NPR, FrontLine, and ProPublica are staying with the story of Ernie Lopez, keeping one tale of an outrageous conviction in the news.
In January, a Texas Court of Appeals vacated Lopez’s conviction for the presumed assault on a 6-month-old girl. Last week he was released from prison, to an exuberant welcome by family and friends, who promptly held a concert to raise money for his upcoming legal fees.
Amarillo County District Attorney Randall Simms has said he plans to retry the case, possibly as early as this fall.
The NPR segment about Lopez’s release is posted on line, with a succinct text summary of the medical issues, and links to previous NPR coverage of the case.
The ProPublica text story, which also addresses the medical issues, has embedded links to segments of the FrontLine video treatment, for a satisfying multi-media experience.
The audio and video treatments present more of the human side to the story, which is incredible in itself: Ernie Lopez seems to be a man of tremendous resilience, faith, and grace, treasured by his family and community.
2013 update: Ernie Lopez accepted a plea bargain, admitting to a felony but facing no more prison time.
On Shaken Baby 