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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
34-2/3 years to life in prison |
Years Imprisoned: |
15.5 |
Year Crime: |
1994 |
Year Convicted: |
1995 |
Year Cleared: |
2010 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
New York |
County or Region of Crime: |
Kings |
City of Crime: |
New York City |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Jabbar Collins was wrongly convicted on March 13, 1995 of murdering Rabbi Abraham Pollack in 1994 in New York City. Collins was sentenced to 34-2/3 years to life in prison. After more than 15 years of primarily working alone on his case to discover new evidence, On June 7 2010, Collins conviction was overturned by US District Court Judge Judge Dora L. Irizarrya after the State of New York agreed to drop its opposition to Collins federal habeas corpus petition. During an evidentiary hearing scheduled for the next week Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Michael F. Vecchione would have had to testify about alleged prosecutor misconduct including that he threatened to beat a witness over the head with a chair if he didn't testify against Collins. Jabbar Collins was released the next day, on June 8, 2010, after being incarcerated for more than 15-1/2 years. On February 16, 2011 Collins filed a $150 million lawsuit that named as defendants the City of New York, lead prosecutor Michael Vecchione, 6 other prosecutors, and others. On August 19, 2014 it was announced that Collins and New York City agreed to settle his lawsuit for $10 million. On July 10, 2014 the New York Court of Claims awarded Collins $3 million under New York's Unjust Conviction and Imprisonment Act." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"Collins conviction was overturned by a state Supreme Court judge and he was released on June 8, 2010." |
Defendant Aided By: |
New York City attorney Joel Rudin. |
Compensation Awarded: |
"$13 million total. $10 million (New York City, 8-19-2014), $3 million (State of New York, 7-10-2014)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
21 |
Age When Released: |
37 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Jabbar Collins, wrongfully convicted of murdering rabbi 15 years ago, won't be retried, By John Marzulli (staff writer), New York Daily News, June 8, 2010" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/06/08/2010-06-08_jabbar_collins_wrongfully_convicted_of_murdering_rabbi_15_years_ago_wont_be_retr.html |
Information Source 2: |
"A Solitary Jailhouse Lawyer Argues His Way Out of Prison, Wall Street Journal, December 24, 2010" |
Information Location 2: |
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Information Source 3: |
"Brooklyn prosecutor Michael Vecchione hit with $150 million lawsuit alleging widespread misconduct, By John Marzulli (staff), New York Daily News, February 16, 2011" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/02/16/2011-02-16_brooklyn_prosecutor_michael_vecchione_hit_with_150_million_lawsuit_alleging_wide.html |
Information Source 4: |
"New York City Will Pay $10 Million to Settle Wrongful Conviction Case: Revelations about the prosecution of Jabbar Collins, who served 15 years for a murder he did not commit, helped to bring down longtime Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, By Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica.com, August 19, 2014" |
Information Location 4: |
https://www.propublica.org/article/new-york-city-will-pay-10-million-to-settle-wrongful-conviction-case |
Information Source 5: |
"New York State to Pay Millions in Wrongful Conviction Case, By Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica.com, July 10, 2014" |
Information Location 5: |
https://www.propublica.org/article/state-to-pay-millions-in-wrongful-conviction-case |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org