Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Steven Avery

 

Charge:

Rape

Sentence:

32 years

Years Imprisoned:

18

Year Crime:

1985

Year Convicted:

1985

Year Cleared:

2003

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Wisconsin

County or Region of Crime:

Manitowoc

City of Crime:

Two Rivers

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Steven Avery was wrongly convicted of raping a jogger in 1985. The victim erroneously picked him out of a photo line-up and then out of a live line-up. Steven Avery was the only man in both line-ups. The woman was raped in Two Rivers, and the jury rejected Avery's alibi of being in another county with his family at a home improvement store in Green Bay at the time of the rape -- even though he had a time and date stamped receipt. Two Rivers is 44 miles from Green Bay. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison. Avery was released on Sept 11, 2003 after DNA testing excluded him as the attacker. The same judge that had presided over his trial and sentenced him ordered him released. Steven Avery was wrongly imprisoned for 18 years. In February 2006 he settled his lawsuit against Manitowoc County, Wisconsin for $400,000. Avery received $240,000 after his payment to his lawyer. "

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim

Innocence Proved By:

DNA testing unavailable at time of his conviction excluded him as the attacker

Defendant Aided By:

University of Wisconsin Law School Innocence Project students and faculty members spent two years working on gathering the evidence necessary to prove Steven Avery's innocence.

Compensation Awarded:

"$400,000 (Manitowoc County, Feb. 2006)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

25

Age When Released:

43

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"After 18 Years In Prison, DNA Exonerates Wis.Man, AP Madison, WI, The Seattle Times, September 11, 2003, p. A5.7"

Information Location 1:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=ndig11&date=20030911&query=steven+avery

Information Source 2:

"DNA Test Frees Imprisoned Man, David Callender (staff), The Capital Times, Sept 11, 2003, p. 1A"

Information Location 2:

http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=tct:2003:09:11:280574:FRONT

Information Source 3:

"Avery Settles Manitowoc County Lawsuit, WBAY-TV, Green Bay, WI, February 15, 2006"

Information Location 3:

"file:///C:/hans/justice%20denied/avery,%20steven/avery%20settles%20manitowoc%20county%20lawsuit%20-%20wbay-tv%20green%20bay%20-%2002-15-2006.htm"

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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