He Was Innocent. He Still Served 44 Years.

In all the time I've spent fighting for criminal justice reform, I've rarely seen a case as bad as Ronnie Long's. If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.       The Wrongful Conviction of Ronnie Long   The mood at the courthouse in Concord, North Carolina was tense. Ronnie Long, 20, a Black cement mason, was on trial for the rape of Sarah Bost, 54, a wealthy, white widow. All summer, protesters had demonstrated against Long's arrest, accusing police of racial bias. Now, hundreds were gathered outside for the verdict in a case that had torn the community apart. Inside, tensions were even higher. Virtually every spectator on the defense's side was Black; everyone on the prosecution's side, and all twelve jurors, were white. When Long was declared guilty, the audience erupted, and police rushed to clear the courtroom. That was in October 1976. This past August, Long was exonerated and walked out of prison a free man. He'd been locked up for forty-four years, placing him third on the list of American prisoners who've served the longest sentences for crimes they did not commit. In all the time Jason Flom has spent fighting for criminal justice reform, he's rarely seen a case as bad as Ronnie Long's. Flom unpacks it here. Read More           Joe Biden's Commitment to Competence Is an Automatic Reproach to the Current Administration*   Serendipity: The Transition Team's Friend. Monday morning, the president-elect named the members of his pandemic task force and, by comparison to the hacks and quacks to whom we've been treated over the past several months, this one looks like the A-Team. The board also includes Rick Bright, the former employee of the current administration* who resigned to become a whistleblower as regards the administration*'s bungled pandemic response, especially its shilling for hydroxychloriquine. I know it is the policy of the incoming administration not to gloat and to unite the country, especially in relation to the pandemic, but it almost can't help but throw a shot at Camp Runamuck by hiring people who actually know what they're doing. A commitment to competence is an automatic reproach to the current administration*, and that's just the way it goes. And if you were going to announce your task force, it's a very good day to have done it on Monday. Charles P. Pierce explains why. Read More           Rugby Shirts Are Officially a Fall Essential. Here Are 18 of the Best.   The rugby has come marching triumphantly back onto the scene, sometimes channeling the '90s vibe of its earlier heyday, sometimes looking like it might actually show up in a match, and sometimes looking entirely new and different. It's been a few years since that initial comeback, and the rugby revival is showing no signs of slowing down. Which means if you haven't already added one to your rotation, now's the time. And if you've already got a few? Hell, get a few more. Here are our favorites out there right now. Read More           These Are the Hands-Down Best Grooming Products of 2020   In case it wasn't already abundantly obvious: Yes, being stuck inside for months on end did change some of the calculus of grooming in 2020. Rallying under the flag of "Who's Going to See It, Anyway?" we countered cabin fever with enthusiastic experimentation. We gave ourselves haircuts, we tried different facial hair, we painted our nails, we spent way more time on skincare. And thanks to all those endeavors with the new and novel, we reminded ourselves of an old standby: Grooming isn't always about quantity, it's about quality. And, hell, we had the time to find it. So, through extensive trial and error, we discovered updated essentials, revisited a few classics, and reimagined our routines from the ground up thanks to these winning products. Read More           Amazon Has a Giant Board Game Sale for Your Next Game Night   There are two types of people in the world: people who love board games and bad people. We do not make the rules; they were already in the box. Fortunately, for the former group, Amazon is having a massive sale on some often-expensive board games. Gone are the days when you could pick up Sammy the Seal or Don't Break the Ice at Target for a reasonable $12.99. The games available to you today take the notion of "game night" and raise it to greater heights. Adult board games (or ABGs, for the real ones) are about strategy, cutthroat tactics, and devastating losses that will be taken too seriously after a bottle of wine. The frustrating thing though is that intricate board games like Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride run upward of 50 bucks. Yikes. That's what makes this sale all the more noteworthy. With deep discounts available, including those below, quarantine starts feeling less like a chore and more like a break. Read More           The MVP of Your Coffee Table Is Just a Few Clicks Away   We're talking, of course, about Esquire Magazine. Specifically, a whole year's worth of it. But by joining our new club, Esquire Select, you don't just get the magazine. You get Esquire at the speed of the internet, with unlimited access to Esquire.com. You get an edge in the form of political talking points, with unlimited access to The Politics Blog with Charles P. Pierce. You get a members-only, weekly email directly from the editors, curated by our editors and filled with the best stuff of the week. And you get access to our inner circle, meaning our friends are now your friends—and our deals and discounts are yours now, too. It's the best money you'll spend all year, and you get it all with an Esquire Select membership. Read More         Read More on Esquire.com       Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2020 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019