By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
35 years served without conviction, man gets new trial
Placeholder Image
BAY CITY, Texas (AP) — For more than 35 years, a Texas man has been in a prison even though an appeals court threw out his conviction on a 1976 murder charge that initially had him on death row. On Monday, 59-year-old Jerry Hartfield will return to court for a retrial, facing a life sentence if convicted of killing a woman who sold tickets at a Bay City bus station. Prosecutors and defense lawyers have haggled over who’s to blame for decades of inaction and whether Hartfield’s right to a speedy trial have been violated.