Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Peter Dallas

 

Charge:

Second Degree Murder

Sentence:

Exonerated After Conviction But Prior to Sentencing

Years Imprisoned:

2

Year Crime:

1986

Year Convicted:

1992

Year Cleared:

1992

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Florida

County or Region of Crime:

Broward

City of Crime:

Deerfield Beach

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Peter Dallas falsely confessed and falsely pled guilty to second-degree murder in Broward County, Florida. Dallas was exonerated by apprehension of the actual killers who were in possession of the murder weapon and other evidence linking them to the crime. After the murderers were apprehended Peter Dallas said he only falsely confessed to stop the betings by Broward County Sheriff deputies, and he falsely pled guilty to avoid a more serious penalty. After his release, Dallas was charged by the Broward County prosecutor with perjury for falsely pleading guilty. Dallas' two innocencent co-defendants, Peter Roussonicolos and Stephen Rosati, were arrested in 1990 based on Dallas' false confession that implicated them. They were jailed for almost two years. Broward County prosecutors refused to drop murder charges against them even after the actual killer were arrested and charged. The two men were freed without being tried after a special state prosecutor was appointed to the case. The three co-defendants filed separate federal civil rights lawsuits that named the Broward County Sheriff's Department and several officers as defendants. Dallas settled in October 2003, for $225,000, Rosati settled for $1 million in September 2006, and in April 2007, Roussonicolos settled for $89,000. The Sheriff's Department also paid a total of $1,411,427 in legal fees. The settlment amounts remained confidential by order of the federal judge until all three lawsuits were resolved."

Conviction Caused By:

False confession

Innocence Proved By:

Exonerated by apprehension of the actual killers.

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$225,000 plus legal fees (Broward County, October 2003)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

23

Age When Released:

25

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"The Infamous Holland Correction, By Bob Norman, New Times (Broward-Palm Beach, FL), March 13, 2009"

Information Location 1:

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2009/03/the_infamous_holland_correctio.php

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

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