Report Reveals Broken Scales of Justice For Michigan’s Poor Defendants
LANSING, MI – Ken Wyniemko was convicted of a rape he didn’t commit in 1994. Wyniemko was freed from prison in 2004, after spending 9 years locked up. The results of DNA test of a cigarette butt and semen stained nylons showed that it didn’t match his DNA. Although, Wyniemko professed his innocence, he was convicted of rape and burglary. A court appointed attorney assigned to Wyniemko’s case had less than a week to prepare for his defense. The jury also heard from a jailhouse informant who was spared a life sentence for his testimony that Wyniemko confessed. Even though the victim was blindfolded and the attacker wore a ski mask, she said she was certain that it was Wyniemko. A judge exceeded the sentencing guidelines because Wyniemko didn’t show remorse and sentenced him to 40 – 60 years in prison.
