Bill Peterson district attorney for the 22nd district that includes Pontotoc, Seminole and Hughes counties, in Oklahoma said he plans to retire after Jan. 1. after 27 years.
In Sept. this year less then 2 months ago, Bill Peterson decided to sue John Grisham and Doubleday Dell Publishing Group.
The lawsuit also names:
•Dennis Fritz, the author of “Journey Toward Justice.”
•Robert Mayer, author of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Barry Scheck, one of Fritz’s lawyers who helped exonerate him, and a co-author of “Actual Innocence,” that discusses the case of Williamson and Fritz.
•The Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, publisher of “The Innocent Man” and “Actual Innocence.”
•Random House Inc., which owns Doubleday Dell.
•Broadway Books, publisher of “The Dreams of Ada.”
•Seven Locks Press and/or James C. Riordan, publisher of “Journey Toward Justice.”The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges civil conspiracy, libel, placing a person in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Peterson says the defendants "coordinated their efforts to launch a massive joint defamatory attack" on him.
William N. Peterson got murder convictions on two men, Dennis Fritz and Ron Williamson, who did 12 years in prison before they were cleared by DNA evidence. Fritz and Williamson's experiences are chronicled in two books, John Grisham's first nonfiction book, "The Innocent Man," and Dennis Fritz's, book, "Journey Toward Justice". Bill Peterson got questionable convictions on two other men, Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, in a separate murder case.
They are still in prison.
Robert Mayer, is the author of “The Dreams of Ada.” A book written primary about the murder of Denice Haraway and the subsequent investigation, prosecution and conviction of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. The other Plaintiff in the lawsuit is Gary Rogers, a former agent for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers were instrumental in the conviction of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz in the murder of Debbie Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma in 1982.
"It is something I've been thinking about for a while and came to the conclusion that it is time,” Bill Peterson" told the Ada Evening News . "I am 64 years old and came to the realization it's time to go to another phase in my life.”
UPDATE SEPT.2008 - Click Here For Update - CASE DISMISSED
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6 comments:
I just read Dennis Fritz's book "Journey Toward Justice". I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in non-fiction, and and interest in learning more about our horribly flawed system of justice in the United States.
I have read other Grisham books before, but I recently read 'The Chamber' and 'The Innocent Man' in the space of about 7 days.......and eventually arrived at your blog.
God bless you and all who seek to reveal the truth.
i recently finished reading "an innocent man" and to be honest im ashamed of the fact that events like this happen in a judicial system like ours. and im also in disbelief that the citizens of oklahoma would not call for the removal of william peterson and others involved in railroading mr.fritz and mr. williamson through the system. i am also appalled at the fact that nothing has happened to any of the members of the oklahoma penal system who allowed such mistreatment to go on. firings should start with the warden on down. i as a christian was afraid i would need psychiatric care when i found out how the pentacostal church treated the williamsom family after rons exhoneration
your in disbelief
david lang
having just finished "the Innocent Man" i am appalled and totally amazed that a judical system can be so "wrong." how the hell is Bill Peterson in office, and what ever happened to the so-called police officers? it just seems unreal that thoses people in power positions can be blindly driven to destroy peoples lives. it just leaves me "pissed off."
I stayed up all night so I could finish "An Innocent Man". It saddens and angers me to say that I AM NOT SURPRISED. The United States has the potential to possess the most elegant system of justice in the world. What a shame.
I just finished the book and I am still trying to see how someone with just a small amount of common sense could take 12 years away from these 2 men. In any big city Mr. Peterson would have gotten destroyed by a decent lawyer. I am glad evrything worked out ok. I only feel sorry for Ron and his famiiy for there pain. May God bless you guys.
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