MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE
IN POTENTIALLY CAPITAL CASES (1987)
by Hugo Adam Bedau and Michael L. Radelet

Excerpt from Appendix A: Catalogue of Defendants
 

CHAMBERS, LEON (black). 1969. Mississippi. Chambers was convicted of killing a white* police officer and sentenced to life imprisonment. On initial appeal the conviction was affirmed.1 On further appeal, the United States Supreme Court reversed the conviction.2 Shortly after Chambers’ arrest, another man confessed to the crime (both orally and in writing), and two witnesses at the trial testified that they saw this second man shoot the officer. But the confession was retracted before Chambers’ trial. Three witnesses who had heard the confession (repeated on separate occasions) were not permitted to testify. Chambers was one of dozens in a crowd who were fired upon by the police during an unsuccessful attempt to make an arrest. Chambers was hit and left for dead. Apart from one witness, who claimed that he had seen Chambers shoot the victim, there was no other evidence to connect Chambers to the crime. After the conviction was reversed, all charges against Chambers were dismissed.3

*Note (not in source): The state appeal indicates the killed officer was black.

Footnotes

1. Chambers v. State, 252 So. 2d 217 (Miss. 1971).
 
2. Chambers v. Mississippi, 410 U.S. 284 (1973).
 
3. See G. MILLER, INVITATION TO A LYNCHING 304 (1975); telephone interview with defense attorney, George West (Oct. 10, 1985).