Laurence Adams, who was sentenced to death in Massachusetts in 1974 shortly before the state finally abandoned capital punishment, was released on May 20 after spending three decades of his life in prison. In April 2004, a judge overturned Adams’ conviction when new evidence, including conflicting statements from the state’s star witness and a statement from a witness who said two other people committed the murder, cast doubt on his guilt. Superior Court Judge Robert A. Mulligan said that he vacated the conviction to “avoid a miscarriage of justice.” Suffolk County prosecutors must decide by May 24 whether to appeal Mulligan’s decision or whether they will retry Adams. “You can’t be bitter because you can’t stop the clock,” Adams said. “I did what I had to do in the circumstances in which I was placed. I did everything positive, and I hoped for this day.” (Associated Press, May 20, 2004) See Innocence.