Search | Wrongly Convicted

“Demons” Push Chris Conover to Suicide 12 Years after Release

Article • October 14, 2016

Filed under: Police Misconduct, Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, DNA Testing/Samples, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Suicides, FBI

“Demons” Push Chris Conover to Suicide 12 Years after Release by Release from prison is a great relief, and that is especially so for wrongfully convicted persons. The future, however, is wrought with difficulties, obstacles, and prejudice. For Chris Conover, it was a burden that overwhelmed him, pushing him to …

New York Prisoner Exonerated after Serving 25 Years

Article • October 3, 2016 • from PLN October, 2016

Filed under: Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

New York Prisoner Exonerated after Serving 25 Years by On March 10, 2016, Andre Hatchett, 49, became the 19th person exonerated since Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson strengthened a conviction review unit when he took office in 2014. Hatchett had been convicted of second degree murder for the 1991 death …

Exonerated Prisoner Appointed to Connecticut’s Parole Board

Article • October 3, 2016 • from PLN October, 2016

Filed under: Out of State Transfers, DNA Testing/Samples, Failure to Protect (General), Overcrowding, Parole, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement

Exonerated Prisoner Appointed to Connecticut’s Parole Board by Christopher Zoukis In an unusual turn of events, a former prisoner was appointed to Connecticut’s Parole Board. While ex-prisoners are typically not considered as parole board members, state officials decided that Kenneth F. Ireland was a qualified candidate. In 1989, when he …

Wisconsin: Wrongfully Convicted Former Prisoner Receives $6.5 Million

Article • October 3, 2016 • from PLN October, 2016

Filed under: Police Misconduct, DNA Testing/Samples, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

for people who are wrongfully convicted; currently, the state ranks last in the nation for the amount of compensation provided – $5,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment with a cap of $25,000. A bill ...

Illinois: Exonerated Prisoner Calls $80,000 Award a Travesty, Retrial Ordered

Article • October 3, 2016 • from PLN October, 2016

Filed under: Police Misconduct, Judicial Misconduct, Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

Illinois: Exonerated Prisoner Calls $80,000 Award a Travesty, Retrial Ordered by Gary Hunter Nathson E. Fields spent 18 years in prison due to a conveniently “lost” file that would have cleared him. Fields was a member of the El Rukn street gang when he was convicted of a double homicide …

Cones v. County of Los Angeles, CA, Order Granting Motion for New Trial, Arrest for Attempted Murder, 2016

Brief • September 28, 2016

Filed under: Gang Policies, Shootings, New Trial Motions, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Police, False Arrest, Arrest Warrants, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights

Cones v. County of Los Angeles, CA, Order Granting Motion for New Trial, Arrest for Attempted Murder, 2016 Case 2:14-cv-08281-PSG-PLA Document 180 Filed 09/28/16 Page 1 of 16 Page ID #:3080 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA CIVIL MINUTES - GENERAL Case No. CV 14-8281 PSG (PLAx) Title …

Walker v. White, Amended complaint, wrongful conviction case, 2016

Filing • September 27, 2016

Filed under: Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

and wrongful conviction of Plaintiff and his wrongful imprisonment, denying him his constitutional right to a fair trial, in violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States ...

$15,000 Settlement in D.C. Prisoner’s Bogus Parole Revocation Suit

Article • September 14, 2016

Filed under: Parole Board Misconduct, Parole, Wrongful Imprisonment, Arrest Warrants

$15,000 Settlement in D.C. Prisoner’s Bogus Parole Revocation Suit by The District of Columbia (D.C.) paid $15,000 to settle the lawsuit of prisoner George Hill for negligence and false imprisonment. On October 15, 1999, Hill surrendered himself to the D.C. Jail, believing there was a parole violation warrant. On September …

North Carolina Man Awaits Compensation Four Years After Death Row Exoneration

Article • September 9, 2016

Filed under: Release and Reentry, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Collateral consequences of prison, Family

North Carolina Man Awaits Compensation Four Years After Death Row Exoneration by Matthew Clarke Glen Edward Chapman's conviction for two Hickory, North Carolina murders was reversed and a new trial ordered because lead investigator Dennis 'Money had lied during his trial testimony and detectives had "lost, misplaced or destroyed" evidence …

Justice Department Impedes Release of "Legally Innocent" Prisoners

Article • September 9, 2016

Filed under: DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Release and Reentry, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Overdetention

Justice Department Impedes Release of "Legally Innocent" Prisoners by Derek Gilna Despite several recent high-profile cases where the U.S. Justice Department has urged the release of prisoners who all parties agreed were "legally innocent, dozens more remain behind bars.in North Carolina. The cases arise in instances where men were imprisoned …

