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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Assault (Including Battery) |
Sentence: |
2 years 6 months |
Years Imprisoned: |
0.5 |
Year Crime: |
2005 |
Year Convicted: |
2005 |
Year Cleared: |
2006 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Massachusetts |
County or Region of Crime: |
Worcester |
City of Crime: |
Worcester |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Andrew Craig was wrongly convicted on September 27, 2005 of assault and battery with a weapon and other charges, for allegedly threatening his landlord and his landlord's mother on May 2, 2005 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Craig's prosecution was based on the testimony of the two alleged victims that Craig threatened them with a boxcutter when they confronted him that he owed about $3,000 in back rent. After his conviction by a jury Craig was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. After he began his sentencing his lawyer obtained an audio recording in which the landlord bragged that he and his mother falsely testified against Craig to get back at him for the rent he hadn't paid. Based on the recording Craig filed a petition for a new trial that was granted in 2006. Craig waived his right to a jury trial for his retrial, and a judge acquitted Craig on March 30, 2006. Andrew Craig filed a lawsuit against the State of Massachusetts for compensation under Massachusett's law G.L.C.258D, and his lawsuit was settled for $150,000." |
Conviction Caused By: |
Perjury by the two alleged witnesses who testified about a non-existent assault. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Andrew Craig was acquitted by a judge on March 30, 2006 after a bench (judge only) retrial." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
"$150,000 (State of Massachusetts, 2008)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
24 |
Age When Released: |
25 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Craig, Andrew v. Commonwealth, SUCV2008-05263 (Settled compensation lawsuit against State of Massachusetts for $150,000)" |
Information Location 1: |
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Information Source 2: |
"Wrongful Conviction Cases Under G.L. C. 258D As Of August 1, 2016" |
Information Location 2: |
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3034698/Wrongful-Conviction-Compensation-Cases.pdf |
Information Source 3: |
"Massachusetts has paid $8.34 million under wrongful conviction compensation law, By Dan Glaun, MassLive.com, August 31, 2016" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/08/massachusetts_has_paid_834_mil.html |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org