Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Bradley Charles Cox

 

Charge:

Rape and Robbery (including burglary)

Sentence:

56 to 200 years

Years Imprisoned:

2

Year Crime:

Year Convicted:

1980

Year Cleared:

1982

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Ohio

County or Region of Crime:

Fairfield

City of Crime:

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Bradley Charles Cox was wrongly convicted in 1980 of two counts of rape, four counts of aggravated robbery, and two counts of aggravated burglary in Fairfield County, Ohio. (No. 8363, Fairfield County) At the time the crimes were committed Cox was an AWOL marine from Camp Lejune, NC. Bradley Cox was identified by the two victims and after a seven hour interrogation strapped to a chair, during which was told he was being examined by a polygraph, he confessed and signed a statement handwritten for him by the alleged examiner. No polygraph charts were ever produced by the prosecution. Cox was convicted on the basis of the eyewitness identification and his confession, Cox was sentenced to 8 consecutive sentences of 7 to 25 years in prison -- a total of 56 to 200 years in prison. Attorney Harry Robert Reinhart became involved in Cox's case, and they identified that the likely perpetrator was John Berry Simonis. When it was discovered Simonis was jailed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in December 1981 he was questioned about the Ohio crimes Cox had been convicted of committing. Simonis admitted to committing them, and in so doing provided details that only the actual perpetrator would know. Based on the new evidence the Fairfield County District Attorney filed a motion to vacate Cox's convictions and dismiss the charges, which was granted on January 22, 1982. Bradley Cox was also convicted of two crimes that John Simonis committed in Athens County, Ohio, and he was also exonerated of those crimes by Simonis' confession. Cox filed a wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against the State of Ohio that sought $3,649,500 for his wrongful convictions in Athens and Fairfield Counties, that was settled for $110,000 on December 29, 1988."

Conviction Caused By:

"Erroneous eyewitness identification by the two women raped in separate incidents, and Bradley Cox's False confession."

Innocence Proved By:

Actual perpetrator found was found in Louisiana and in confessing he provided details known only to the police and the perpetrator.

Defendant Aided By:

Attorney Harry Robert Reinhart

Compensation Awarded:

"$110,000 (State of Ohio, 12-19-1988)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"Attorney Harry Robert Reinhart profiled, The Champion (magazine of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, November 1994"

Information Location 1:

http://www.hreinhartlaw.com/champion.html

Information Source 2:

"The Problem of False Confessions in the Post-DNA World, By Steven A. Drizin & Richard A. Leo, 82 NCLRev 891-1007 (2004)"

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

"Bradley Charles Cox v. State of Ohio, No. 1987-03732 WI (Ohio Court of Claims, 12/19/1988 (Granting judgment of $110,000)"

Information Location 3:

http://cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/casedetail.htm?caseno=198703732

Information Source 4:

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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