the 132-year-old award-winning independent student-run newspaper of the university of cincinnati
Vol. CXXXIIi Issue LVVVVVVVVI
The News Record THURSDAY | MARCH 14 | 2013
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UC students free innocent prisoner Ayers exonerated of murder, awarded $13.2 million for wrongful prosecution benjamin goldschmidt chief reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com A federal jury awarded one of the biggest compensation sums in the country to a wrongfully imprisoned Cleveland man freed by the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati. David Ayers was awarded $13.2 million for wrongful prosecution and imprisonment after he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Dorothy Brown in 1999. The payment is among the top 10 greatest sums awarded for wrongful imprisonment in the country, and the greatest in Ohio. The Ohio Innocence Project — a group of UC law students dedicated to freeing wrongfully convicted prisoners — took up Ayer’s case in 2008 after discovering DNA testing could prove him innocent. The students believed he was wrongfully
convicted after reading the police records indicating Ayers was charged based on little evidence and a single testimony by an enlisted “jailhouse snitch,” according to a statement. He was linked to the case because he was the last person to see Brown alive. Students and members of OIP also believe Ayers was wrongfully sentenced because the officers building the case on him thought he is homosexual, said Carrie Wood, an Ohio Innocence Project attorney and assistant academic director in the UC College of Law. Cleveland Police Department Officer Denise Kovach wrote in a police report filed in 2000, “this male appeared very ‘gay’ like, but when we asked him if he was gay, he laughed and stated no ... but this male acted very ‘gay like.’” A DNA test revealed Ayers was innocent. He was exonerated and released in 2011 after 11 1/2 years behind bars.
The DNA test took so long because of delays with state testing, said “Jailhouse informants, or snitches, are one of the leading causes or wrongful convictions in the US, so to base an entire case on a snitch is incredibly troubling,” Wood said. “They manipulated a large portion of other evidence in Mr. Ayer’s case, so not only did they put an innocent man in prison but they had to maneuver evidence in order to do so.” The state of Ohio didn’t help the UC law students with the litigation process, said Mark Godsey, co-founder of the Ohio Innocence Project. “The state never wants to agree to DNA testing,” Godsey said. “They typically fight the litigation process.” Officers Denice Kovach and Michael Cipo — the officers who built the case against Ayers and allegedly enlisted the help of an “in-house” snitch — both retired with full benefits from the Cleveland Police Department.
Ayers was not as lucky. While in prison, he missed both of his parents’ funerals, and his conviction cost him his job as a security guard with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. He had never been arrested prior to this incident. “It’s hard to put a price on years of your life being stolen,” Wood said. “I always ask my students … how much money would it take for you to be willing to give up a year of your life — to miss your parents, your life, your family? Certainly the jury believed they had to award that money to do justice to Mr. Ayers.” The jury’s awarded the money not only because of the amount of time Ayers spent in prison, but because the justice system worked against him, Wood said. “My only hope is that the jury award opens people’s eyes up to the problems of wrongful convictions and where our justice system breaks down,” Wood said.
UC appoints vice president of legal affairs Kenya Faulkner to advise Ono, Board of Trustees, solve university legal issues alexis o’brien staff reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono announced Monday Kenya Faulkner will be the university’s new vice president for legal affairs and general counsel starting April 1. In her new role as chief legal officer, Faulkner will draft strategies to solve university legal issues and advise the Board of Trustees, Ono and other UC officers. “Kenya is more than a gifted attorney and a distinguished leader,” Ono said in a statement. “She is a change agent with a proven record of making the people and processes around her better.” Faulkner will facilitate decisionmaking and manage legal risks before they become problems that threaten the financial, operational, strategic or other interests of the university. “Kenya has served this commonwealth with great distinction and I am extremely proud that the University of Cincinnati has selected her to be its general counsel,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. Faulkner will serve as a special assistant to Ono until the state approves her appointment. “Because the university’s general counsel person has to have an official relationship with the attorney general of Ohio, we’re just waiting for action to be taken by the state so that Faulkner can officially begin as VP,” said Greg Hand, UC spokesperson. As Pennsylvania’s inspector general, Faulkner oversaw an agency of 244 employees. “As Inspector General, Kenya’s mission was to ensure integrity, accountability and confidence in public programs, employees and contracts,” Corbett said. “She has worked diligently to exceed that goal.’’ Faulkner has more than 20 years of trial experience and taught at Temple University Law School. “That we can recruit a national leader of her caliber only reaffirms UC’s upward trajectory,” Ono said. Gregory Mohar, interim general counsel, will reclaim his position as a university attorney.
