A judge ruled last month Sandra Hemme must be freed or retried for the 1980 murder within 30 days, but the Missouri Attorney General fought to keep her imprisoned.

A woman whose murder conviction was overturned after she served 43 years in prison  was released Friday, after Missouri’s attorney general fought for more than a month to keep her behind bars.

Sandra Hemme, 63, left prison Friday in Chillicothe, hours after a judge threatened to hold the attorney general’s office in contempt if they continued to fight against her release. She reunited with her family at a nearby park, where she hugged her daughter and granddaughter. Her sister, Joyce Ann Kays, was all grins.

The judge originally ruled on June 14 that Hemme’s attorneys had established “clear and convincing evidence” of “actual innocence” and overturned the conviction. But Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought her release in the courts.

  • @JoshuaFalken
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    232 months ago

    The PAC that got this AG elected must have a loose definition of ‘crooked’.

    From their site:

    Join our dedicated community of Christ-followers who have committed to championing our God-given liberties, taking a stand for biblical justice, and paving the way for a brighter future. Together, we strive for reformation in our government and seek to make the crooked paths straight for our generation.