Attorneys of a local Pennsylvanian were recently able to convince a jury that he is innocent in the death of a Philadelphia police officer. The man, William J. Barnes, 74 of Pennsylvania was convicted of shooting Philadelphia police officer Walter Barclay during a burglary in 1966. Barnes served 16 years in jail following the shooting and was released on parole before a more recent 2007 arrest.
The recent arrest was made based on charges that officer Barclay (decades later) had died as a direct result of an infection sustained as a result of the 1966 shooting. After officer Barlay died, Barnes, who was working at a local Roxborough supermarket at the time of the recent arrest, was then charged and arrested by city prosecutors for murder.
Although Mr. Barnes attorneys were able to convince a jury that he is innocent in the murder of Philadelphia police officer Walter Barclay, nearly three years after his arrest, Mr. Barnes still remains in jail based on technical parole violations, including holding a cellphone and keys in his pocket. Now, attornies are trying to persuade Pennsylvania's parole board that he should be released from prison now that the murder charges have been dropped.
Personal injury cases can be extremely complicated, as demonstrated by the case of William J. Barnes vs. the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia injury lawyers note that it is not unusual for it to take long for a verdict to be reached in such cases. It is often not uncommon that injuries sustained by a victim can come back to haunt a defendant years later. No matter what party you are, it is important to consult a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer every step of the way, to understand what charges can may be pressed in the present as well as in the future, and to defend your rights accordingly.
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