Tony Diaz

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Charge:	Misdemeanor conviction
Sentence:	$180 fine
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	2015
Year Convicted:	2016
Year Cleared:	2017
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	California
County or Region of Crime:	San Diego
City of Crime:	San Diego
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Tony Diaz was wrongly convicted in 2016 of illegally inhabiting his vehicle, which violated a city ordinance in San Diego, California. Diaz' prosecution was based on the testimony of San Diego PD Officer Colin Governski that Diaz was ticketed because he was illegally sleeping in Bahia Point Park on Mission Bay in June 2016. Diaz denied sleeping there, and said that he had only stopped to use a public restroom before going on a bike ride in the park. Found guilty after a bench trial Diaz was fined $180. Diaz appealed, and the San Diego City Attorney's Office found the video evidence of the incident recorded by Governski's body worn camera. It showed that Governski fabricated his account of the incident, and corroborated Diaz' testimony, because he was coming out of the restroom when Governski first saw him. In June 2017 the city attorney's office notified Diaz' attorney, and based on the new video evidence, filed a motion to vacate Diaz's conviction and dismiss the charges, which was granted. However, the San Diego Police Department wasn't notified about the new evidence that Governski committed perjury during Diaz' trial until after the Voice of San Diego, an online news organization, contacted the city attorney's office about the case. Diaz' lawyer, Coleen Cusack, told the San Diego Union Tribune that Governski should be prosecuted for perjury, and put on a "Brady index" that lists regional police officers and expert witneeses whose credibility is compromised. "
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"In June 2017 the city attorney's office notified Diaz' attorney, and based on the new video evidence, filed a motion to vacate Diaz's conviction and dismiss the charges, which was granted."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Video contradicts officer's testimony in homeless case, By Pauline Repard (Reporter), The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 8, 2017"
Information Location 1:	http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/sd-me-sleeping-ordinance-20170808-story.html
Information Source 2:	"Body Cam Footage Shows SDPD Officer Gave False Testimony in Homeless Case, By Sara Libby, Voice of San Diego, August 1, 2017"
Information Location 2:	http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/body-cam-footage-shows-cop-gave-false-testimony-in-homeless-case/
Information Source 3:	"The secret list that police officers don't want you to see, By Pauline Repard (Reporter), The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 23, 2017"
Information Location 3:	http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/sd-me-brady-notebook-20170823-story.html
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Tony Diaz

Charge:

Misdemeanor conviction

Sentence:

$180 fine

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2015

Year Convicted:

2016

Year Cleared:

2017

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

California

County or Region of Crime:

San Diego

City of Crime:

San Diego

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"In June 2017 the city attorney's office notified Diaz' attorney, and based on the new video evidence, filed a motion to vacate Diaz's conviction and dismiss the charges, which was granted."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Video contradicts officer's testimony in homeless case, By Pauline Repard (Reporter), The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 8, 2017"

Information Location 1:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/sd-me-sleeping-ordinance-20170808-story.html

Information Source 2:

"Body Cam Footage Shows SDPD Officer Gave False Testimony in Homeless Case, By Sara Libby, Voice of San Diego, August 1, 2017"

Information Location 2:

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/body-cam-footage-shows-cop-gave-false-testimony-in-homeless-case/

Information Source 3:

"The secret list that police officers don't want you to see, By Pauline Repard (Reporter), The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 23, 2017"

Information Location 3:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/sd-me-brady-notebook-20170823-story.html

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

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