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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Child Molestation |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole |
Years Imprisoned: |
19.33 |
Year Crime: |
1995 |
Year Convicted: |
1995 |
Year Cleared: |
2014 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Washington |
County or Region of Crime: |
Thurston |
City of Crime: |
Olympia |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Jerry Lee Brock was wrongly convicted on July 12, 1995 of first-degree child molestation in Thurston County, Washington. Brock's jury conviction was based on the testimony of 11-year-old Regina Rush. Brock was charged on March 29, 1995, and at the time of Rush's accusation Brock was her mother's boyfriend. It was Brock's third felony conviction so he was sentenced on November 3, 1995 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2012 Regina wrote a six page admission that she had made up the molestation allegation and gave it to the police in Thurston County. She said she made up the story because she wanted attention from her mother and because she was worried Brock was a drug user and a bad influence on her mom. Brock filed a post-conviction petition for a new trial based on the new evidence. On November 10, 2014 Thurston County Superior Court Judge Erik Price vacated Jerry Lee Brock's conviction and ordered a new trial after finding the recantation of Regina Rush credible that no molestation occurred. The Thurston County DA's Office vigorously opposed Brock's petition in arguing she was motivated by the length of Brock's sentence. However, there was testimony that at the time of her recantation in 2012 she didn't even know Brock was still in prison. Judge Price's Order stated: "The Court concludes that Ms. Rush's recantation was not motivated by anything other than her stated desire to tell the truth." Brock was released on November 20, 2014 after more than 19 years in custody. The Thurston County DA's Office declined to retry Jerry Brock and their motion to dismiss the charges was granted on December 18, 2014." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On November 10, 2014 Thurston County Superior Court Judge Erik Price vacated Jerry Lee Brock's conviction and ordered a new trial after finding the recantation of Regina Rush credible that no molestation occurred. Brock was released on November 20, 2014 after more than 19 years in custody." |
Defendant Aided By: |
Patrick O'Connor |
Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
36 |
Age When Released: |
55 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Man in Prison 19 Years Freed After Claim Recanted, By Gene Johnson (AP reporter), ABCnews.go.com, November 20, 2014" |
Information Location 1: |
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-prison-19-years-freed-claim-recanted-27066854?singlePage=true |
Information Source 2: |
"Man gets new trial in Thurston County after woman recants molestation charge, By Andy Hobbs (Staff writer), The Olympian (Olympia, WA), November 10, 2014" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.theolympian.com/2014/11/10/3418497/man-gets-new-trial-in-thurston.html |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org