Wrongly Convicted Database

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Laurence Adams

Years Imprisoned:	30
Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Death
Year Convicted:	1974
Year Cleared:	2004
Location of Trial:	Massachusetts
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Wrongly convicted in 1974 of the 1972 murder of a transit worker. Sentenced to death, but the sentence was commutted to life in prison when Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court invalidated the state's capital statute. Police statements concealed from Adams' trial lawyers were discovered in 1980, that a witness identified two other people as the murders. Also, the state's star witness changed her story several times, and another witness recanted her testimony. On May 20, 2004, Superior Court Judge Robert A. Mulligan vacated Laurence Adams' conviction "to avoid a miscarriage of justice." Adams had originally been sentenced to death, but Massachusetts' death penalty was abolished after his sentencing. He was wrongly imprisoned for more than 30 years."
Conviction Caused By:	Police and prosecution concealed exculpatory witness statement.
Innocence Proved By:	"Conviction vacated on May 20, 2004 by Superior Court Judge Robert A. Mulligan "to avoid a miscarriage of justice." "
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Found?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Information Source 1:	"Conviction Tossed, Prisoner is Freed, Boston Globe, May 24, 2004."
Information Location 1:	http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/05/21/murder_defendant_freed_after_30_years/
Information Source 2:	"No Retrial For Free Convict in '74 Killing, Boston Globe, pg. B2, June 8, 2004"
Information Location 2:
Information Source 3:	Laurence Adams
Information Location 3:	http://lonelyabolitionist.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_lonelyabolitionist_archive.html
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Ethnicity/Skin:	Black
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page Go to Database Index Page

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Laurence Adams

Years Imprisoned:

30

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Death

Year Convicted:

1974

Year Cleared:

2004

Location of Trial:

Massachusetts

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Police and prosecution concealed exculpatory witness statement.

Innocence Proved By:

"Conviction vacated on May 20, 2004 by Superior Court Judge Robert A. Mulligan "to avoid a miscarriage of justice." "

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Found?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Information Source 1:

"Conviction Tossed, Prisoner is Freed, Boston Globe, May 24, 2004."

Information Location 1:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/05/21/murder_defendant_freed_after_30_years/

Information Source 2:

"No Retrial For Free Convict in '74 Killing, Boston Globe, pg. B2, June 8, 2004"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

Laurence Adams

Information Location 3:

http://lonelyabolitionist.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_lonelyabolitionist_archive.html

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Ethnicity/Skin:

Black

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page