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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
25 |
Year Crime: |
1983 |
Year Convicted: |
1984 |
Year Cleared: |
2008 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
California |
County or Region of Crime: |
Los Angeles |
City of Crime: |
Los Angeles |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Willie Earl Green was wrongly convicted of a 1983 murder in 1984. Green's conviction was based on the testimony of one eyewitness, who was a convicted murderer and known crack cocaine dealer. Green was sentenced to 33 years to life in prison. Centurion Ministries accepted Green's case, and in 2004 the witness admitted he was high on crack cocaine at the time of the murder and he didn't know who committed the crime, but he was pressured by police to identify Green. Green filed a motion to vacate his conviction and for a new trial based on the recanted identification. On March 20, 2008 the murder charge was dismissed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and Green was released after 25 years of wrongful imprisonment. Green filed a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing a Los Angeles Police Detective of helping the eyewitness to falsely identify him. On October 31, 2011 a federal court jury unanimously ruled against Green." |
Conviction Caused By: |
"Erroneous eyewitness testimony by a witness who later recanted, saying he had bene pressured by the LAPD to identify Willie Green." |
Innocence Proved By: |
"On March 20, 2008 the murder charge was dismissed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and Green was released after 25 years of wrongful imprisonment." |
Defendant Aided By: |
Centurion Ministries |
Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
31 |
Age When Released: |
56 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Freed after 25 years, former inmate rejoices, By Jack Leonard and Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2008" |
Information Location 1: |
"http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-green21mar21,1,6096322.story" |
Information Source 2: |
"His testimony convicted -- and could set free, By Jack Leonard, Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2008" |
Information Location 2: |
"http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-recant22feb22,0,589749.story" |
Information Source 3: |
"Ex-inmate loses suit over probe that ended in murder conviction, By Jack Leonard (staff), Los Angeles Times, November 3, 2011" |
Information Location 3: |
"http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wrongful-conviction-lawsuit-20111103,0,2227249.story" |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org