FORMER EXONERATION FOR MAN WRONGLY CONVICTED FOR RAPE

New York Times/John Eligon

Calling wrongful convictions a catastrophe both for the injured party and for the criminaljustice system, Justice Richard D. Carruthers, a Manhattan judge of State Supreme Court, issued adecision that officially exonerated William McCaffrey, now 32, of a rape charge that had kept himin prison for about four years.  McCaffrey was arrested in September 2005 on charges that hehad raped Biurny Peguero while they were on their way to a party in Upper Manhattan.  Sherecanted her testimony this year and said she had liked to cover up for a fight she had had withsome of her friends.  She pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of perjury and faces up toseven years in prison.
(New York)