Sidney Harr

Photo by Matt Ramey

Recently, we shared an interview with Crystal Mangum, the former exotic dancer who, in 2006, falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape. The interview sparked national and international headlines—even drawing commentary from Donald Trump, of all people. What many may not know is that Crystal has spent the past 12 years in prison for the murder of her ex-boyfriend—a conviction she and her fiancé, Dr. Sidney Harr, passionately dispute. While we are not experts in criminal justice, one thing that stood out to us was Sidney’s 12-year unwavering dedication to Crystal. Intrigued, we wanted to explore his story further:

What are some of the biggest obstacles you’ve faced in trying to get Crystal out of prison?

The biggest obstacles I faced have been people refusing to allow me to present to them evidence of Crystal Mangum’s innocence in her boyfriend’s 2011 death. Government officials (e.g., governors, attorneys general, district attorneys, chief medical examiners, etc.), civil rights/social justice organizations, politicians (e.g., State legislators, congressional members, mayors, city council members, etc.), innocence projects, and members of the media have all, for the most part, roundly ignored me and my efforts to inform them about the truths of her wrongful conviction.

Do you feel the legal system has been fair to Crystal?

No. Crystal’s lawyers have not, in my opinion, always acted in her best interests (The courts rejected Crystal Mangum’s arguments on appeal that her attorneys provided ineffective assistance of counsel.) Judges have held Ms. Mangum (who is pro se and incarcerated) to stricter standards than state/federal attorneys with large staffs and unlimited resources; an example being by stringently ruling on technicalities instead of merit and/or equity to support a desirable outcome for the State. Whereas judges are attentive to motions by the State, pro se motions by Ms. Mangum are often disregarded. Also, the pace of Ms. Mangum’s legal proceedings have been drawn out to cause significant delays which deny justice.

What reforms would you like to see in the justice system?

I would like to see full and good-faith compliance to judicial codes and rules currently in place for attorneys and judges, and oversight by the appropriate commissions and/or committees that is fairly and seriously enforced.

What’s the one thing you wish people understood about this experience?

In advocating for Crystal Mangum it became readily evident that her 2013 second-degree murder conviction was not about justice but rather about retaliation against her for her 2006 sexual assault accusations. What is often forgotten is that Ms. Mangum was not the only victim of the perceived payback by the State, courts, and media because it tore apart her family... deprived her three children of a mother and kept her mother from spending precious time with her daughter and who died with the belief Crystal would serve her full sentence and never be exonerated.

How do you stay hopeful and motivated when things feel overwhelming?

What has kept me going throughout this ordeal was the knowledge that Crystal was absolutely innocent in her boyfriend’s death and I had facts to prove it... in short, truth and justice were on our side. My challenge was not proving her innocence, but getting someone in power to allow me to present evidence of her innocence.

How has this experience changed you or your perspective on life?

Though at the outset I did not consider myself to be naïve, I had a modicum of faith in the criminal justice system.  However, after more than a decade of constant struggle with the State, the courts, and the media in seeking justice for Crystal, I now am extremely disillusioned by the State, the courts, and the media.  Societal advances in civil rights which I thought had been achieved decades ago, now seem to be nothing more than a mirage.  My efforts in seeking justice for Crystal brought much clarity.

What’s love? 

Though it may sound like a cliché, love is caring for someone more than oneself. 

Left, photo of Sidney Harr by Matt Ramey. Sidney’s cat Adonis, photo courtesy of Sidney Harr.