Kareem Bellamy

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	25 years to life
Years Imprisoned:	14
Year Crime:	1994
Year Convicted:	1995
Year Cleared:	2011
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	New York
County or Region of Crime:	Queens
City of Crime:	New York City
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Kareem Bellamy was wrongly convicted in 1994 of a New York City murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. In 2004 the New York City law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore took on Bellamy's case pro bono and hired private investigators.a former NYPD detective and former FBI agent to see if new evidence could be discovered. In February 2008 they wired an informant with a wire, and obtained a secretly recorded confession by a man that he and another man committed the murder in retaliation for the victim being friendly with one of the two men's girlfriend. Based on that new evidence Bellamy's conviction was overturned in June 2008 by a Queens Supreme Court judge. Bellamy was released on bail on August 14, 2008 after 14 years imprisonment. The former FBI agent, Joseph O'Brien, put his condominium up as security for Bellamy's release. On September 16, 2011 the charges were dismissed against Bellamy after the district attorney decided he would not be retried. Bellamy filed a compensation claim with the State of New York. On May 20, 2015 Bellamy settlement for $2.75 million was approved by Judge Alan C. Marin of the New York Court of Claims. Bellamy filed a federal citil rights lawsuit that named the City of New York, NYPD officers involved in the case, and the Queens County DA's Office. In April 2019 the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Queens County District Attorney can be sued by Bellamy because it is a City policymaker with respect to the training, supervision, and discipline of Assistance District Attorneys. The circuit court also reinstated Bellamy's §1983 personal capacity claims against two NYCPD detectives."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"A Queens Supreme Court judge vacated Bellamy's conviction in June 2008 based on a recorded confession by another man to the murder. On September 16, 2011 the charges were dismissed against Bellamy after the district attorney decided he would not be retried."
Defendant Aided By:	Former FBI agent Joseph O'Brien and retired NYPD Detective Eddie Henson worked on Bellamy's case pro bono and after months of investigation discovered the new evidence that resulted in his release.
Compensation Awarded:	"$2.75 mil. (New York State, May 20, 2015)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	26
Age When Released:	41
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"‘Wrong Man’ Freed After 14 Yrs, New York Post, August 15, 2008"
Information Location 1:	http://www.nypost.com/seven/08152008/news/regionalnews/wrong_man_freed_after_14_yrs__124581.htm
Information Source 2:	"I want retrial, not a deal, to prove my innocence, man says, NY Daily News, August 15, 2008"
Information Location 2:	http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/08/14/2008-08-14_i_want_retrial_not_a_deal_to_prove_my_in-2.html
Information Source 3:	"“Judge dismisses case against man wrongly convicted of murdering childhood pal,” By Christina Carrega (staff), New York Post, September 16, 2011"
Information Location 3:	http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/judge_dismisses_case_against_man_88qxppKChQAQ1f2mlYTvNM
Information Source 4:	"New York State Reaches $2.75 Million Settlement Vindicating Innocence Claim In Wrongful Imprisonment Of Kareem Bellamy, MMDNewsWire.com, May 20, 2015"
Information Location 4:	http://www.mmdnewswire.com/settlement-wrongful-imprisonment-of-kareem-bellamy-131227.html
Information Source 5:	"Queens man wrongly imprisoned for 14 years on murder charges gets $2.75M, By Eli Rosenberg, New York Daily News, May 20, 2015"
Information Location 5:	http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/2-75m-queens-man-wrongly-imprisoned-murder-article-1.2230087
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Kareem Bellamy

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

25 years to life

Years Imprisoned:

14

Year Crime:

1994

Year Convicted:

1995

Year Cleared:

2011

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York

County or Region of Crime:

Queens

City of Crime:

New York City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"A Queens Supreme Court judge vacated Bellamy's conviction in June 2008 based on a recorded confession by another man to the murder. On September 16, 2011 the charges were dismissed against Bellamy after the district attorney decided he would not be retried."

Defendant Aided By:

Former FBI agent Joseph O'Brien and retired NYPD Detective Eddie Henson worked on Bellamy's case pro bono and after months of investigation discovered the new evidence that resulted in his release.

Compensation Awarded:

"$2.75 mil. (New York State, May 20, 2015)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

26

Age When Released:

41

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"‘Wrong Man’ Freed After 14 Yrs, New York Post, August 15, 2008"

Information Location 1:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08152008/news/regionalnews/wrong_man_freed_after_14_yrs__124581.htm

Information Source 2:

"I want retrial, not a deal, to prove my innocence, man says, NY Daily News, August 15, 2008"

Information Location 2:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/08/14/2008-08-14_i_want_retrial_not_a_deal_to_prove_my_in-2.html

Information Source 3:

"“Judge dismisses case against man wrongly convicted of murdering childhood pal,” By Christina Carrega (staff), New York Post, September 16, 2011"

Information Location 3:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/judge_dismisses_case_against_man_88qxppKChQAQ1f2mlYTvNM

Information Source 4:

"New York State Reaches $2.75 Million Settlement Vindicating Innocence Claim In Wrongful Imprisonment Of Kareem Bellamy, MMDNewsWire.com, May 20, 2015"

Information Location 4:

http://www.mmdnewswire.com/settlement-wrongful-imprisonment-of-kareem-bellamy-131227.html

Information Source 5:

"Queens man wrongly imprisoned for 14 years on murder charges gets $2.75M, By Eli Rosenberg, New York Daily News, May 20, 2015"

Information Location 5:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/2-75m-queens-man-wrongly-imprisoned-murder-article-1.2230087

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