A few years ago, a judge ruled that Christopher Dunn should be freed, but Missouri law at the time only allowed courts to free innocent people trapped on death row. So Mr. Dunn spent more time in prison.
Missouri's law changed to allow prosecutors to sue to free those wrongfully convicted, and that's what happened for Mr. Dunn.
Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought the prosecutor every step of the way. The judge overturned Mr. Dunn's conviction and ordered his release. Bailey appealed - despite the law not giving him the authority to appeal - and told prison officials to ignore the judge's order. The judge threatened to hold officials in contempt if Mr. Dunn wasn't immediately released. Bailey then took an emergency appeal, lost, and took a second emergency appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court, keeping Mr. Dunn imprisoned.
This week, Missouri's Supreme Court stopped Andrew Bailey from keeping Mr. Dunn in prison. I had the distinct honor of explaining the ruling to Mr. Dunn's wife right after it was handed down.
Mr. Dunn is finally a free man. Unlike other states, Missouri provides no guaranteed compensation to those exonerated without DNA evidence, and even those who can receive compensation don't get much.
Mr. Dunn has a GoFundMe, and you can contribute online.
Mr. Dunn's entire case is a story of injustice. In particular, Andrew Bailey's unrelenting crusade to torment innocent people will forever be a terrible stain on Missouri's justice system.
When asked what he had to say to Andrew Bailey after being released, Christopher Dunn said, "Have a nice life."
I wish our Attorney General had anywhere close to the heart Mr. Dunn has. There are so many reasons why Missouri must have a new Attorney General, and perhaps none greater than this. Andrew Bailey has consistently fought to keep innocent people behind bars, and we cannot accept this horrific practice any longer. As Attorney General, I will end it.
