Wiley Bridgeman

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Charge:	Murder and Robbery
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole
Years Imprisoned:	39
Year Crime:	1975
Year Convicted:	1975
Year Cleared:	2014
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Ohio
County or Region of Crime:	Cuyahoga
City of Crime:	Cleveland
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Ricky Jackson, and brothers Wiley Bridgeman Ronnie Bridgeman (aka Kwame Ajamu) were codefendants wrongly convicted in 1975 of the aggravated murder and aggravated robbery of Harold Franks in a Cleveland, Ohio convenience store. The prosecution's case was based on the testimony of a 12-year-old boy who testified he witnessed the crime. Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and Ronnie Bridgeman was sentenced to life in prison. Ronnie Bridgeman was released in 2003. In 2012 the witness recanted his testimony, asserting he was coerced by the police into lying. Based on the new evidence Jackson and Wiley and Ronnie Bridgeman filed motions for a new trial. Jackson's convictions were overturned on November 21, 2014, and in the same courtroom Wally Bridgeman's convictions were overturned two hours later. Both were released that day after 39 years of wrongful imprisonment. The convictions of Ronnie Bridgeman, now known as Kwame Ajamu, were overturned on December 9, 2014. The Cuyahoga County District Attorney's Office filed documents on December 9, 2014 that it considers Ricky Jackson, Wiley Bridgeman, and Kwame Ajamu (aka Ronnie Bridgeman) innocent of the slaying of Harold Franks. The DA's Office also announced it would not oppose the three men filing for compensation under Ohio's wrongful imprisonment compensation law. The State of Ohio did not oppose Wiley Bridgeman's claim filed on February 20, 2015. On April 22, 2016 the final settlement between Bridgeman and the State was aproved awarding Bridgeman $2,399,584.19 for his wrongful incarceration in a state correctional facility for 13,630 days. The settlement included proration of payment to Terry H. Gilbert, the attorney for the Bridgeman brothers, of $55,742.38 for fees and expenes."
Conviction Caused By:	Perjury by the 12-year-old boy who was the prosecution's star witness against Ricky Jackson and brothers Willy and Ronnie Bridgeman.
Innocence Proved By:	"Ricky Jackson, Willy Bridgeman, and Ronnie Bridgeman (aka Kwame Ajamu)'s convictions were overturned based on the new evidence that the lone eyewitness recanted his testimony. Jackson's convictions were overturned on November 21, 2014, and in the same courtroom Bridgeman's convictions were overturned two hours later. Both were released that day after 39 years of wrongful imprisonment. Ronnie Bridgeman (aka Kwame Ajamu) had been released in 2003 and his convictions were overturned on December 9, 2014."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$2,369,093 (State of Ohio, Feb. 22,2016)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	21
Age When Released:	60
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Wiley Bridgeman leaves prison after 39 years: "The bitterness is over with; I carried that too long', By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), November 21, 2014"
Information Location 1:	http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/11/wiley_bridgeman_leaves_behind.html
Information Source 2:	"Ricky Jackson leaves prison: "The English language doesn't have the words to express how I'm feeling right now," By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), November 21, 2014"
Information Location 2:	http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/11/ricky_jackson_leaves_a_life_be.html
Information Source 3:	"A free man: Ricky Jackson to leave prison 39 years after a boy's lie helped put him behind bars, By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), November 18, 2014"
Information Location 3:	http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/11/a_free_man_ricky_jackson_to_le.html
Information Source 4:	"Prosecutors won't fight attempts by 3 men to gain millions for wrongful imprisonment of 1975 slaying, By John Caniglia (Staff writer), The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), December 9, 2014"
Information Location 4:	http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/12/prosecutors_wont_fight_attempt.html#incart_related_stories
Information Source 5:	"Kwame Ajamu and Wiey Bridgeman v. The State of Ohio, No. 2015-00149-WI (Ohio Ct. of Claims, 2-22-2016) (Journal Entry Approving Settlement)"
Information Location 5:	http://cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/streamfile.p?Serial=160222001408780&Seq=1
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Wiley Bridgeman

Charge:

Murder and Robbery

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole

Years Imprisoned:

39

Year Crime:

1975

Year Convicted:

1975

Year Cleared:

2014

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Ohio

County or Region of Crime:

Cuyahoga

City of Crime:

Cleveland

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Perjury by the 12-year-old boy who was the prosecution's star witness against Ricky Jackson and brothers Willy and Ronnie Bridgeman.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$2,369,093 (State of Ohio, Feb. 22,2016)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

21

Age When Released:

60

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Wiley Bridgeman leaves prison after 39 years: "The bitterness is over with; I carried that too long', By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), November 21, 2014"

Information Location 1:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/11/wiley_bridgeman_leaves_behind.html

Information Source 2:

"Ricky Jackson leaves prison: "The English language doesn't have the words to express how I'm feeling right now," By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), November 21, 2014"

Information Location 2:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/11/ricky_jackson_leaves_a_life_be.html

Information Source 3:

"A free man: Ricky Jackson to leave prison 39 years after a boy's lie helped put him behind bars, By John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), November 18, 2014"

Information Location 3:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/11/a_free_man_ricky_jackson_to_le.html

Information Source 4:

"Prosecutors won't fight attempts by 3 men to gain millions for wrongful imprisonment of 1975 slaying, By John Caniglia (Staff writer), The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), December 9, 2014"

Information Location 4:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2014/12/prosecutors_wont_fight_attempt.html#incart_related_stories

Information Source 5:

"Kwame Ajamu and Wiey Bridgeman v. The State of Ohio, No. 2015-00149-WI (Ohio Ct. of Claims, 2-22-2016) (Journal Entry Approving Settlement)"

Information Location 5:

http://cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/streamfile.p?Serial=160222001408780&Seq=1

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