Six Million Reasons to Be Ashamed
Durham’s Shame: A City Refuses to Pay for Its Mistake The city of Durham has found itself at the center of a troubling legal and moral scandal. After a wrongful conviction that cost an innocent man decades of his life, the city has now refused to honor a $6 million court-ordered verdict in his favor. Instead of owning up to its responsibility, Durham has doubled down on denial and legal maneuvering. The result is a stunning display of injustice, fiscal irresponsibility, and betrayal of public trust. The Wrongful Conviction of Darryl Howard The case centers on Darryl Howard, a man who was wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder after a Durham police officer, Darrell Dowdy, fabricated evidence to secure a conviction. Howard spent years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. On appeal, new evidence—including DNA—proved his innocence and revealed the misconduct that led to his imprisonment. This should have been a straightforward case of the system correcting itself. Instead, Du...