Roland Gibson

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Charge:	First Degree Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	25
Year Crime:	1968
Year Convicted:	1968
Year Cleared:	1993
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Louisiana
County or Region of Crime:	Orleans
City of Crime:	New Orleans
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Roland Gibson was wrongly convicted in 1968 of the murder of a New Orleans cab driver. Gibson's conviction for first-degree murder was solely based on the testimony of Lloyd West the prime suspect for commission of the crime who was a distant acquitance of Gibson's. The 21-year-old Gibson was sentenced to life in prison. West later recanted his testiony, claiming he committed the crime alone and only named Gibson to avoid the death penalty. Gibson filed a post-conviction petition for a new trial based on the new evidence that was granted. After a reinvestigation the Orleans Parish DA decided not to retry Gibson. Gibson's indictment was dismised on March 31, 1993 and he was released after 25 years in prison. Gibson sued the City of New Orleans in federal court and a jury awarded him $11 million. However, that award was reversed when the city appealed. Gibson received no compensation for his wrongful imprisonment. Gibson died on November 11, 2010, survived by his three sons."
Conviction Caused By:	"Perjurious testimony by the State's star witness, the actual murderer, who testified falsely to avoid the death penalty."
Innocence Proved By:	"After the granting Gibson's post-conviction petition for a new trial that was based on the new evidence that the actual murderer recanted his trial testimony implicating Gibson, the Orleans Parish DA decided not to retry Gibson. Gibson's indictment was dismised on March 31, 1993 and he was released after 25 years in prison."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	21
Age When Released:	46
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Roland Gibson, Innocence Project New Orleans"
Information Location 1:	http://www.ip-no.org/exonoree-profile/roland-gibson
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Roland Gibson

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

25

Year Crime:

1968

Year Convicted:

1968

Year Cleared:

1993

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Louisiana

County or Region of Crime:

Orleans

City of Crime:

New Orleans

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Perjurious testimony by the State's star witness, the actual murderer, who testified falsely to avoid the death penalty."

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

21

Age When Released:

46

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Roland Gibson, Innocence Project New Orleans"

Information Location 1:

http://www.ip-no.org/exonoree-profile/roland-gibson

Information Source 2:

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Book About Case:

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Book About Case (2):

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Movie About Case:

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