Citizen's Wrongful Detention suit against ICE 'reinstated by Second Circuit

Article • September 9, 2016

Filed under: Wrongful Imprisonment, Immigration, Sovereign Immunity

Citizen's Wrongful Detention suit against ICE 'reinstated by Second Circuit by Derek Gilna Viterbo Liranzo was a U.S. citizen through section 321 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), which conferred derivative citizenship on children of U.S. citizens, even though neither parent nor the child requested it. Liranzo was unaware …

Wrongfully-convicted Former Prisoner Receives $13.2 Million in FBI Hair Analysis Case

Article • September 2, 2016 • from PLN September, 2016

Filed under: Police Misconduct, Evidence, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, FBI

Wrongfully-convicted Former Prisoner Receives $13.2 Million in FBI Hair Analysis Case by Derek Gilna A 55-year-old man who was convicted based upon the now-discredited “science” of forensics hair analysis has been awarded $13.2 million by District of Columbia Superior Court Judge John M. Mott. This was just the latest in …

$4 Million Jury Award to Wrongfully Jailed Immigrant Reversed on Appeal

Article • August 25, 2016

Filed under: Wrongful Imprisonment, Immigration

$4 Million Jury Award to Wrongfully Jailed Immigrant Reversed on Appeal by In May 1997, Yongping Zhou (plaintiff), a Chinese mechanical engineer, entered the United States on a fiancée visa. The marriage ended with charges of domestic violence, for which Zhoe was convicted in 1998, though the charges were eventually …

USDC ED NY Grants Opposition to Quash Depositions in Murder/Rape

Article • August 25, 2016

Filed under: Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, False Arrest

USDC ED NY Grants Opposition to Quash Depositions in Murder/Rape by A magistrate judge at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York granted in November 2011 the Plaintiff’s motion opposing Defenses’ motion to quash deposition notices and notice of subpoena in a civil case resultant …

Eighth Circuit Dismisses Suit for Faulty Rape Investigation

Article • August 24, 2016

Filed under: Sexual Assault, Police Misconduct, Wrongful Imprisonment

Eighth Circuit Dismisses Suit for Faulty Rape Investigation by On July 22, 2014, a man who spent 17 days in jail for a false rape accusation had his lawsuit against the Sheriff's office dismissed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court upheld the summary judgment order of …

Civil Suit Against Wise County, Virginia for Case of Mistaken Identity

Article • August 24, 2016

Filed under: Police Misconduct, Wrongful Imprisonment, Overdetention

Civil Suit Against Wise County, Virginia for Case of Mistaken Identity by In a case of mistaken identity, an innocent man residing in Memphis, Tennessee was extradited to a regional jail in Wise County, Virginia where he remained incarcerated for more than three months. Once the Commonwealth’s Attorney could be …

Texas Man Exonerated By DNA Test He Didn't Request

Article • August 10, 2016

Filed under: Racial Discrimination, Guilty Pleas, DNA Testing/Samples, Witnesses, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment, Racial Profiling

Texas Man Exonerated By DNA Test He Didn't Request by Matthew Clarke A Texas man, Michael Phillips, 57, recently became the first person to be cleared of a crime by DNA testing he did not request. Phillips was accused of raping a white teenage girl at a Dallas motel in …

U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. Creates Unit to Investigate Flawed Convictions

Article • August 10, 2016

Filed under: Evidence, DNA Testing/Samples, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. Creates Unit to Investigate Flawed Convictions by Derek Gilna The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia has set up the first federal unit nationwide unit to internally identify, investigate, and possible wrongful convictions, U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr. said.  “This new unit will …

Florida Allows Compensation of Wrongfully Convicted Man 25 Years after Release

Article • August 10, 2016

Filed under: Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

Florida Allows Compensation of Wrongfully Convicted Man 25 Years after Release by David Reutter The Florida Legislature passed a bill in the closing minutes of its 2014 session that allows a man who served 21 years on a wrongful conviction to seek up to $2 million in compensation. James Richardson …

Urban Institute Published Report on Post-Conviction DNA Testing and Wrongful Conviction

Article • August 9, 2016

Filed under: DNA Testing/Samples, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Imprisonment

Urban Institute Published Report on Post-Conviction DNA Testing and Wrongful Conviction by Paresh Patel For decades, law enforcement investigations used forensic evidence (i.e. fingerprints, DNA, and ballistics) to include or eliminate suspects. Scientific advances and improvement in forensic analysis have helped to exonerate those convicted of serious crimes. In many …