Mary Ann Colomb

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Charge:	Drug Related (Possession or sale)
Sentence:	Exonerated After Conviction But Prior to Sentencing
Years Imprisoned:	0.33
Year Crime:	2001
Year Convicted:	2006
Year Cleared:	2006
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Louisiana - Federal Case
County or Region of Crime:	Acadia
City of Crime:	Church Point
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Mary Ann Colomb was a co-defendant with her three of her sons. All were wrongly convicted in April 2006 of drug conspiracy charges based on the testimony of 11 informants who were all federal prisoners testifying with the understanding they would be recommended by the U.S. Attorney's Office for sentence reductions. Although there was testimony from the informants that the Colomb's bought $15 million in cocaine from them during the ten years prior to the mid-2000s, there was no evidence corroborating their testimony, and not a single person testified that they had bought any drugs from the Colombs, who lived in Church Point, Acadia Parish, LA. Prior to sentencing their lawyers obtained documentation proving that federal prisoners were trading information about the case so they could testify agaisnt the Colombs, and that some of that information came from the U.S. Attorney's Office. On August 31, 2006 the trial judge vacated the convictions, and in December 2006 the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to a dismissed of the charges with prejudice. The Colombs were taken into custody after their convictions, so they were federally imprisoned for the 4-1/2 months until their convictions were vacated in August 2006."
Conviction Caused By:	11 informants who were all federal prisoners testifying with the understanding they would be recommended by the U.S. Attorney's Office for sentence reductions.
Innocence Proved By:	"On August 31, 2006 the trial judge vacated the convictions, and in December 2006 the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to a dismissed of the charges with prejudice."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	57
Age When Released:	57
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"U.S. v. Colomb, 448 F.Supp.2d 750 (USDC WD La., 8-31-2006)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.leagle.com/decision/20061198448FSupp2d750_11121
Information Source 2:	"Guilty Before Proven Innocent by Radley Balko, Reason (magazine), May 2008, 42-55."
Information Location 2:	http://www.reason.com/
Information Source 3:	"United States of America v.Mary Ann Colomb, Edward James Colomb, Sammy Davis, Jr., Danny Davis, 419 f.3d 292 - (5h cir 7-22-05)"
Information Location 3:	http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F3/419/292/
Information Source 4:	"American Justice In the Age of Innocence: Understanding the Causes of Wrongful Convictions and How to Prevent Them, By Sandra Guerra Thompson, Jennifer Hopgood, Hillary K. Valderrama, iUniverse Publishing (July 26, 2011), p. 200-202"
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Mary Ann Colomb

Charge:

Drug Related (Possession or sale)

Sentence:

Exonerated After Conviction But Prior to Sentencing

Years Imprisoned:

0.33

Year Crime:

2001

Year Convicted:

2006

Year Cleared:

2006

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Louisiana - Federal Case

County or Region of Crime:

Acadia

City of Crime:

Church Point

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

11 informants who were all federal prisoners testifying with the understanding they would be recommended by the U.S. Attorney's Office for sentence reductions.

Innocence Proved By:

"On August 31, 2006 the trial judge vacated the convictions, and in December 2006 the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to a dismissed of the charges with prejudice."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

57

Age When Released:

57

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"U.S. v. Colomb, 448 F.Supp.2d 750 (USDC WD La., 8-31-2006)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.leagle.com/decision/20061198448FSupp2d750_11121

Information Source 2:

"Guilty Before Proven Innocent by Radley Balko, Reason (magazine), May 2008, 42-55."

Information Location 2:

http://www.reason.com/

Information Source 3:

"United States of America v.Mary Ann Colomb, Edward James Colomb, Sammy Davis, Jr., Danny Davis, 419 f.3d 292 - (5h cir 7-22-05)"

Information Location 3:

http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F3/419/292/

Information Source 4:

"American Justice In the Age of Innocence: Understanding the Causes of Wrongful Convictions and How to Prevent Them, By Sandra Guerra Thompson, Jennifer Hopgood, Hillary K. Valderrama, iUniverse Publishing (July 26, 2011), p. 200-202"

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: