Wrongly Convicted Database Record

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Steven Avery


Years Imprisoned:

18

Charge:

Rape

Sentence:

32 years

Year Convicted:

1985

Year Cleared:

2003

Location of Trial:

Wisconsin

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

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. Avery was the only man in both line-ups. The jury rejected Avery's alibi of being in another county with his family at a home improvement store at the time of the rape -- even though he had a time and date stamped receipt. 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:

$400K

Was Perpetrator Found?

Age When Imprisoned:

25

Age When Released:

43

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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Ethnicity/Skin:

White

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