In an odd turn of events for the person known as the "champion of the falsely accused," WRAL reports that Christine Mumma was accused herself this week by the North Carolina State Bar of violating the Rules of Professional Conduct. Mumma serves as executive director and legal counsel for the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence. The allegations arise from Mumma’s work to free Joseph Sledge, who spent thirty-six years behind bars for the killing of a mother and her daughter in Bladen County in 1976 before he was exonerated last January. The state bar complaint asserts that Mumma went unannounced to the home of the sister of two men whom she considered suspects in the killings. The purpose of Mumma’s visit was to obtain a DNA sample from the sister, Ms. Andrus, but Andrus refused to provide a DNA sample on that day. Andrus expressed concern that Mumma was looking for a “scapegoat” and said she wanted to speak to her family members before making a final decision on whether to provide DNA. Mumma took a water bottle from the home when she left that she knew “might not have belonged to [her].” Once Mumma returned to her car and saw her own water bottle there, she confirmed that the water bottle was not hers. After Andrus confirmed with Mumma that she did not intend to submit a DNA sample, Mumma submitted the water bottle to a laboratory for DNA testing. The DNA did not match the brothers to the crime. [...]
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