman over the weekend. Michael said a plea deal had always been a potential outcome in the case but Smith had not previously been willing plead guilty.

The prosecutor said of the agreement Wednesday that while “the only real justice would be for this crime to never have happened,” he stands behind his offer “because this matter needs to be closed.”

Smith “can hide behind an Alford plea,” he said, “but he’s a guilty man and he will always be guilty.”

Another case of innocence I just listened to is of Myon Burrell sentenced to life in prison for a crime he didn't commit:

https://revealnews.org/podcast/the-jail-tapes-in-the-dumpste...

> Most people serving life sentences don’t have an investigative reporter show up to volunteer at their prison and spend a year reinvestigating their case. Most don’t have ties to a presidential candidate to make their story more appealing to news editors. George Floyd’s killing probably also played a role. Floyd’s death gripped Minnesota and put a spotlight on systemic racism before the eyes of the world. There are efforts around the country to review old cases like Myon’s. About a dozen states have set up sentencing review units or conviction review units. Minnesota is establishing one, but it’s unlikely all the Myons out there will get anyone to give their old cases a second look.

This folks is why you keep location history turned on on your phone and why you audio record everything.

When the police try to frame you for something you didn't do, you won't have to spend 21 years behind bars.

Imagine trying to restart your life after that. You would still be unemployable because of what comes up from google searches. Out of touch with everything

Was there any damages awarded? Surely the state is liable for a large sum as damages in this case?

Wake me up when when they put government liars behind bars.