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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Child/Minor Sexual Assault |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment with possibility of parole |
Years Imprisoned: |
12 |
Year Crime: |
1989 |
Year Convicted: |
1990 |
Year Cleared: |
2002 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Nevada |
County or Region of Crime: |
Clark |
City of Crime: |
Las Vegas |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Leonard Callwell Craine was wrongly convicted on November 2, 1990 of three counts of sexual assault of a victim under 16. The prosecution's case was based on the testimony of Craine's neice that he raped her three times in 1989 when she was 10 years old. After his conviction by a jury Craine was sentenced on January 31, 1991 to two consecutive terms of life in prison with the possibility of parole. Craine's direct appeal was denied by the Nevada Supreme Court. In 1998 the girl, now 18, told a Las Vegas Episcopal priest that it wasn't Craine who raped her, but her step-father Willie Tullis. Craine filed a state habeas corpus petition for a new trial based on the new evidence, which was denied by the district court judge, who declined to order an evidentiary hearing. Craine appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court on November 4, 1998. Almost two years later, on October 11, 2000, the Supreme Court remanded the case to the district court for an evidentiary hearing on Craine's claim that he was actually innocent. During the mandated evidentiary hearing on March 1, 2002 the victim testified that she falsely accused Craine of being her assailant because she was afraid her mother would attempt to kill her stepfather if she told the truth. After hearing the testimony, Clark County District Court Judge Sally Loehrer granted Craine's habeas corpus petition on March 1, 2002 stating that Craine was “factually innocent.” Judge Loehrer vacated his conviction and ordered a new trial. Craine was released on bond later that day after 12 years in custody. The Clark County DA's Office that had vigorously opposed Craine's habeas corpus petition, declined to retry him. On April 29, 2002 the DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted by Judge Loehrer." |
Conviction Caused By: |
Perjury by the victim. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"After holding the Nevada Supreme Court mandated evidentiary hearing, Clark County District Court Judge Sally Loehrer ruled on March 1, 2002 that Craine “factually innocent” and vacated his conviction. Craine was released later that day after 12 years in custody. On April 29, 2002 the Clark County DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted by Judge Loehrer." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
38 |
Age When Released: |
50 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"The State of Nevada vs Leonard C Craine, No. 90C093664 (Eighty Judicial Dist. Ct. (Clark County), 4-29-2002) (Order granting the Clark County DA's motion to dismiss.)" |
Information Location 1: |
https://www.clarkcountycourts.us/Anonymous/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=7587551 |
Information Source 2: |
" Craine (Leonard) vs. State, No. 33481 (Nev. Sup. Ct., 10-11-2000) (Remanding to the District Court for an evidentiary hearing.)" |
Information Location 2: |
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Information Source 3: |
"Wrongfully convicted: A look at 5 cases, By Rebecca Clifford-Cruz, Las Vegas Sun, July 29, 2011" |
Information Location 3: |
http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jul/29/wrongfully-convicted/ |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org