Steven Rodney Dewitt Jr.

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	15 years to life in prison
Years Imprisoned:	13.5
Year Crime:	1991
Year Convicted:	1992
Year Cleared:	2004
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	District of Columbia
County or Region of Crime:	District of Columbia
City of Crime:	District of Columbia
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Steven Rodney Dewitt Jr. was wrongly convicted in 1992 of a 1991 murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Steven Dewitt's conviction was vacated by a D.C. Superior Court judge in 2004 on the basis of his actual innocence. His exoneration was based on newly discovered witnesses, unreliable eyewitness testimony, a police-coerced statement, and Brady violations. Steven Dewitt was wrongly imprisoned for more than 13 years. In October 2006 a DC Superior Court judge ruled that Dewitt could proceed with his lawsuit against the District of Columbia and five former DC Metropolitan Police detectives."
Conviction Caused By:	"Unreliable eyewitness testimony, a police-coerced statement, and Brady violations."
Innocence Proved By:	"Steven Dewitt's conviction was vacated by a D.C. Superior Court judge in 2004 on the basis of his actual innocence. His exoneration was based on newly discovered witnesses, unreliable eyewitness testimony, a police-coerced statement, and Brady violations. "
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	20
Age When Released:	33
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Suspect declared innocent in prior conviction, By Daniela Velazquez, Tallahassee Democrat, May 1, 2007"
Information Location 1:	http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/NEWS01/705010337/1010
Information Source 2:	"Superior Court Allows Exonerated Man To Proceed With Suit, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Press Release, October 18, 2006"
Information Location 2:	http://www.akingump.com/media.cfm?press_release_id=387
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Steven Rodney Dewitt Jr.

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

15 years to life in prison

Years Imprisoned:

13.5

Year Crime:

1991

Year Convicted:

1992

Year Cleared:

2004

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

District of Columbia

County or Region of Crime:

District of Columbia

City of Crime:

District of Columbia

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Unreliable eyewitness testimony, a police-coerced statement, and Brady violations."

Innocence Proved By:

"Steven Dewitt's conviction was vacated by a D.C. Superior Court judge in 2004 on the basis of his actual innocence. His exoneration was based on newly discovered witnesses, unreliable eyewitness testimony, a police-coerced statement, and Brady violations. "

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

20

Age When Released:

33

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Suspect declared innocent in prior conviction, By Daniela Velazquez, Tallahassee Democrat, May 1, 2007"

Information Location 1:

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/NEWS01/705010337/1010

Information Source 2:

"Superior Court Allows Exonerated Man To Proceed With Suit, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Press Release, October 18, 2006"

Information Location 2:

http://www.akingump.com/media.cfm?press_release_id=387

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

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