Court Upholds Freedom for Woman Whose Conviction Was Overturned After 43 Years Behind Bars

An appellate court in Missouri ruled Tuesday that a lower court was right when it decided to overturn the murder conviction of a woman who spent 43 years behind bars for a killing that her attorneys argue was committed by a discredited police officer. Sandra Hemme was freed in July while the decision to overturn her conviction was reviewed — at the insistence of Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who argued she should remain imprisoned. Presiding Judge Cynthia Martin wrote in the scathing 71-page ruling that some arguments raised by Bailey’s office bordered “on the absurd” and gave prosecutors 10 days to refile charges....