Irving Greenwald

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Forgery
Sentence:	7 years 6 months
Years Imprisoned:	0.33
Year Crime:	1924
Year Convicted:	1924
Year Cleared:	1924
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	New York - Federal Case
County or Region of Crime:	Erie
City of Crime:	Buffalo
Result:	Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Irving Greenwald was wrongly convicted on April 22, 1924 in federal court in Buffalo, New York of cashing counterfeit money orders based on erroneous eyewitness identification him as the culprit. Only one witness didn't identify Greenwald, and the case against him, although he was innocent, was considered "cast-iron, brass-bound, copper riveted and airtight." After Greenwald's conviction by a jury he was sentenced to the near maximum of 7-1/2 years in prison, because U.S. District Court Judge Francis A. Winslow was incensed that Greenwald insisted on his innocence. On June 23, 1924 Richard Barry pled guilty to the same crimes Greenwald had been convicted of committing, but he was only sentenced to three years in prison because he admitted his guilt. Both men were imprisoned at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Greenwald filed a motion for a new trial based on the new evidence of his innocence, and the U.S. Attorney submitted an affidavit that Barry was the actual perpetrator. Judge Winslow denied Greenwald's motion, and under the rules at the time he couldn't appeal the denial. Greenwald's only option for a release was a presidential pardon. On August 7, 1924 President Calvin Coolidge granted Greenwald a full and unconditional pardon based on evidence he was "innocent of the ... offenses of which he was convicted.""
Conviction Caused By:	Eyewitness error.
Innocence Proved By:	"On August 7, 1924 President Calvin Coolidge granted Greenwald a full and unconditional pardon based on evidence he was "innocent of the ... offenses of which he was convicted.""
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Convicting the Innocent - Sixty-Five Actual Errors of Criminal Justice, by Edwin Borchard, Yale Univ Press, 1932"
Information Location 1:
Information Source 2:
Information Location 2:
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Book About Case:	"Convicting the Innocent - Sixty-Five Actual Errors of Criminal Justice, by Edwin Borchard, Yale Univ Press, 1932"
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Irving Greenwald

Charge:

Forgery

Sentence:

7 years 6 months

Years Imprisoned:

0.33

Year Crime:

1924

Year Convicted:

1924

Year Cleared:

1924

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York - Federal Case

County or Region of Crime:

Erie

City of Crime:

Buffalo

Result:

Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Eyewitness error.

Innocence Proved By:

"On August 7, 1924 President Calvin Coolidge granted Greenwald a full and unconditional pardon based on evidence he was "innocent of the ... offenses of which he was convicted.""

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Convicting the Innocent - Sixty-Five Actual Errors of Criminal Justice, by Edwin Borchard, Yale Univ Press, 1932"

Information Location 1:

Information Source 2:

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

"Convicting the Innocent - Sixty-Five Actual Errors of Criminal Justice, by Edwin Borchard, Yale Univ Press, 1932"

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: