Angel Gonzalez (1994 conviction)

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Charge:	Rape and Kidnapping (abduction)
Sentence:	55 years
Years Imprisoned:	20.5
Year Crime:	1994
Year Convicted:	1994
Year Cleared:	2015
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Illinois
County or Region of Crime:	Lake
City of Crime:	Waukegan
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Angel Gonzalez was wrongly convicted in 1994 of the rape and kidnapping of a woman in Lake County, Illinois on July 10, 1994. The woman identified Gonzalez from a lineup and he confessed during a police interrogation. After his conviction by a jury Gonzalez was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Post-conviction DNA tests excluded Gonzalez as the source of DNA left by the woman's assailant. Angel Gonzalez was exonerated on March 10, 2015 when a Lake County judge granted the State's Attorney's motion to dismiss the rape and kidnapping charges against him based on tje new exculpatory DNA evidence. Gonzalez remained in custody on a separate conviction for destroying the state property of a sink in 1997 while he was in solitary confinement prison in a prison in Livingston, Illinois. On March 11, 2015 a judge in Livingston County granted the Livingston County State's Attorney motion to dismiss the property destruction conviction, and Gonzalez was released later that day after more than 20 years in custody. On June 18, 2015 Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti granted Gonzalez' petition for a certificate of innocence, which was not opposed by the Lake County DA. Gonzalez was awarded wrongful imprisonment compensation of $220,000 by the State of Illinois in 2016."
Conviction Caused By:	Erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim and false confession.
Innocence Proved By:	"Angel Gonzalez was exonerated on March 9, 2015 when a Lake County judge granted the State's Attorney's motion to dismiss the rape and kidnapping charges against him based on new exculpatory DNA evidence."
Defendant Aided By:	Illinois Innocence Project and Innocence Project (NY)
Compensation Awarded:	"$220,000 (State of Illinois, 2016)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	20
Age When Released:	41
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Hispanic
Information Source 1:	"Waukegan man exonerated in 20-year-old rape case, By Lee Filas, Daily Herald, March 9, 2015"
Information Location 1:	https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150309/news/150308860/
Information Source 2:	"Exonerated Waukegan man out of prison, By Staff writer, Daily Herald, March 10, 2015"
Information Location 2:	https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150310/news/150319827/
Information Source 3:	"Waukegan man receives innocence certificate, By Lee Filas (Staff), Daily Herald, June 18, 2015"
Information Location 3:	https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150618/news/150618959/
Information Source 4:
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Information Source 5:
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Angel Gonzalez (1994 conviction)

Charge:

Rape and Kidnapping (abduction)

Sentence:

55 years

Years Imprisoned:

20.5

Year Crime:

1994

Year Convicted:

1994

Year Cleared:

2015

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Lake

City of Crime:

Waukegan

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim and false confession.

Innocence Proved By:

"Angel Gonzalez was exonerated on March 9, 2015 when a Lake County judge granted the State's Attorney's motion to dismiss the rape and kidnapping charges against him based on new exculpatory DNA evidence."

Defendant Aided By:

Illinois Innocence Project and Innocence Project (NY)

Compensation Awarded:

"$220,000 (State of Illinois, 2016)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

20

Age When Released:

41

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Hispanic

Information Source 1:

"Waukegan man exonerated in 20-year-old rape case, By Lee Filas, Daily Herald, March 9, 2015"

Information Location 1:

https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150309/news/150308860/

Information Source 2:

"Exonerated Waukegan man out of prison, By Staff writer, Daily Herald, March 10, 2015"

Information Location 2:

https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150310/news/150319827/

Information Source 3:

"Waukegan man receives innocence certificate, By Lee Filas (Staff), Daily Herald, June 18, 2015"

Information Location 3:

https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150618/news/150618959/

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:

Comments About Case: