Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Lonnie Dunbar

 

Charge:

Driving Related misdemeanor

Sentence:

$250 fine

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2014

Year Convicted:

2015

Year Cleared:

2016

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Connecticut

County or Region of Crime:

Tolland

City of Crime:

Columbia

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Lonnie Dunbar was wrongly convicted of the misdemeanor using a hand-held cellphone while driving in Tolland County, Connecticut on April 19, 2014. Dunbar's prosecution was based on a police officer's testimony that he stopped Dunbar after observing him holding a cellphone, and that Dunbar admitted he was holding his cellphone. Dunbar had previously been convicted of the offense, and after his conviction by Vernon Superior Court Judge Rupal Shah he was sentenced to pay a $250 fine. Dunbar appealed. On April 26, 2016 the Connecticut Court of Appeals unanimously reversed Dunbar's conviction on the basis the law doesn't prohibit "holding a hand-held telephone to activate, deactivate or initiate a function of such telephone" while driving, and the prosecution introduced insufficent evidence he was holding the phone in the immediate proximity of his ear as required by the law to establish a presumptive violation of the law."

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"On April 26, 2016 the Connecticut Court of Appeals unanimously reversed Dunbar's conviction on the basis the law doesn't prohibit "holding a hand-held telephone to activate, deactivate or initiate a function of such telephone" while driving, and the prosecution introduced insufficent evidence he was holding the phone in the immediate proximity of his ear as required by the law to establish a presumptive violation of the law."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"Appellate Court overturns conviction over driver’s cellphone use, By Alex Wood (Journal Inquirer), Journal Inquirer, April 20, 2016"

Information Location 1:

http://www.journalinquirer.com/crime_and_courts/appellate-court-overturns-conviction-over-driver-s-cellphone-use/article_b16a063e-070b-11e6-9718-dbf4d6d233f2.html

Information Source 2:

"State v. Dunbar, No. AC37367 (CT Ct. of Appeals, 4-26-2016) (Reversing conviction based on insufficient evidence.)"

Information Location 2:

http://jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROap/AP165/165AP266.pdf

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

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