Editing West Memphis Three (section)

===Plea deal and release (2011)===
After weeks of negotiations, on August 19, 2011, Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley were released from prison as part of a plea deal, making the hearings ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court unnecessary.<ref name=nyt_alford/> The three entered into [[Alford plea]] deals. Stephen Braga, an attorney with Ropes & Gray who took up Echols's defense on a ''[[pro bono]]'' basis beginning in 2009, negotiated the plea agreement with prosecutors.<ref>{{cite web|last=Randazzo|first=Sara|title=The Ropes & Gray Partner Who Helped Free the West Memphis Three|url=http://www.ropesgray.com/files/upload/002081104RopesGray.pdf|publisher=American Lawyer Daily|access-date=September 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406021648/http://www.ropesgray.com/files/upload/002081104RopesGray.pdf|archive-date=April 6, 2012}}</ref>

Under the deal, Judge David Laser vacated the previous convictions, including the capital murder convictions for Echols and Baldwin, and ordered a new trial. Each man then entered an Alford plea to lesser charges of first- and second-degree murder while verbally stating their innocence. Judge Laser then sentenced them to [[time served]], a total of 18 years and 78 days, and they were each given a suspended imposition of sentence for 10 years.<ref name=nyt_alford>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/us/20arkansas.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/us/20arkansas.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited|newspaper= The New York Times|title=Deal Frees 'West Memphis Three' in Arkansas|first=Campbell|last=Robertson|date=August 19, 2011|access-date=August 28, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> If they re-offend they can be sent back to prison for 21 years.<ref name=ArOnline/>

Factors cited by prosecutor Scott Ellington for agreeing to the plea deal included that two of the victims' families had joined the cause of the defense, that the mother of a witness who testified about Echols's confession had questioned her daughter's truthfulness, and that the State Crime Lab employee who collected fiber evidence at the Echols and Baldwin homes after their arrests had died.<ref>Max Brantley, [http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2011/08/19/prosecutors-statement-on-west-memphis-3-plea-deal Prosecutor's statement on West Memphis 3 plea deal] ''[[Arkansas Times]]'' August 19, 2011</ref> As part of the plea deal, the three men cannot pursue civil action against the state for wrongful imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=511867 |title=West Memphis Three Attorneys Discuss Alford Plea Details|publisher=Maxwell S. Kennerly |last=Libby |first=Karen |date=August 26, 2011 |access-date=January 24, 2012}}</ref>

Many of the men's supporters, and opponents who still believe them guilty, were unhappy with the unusual plea deal.<ref>{{cite web |last=Leveritt |first=Mara |title=FLASH: West Memphis 3 freed in plea bargain |work=Arkansas Blog |publisher=Arkansas Times |date=August 19, 2011 |url=http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2011/08/19/flash-west-memphis-3-freed-in-plea-bargain-on-1993-murders |access-date=January 24, 2012 }}</ref> In 2011, supporters pushed Arkansas Governor [[Mike Beebe]] to pardon Echols, Baldwin, and Misskelley based on their innocence. Beebe said he would deny the request unless there was evidence showing someone else committed the murders.<ref>{{cite news |title=West Memphis 3, locked up 18 years, together in NY |last=Bauder |first=David |date=October 10, 2011 |work=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |url=http://www.chron.com/default/article/West-Memphis-3-locked-up-18-years-together-in-NY-2211385.php |access-date=January 25, 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Prosecutor Scott Ellington said the Arkansas state crime laboratory would help seek other suspects by running searches on any DNA evidence produced in private laboratory tests during the defense team's investigation. This would include running the results through the FBI's [[CODIS|Combined DNA Index System]] database.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arkansas crime lab to study 'West Memphis 3' case DNA |last=Demillo |first=Andrew |agency=Associated Press |work=The Commercial Appeal |publisher=Scripps Newspaper Group—Online |date=August 27, 2011 |url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/27/ark-crime-lab-to-study-wm3-case-dna/?print=1 |access-date=January 25, 2012}}</ref> Ellington said that, although he still considered the men guilty, the three would likely be acquitted if a new trial were held because of the powerful legal counsel representing them now, the loss of evidence over time, and the change of heart among some of the witnesses.<ref name=nyt_alford/>