A Chinese-American woman was incarcerated for 17 years in Massachusetts after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her parents. But this month, her charges were vacated after the discovery of new evidence, including racist emails between the two prosecutors indicated they were “biased against Asians.”
Frances Choy was just 17 when she was charged with two counts of murder and one count of arson of a dwelling after a house fire at her Brockton, Massachusetts home killed her parents, Jimmy and Ann Trahn Choy. Frances and her nephew, then-16-year-old Kenneth Choy, were rescued from the home. Frances was tried three times for the crime, with the first two trials resulting in hung juries and the third trial, in 2011, ultimately convicting her on all charges.
Kenneth was charged with murder, as well, but was acquitted in 2008, shortly after Frances’ first mistrial. He testified against Frances, and despite evidence that Kenneth may have been involved in the setting of the fire, Frances’ attorneys didn’t call an expert witness for her trial or interview witnesses about Kenneth’s statements regarding his involvement. Prosecutors also withheld information from Frances’ attorneys about two other fires at the home while Frances was incarcerated. Kenneth went back to his native Hong Kong shortly before Frances’ third trial.
But perhaps the biggest bombshell revealed in Plymouth Superior Court judge Linda Giles’ decision to vacate Frances Choy’s conviction is the newly revealed evidence of prosecutorial bias. “This may be the first case in the U.S. where a murder conviction has been thrown out because of racism on the part of prosecutors,” John Barter, attorney for Frances Choy, said, according to PEOPLE. Barter spent nearly five years trying to get access to the emails, which were released last year after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ordered the Plymouth County District Attorney to do so. The DA’s office admitted the emails are “reprehensible” and “horrific.”
“The trial prosecutors exchanged numerous images of Asian people, some accompanied by pejorative comments and some unexplained. They exchanged jokes about Asian stereotypes and mocking caricatures of Asians using imperfect English,” Judge Giles wrote in her decision.
In the emails, then-Plymouth County prosecutors Karen O’Sullivan and John Bradley demonstrated “racial animus towards Frances and her family” (Frances’ parents were Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong and Vietnam), sending emails implying Frances had an incestual relationship with her nephew, Kenneth, exchanging images of Asian people “accompanied by pejorative comments,” making jokes about Asian stereotypes, and mocking caricatures of Asian people using broken English.
17 years in prison or just hang them, either sounds good for both of them. They failed their moral legal obligation to the people of their state and should be punished for it as an example for others, as an example
Time to jail the prosecutors for the same amount of time that the young woman served.
How horrible. Both of the prosecutors should be disbarred. I am an attorney. Racial bias in the courtroom should not be tolerated under no circumstance. They took 17 years of this woman’s life and there is no way she can get it back. Not even $10,000,000.00 would adequately compensate her for the astrosities she has suffered.
How come you can’t spell?
This is so very heartbreaking that she spent 17 years of her life behind bars. They should put her nephew and the 2 prosecutors behind bars
Put both criminal prosecutors in jail for twice the time the innocent victim spent. Are the Asians going to team up with the blm and antifa to burn and destroy cities all over the USA?
blm and antifa lives do not matter to me for those are thugs decent blacks are like all of us and do not want to commit crimes or destroy others property.
This is horrible. Many people are arrested for arson because the insurance companies don’t want to pay up and they have corporate lawyers to extend the trials until the accused person runs out of money and gives up trying to defend themself in court. Frances was a teenager and had no where else to go . Not a likely suspect anyway. The whole thing is a tragedy.
Keep this going please, great job!