ansa | zuma press/mctcampus
APPOINTING THE POPE Approximately 117 cardinals appointed a new pope, Jorge Mario Bergogilio, at the Vatican Wednesday.
THE CHOSEN ONE
First Jesuit, South American pope appointed on second day KARA DRISCOLL NEWS EDITOR newsrecordNEWS@gmail.com White smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, signifying the appointment of a new pope Wednesday. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 266th pontiff and first Jesuit and South American to lead the Catholic Church, chose the name Francis. “It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen who is from far away,” Francis said, referencing his distant roots. “Here I am.” After the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI due to health problems related to age, many Catholics are concerned with the appointment of another aging pope, said Dennis Schnurr, the archbishop of Cincinnati. “Cardinal Bergoglio is right there with Pope Benedict, and it is probably a concern of a number of people for his energy level,” the archbishop said.“People of age 76 can be very energetic and can still have many good years of service in them. I was expecting someone of a younger age.”
Those concerns did not stop hundreds of thousands of people from standing in the rain in Vatican City to witness the choosing of the new pope — a cardinal from Argentina. As the bells rang from the Basilica, chants such as “We have a pope,” echoed throughout St. Peter’s Square. Francis waved at the crowd gathered in the square with a stunned look, and led everyone in a series of prayers. “[Francis seemed] overwhelmed by the election, someone who is very humble and wanted the people to know he needed their prayers and that he was praying for them and reaching out to them,” Schnurr said. The 76-year-old pope was elected by 115 cardinals, and had to receive at least 77 votes to be appointed. While there was no imminent leader, it was one of the fastest conclaves in years. “The last conclave was in 2005, and this time there was no front-runner,” Schnurr said. “I was surprised how quickly this election went.” The administration of the Vatican needs significant attention, Schnurr said, after the first papal resignation in 600 years.
Appointed in 2005 as the clear choice, Benedict’s abrupt resignation Feb. 28 sparked upheaval and astonishment. “First and foremost, I would like to pray for our bishop emeritus, Benedict XVI, very much,” Francis said.“Let us pray together for him so that he is blessed by the lord.” Francis, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, worked with priests and churches in the area, living a humble life in the city. Rev. Frederico Lombardi, the Vatican see pope | 2
Lecture series bickering continues at UC Jerry Springer, Ken Blackwell discuss differing viewpoints, botch civility alexis o’brien Staff reporter newsrecordnews@gmail.com
phil didion | chief photographer
POLITICAL DISCOURSE Jerry Springer and Ken Blackwell talked at UC Tuesday night.
A proposed demonstration of civil political discourse turned into a backand-forth between former Cincinnati politicians Jerry Springer and Ken Blackwell at the University of Cincinnati’s Kresge Auditorium Tuesday night. The lecture series, titled “Beyond Civility,” aims to bring more understanding to Cincinnati’s political scene by featuring two politicians with opposing views. The speakers typically discuss events that shaped their political views. “Although both of our presenters had started their political life on Cincinnati City Council, both are mature men who have achieved a very significant presence on the world stage,” said Bea Larson, event moderator.
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Larson asked the men questions about their upbringing, influences and if their political views shifted in any significant way. Bobby Kennedy influenced Springer while a high school teacher influenced Blackwell. The event was intended to demonstrate civility, but both speakers drifted into their differing viewpoints. “Our value system has to be reflected in the government,” Springer said. “When talking about health, how can anyone morally say that its OK that 30 million people are without healthcare?” Blackwell offered a conservative response to Springer’s admittedly liberal view regarding healthcare. “The question is not whether we need to help people, it is how to effectively help people,” Blackwell said. “There are ways to see politics | 2