Tanya A. Harden

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	2
Year Crime:	2004
Year Convicted:	2007
Year Cleared:	2009
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	West Virginia
County or Region of Crime:	Cabell
City of Crime:	Culloden
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Tanya A. Harden was wrongly convicted of murdering her abusive husband in 2004 after he had spent a night terrorizing her. On June 4, 2009 the West Virginia Supreme Court overturned her conviction, ruling that Tanya Harden acted in self-defense after a “night of domestic terror.” The Court ordered that a judgement of acquittal be entered and that she be immediately released from prison."
Conviction Caused By:	The trial judge erred in his understanding of what constitutes self-defense under West Virginia law.
Innocence Proved By:	"On June 4, 2009 the West Virginia Supreme Court vacated Tanya Harden's conviction and sentence and ordered that a judgment of acquittal be entered."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"West Virginia v. Harden, No. 34268 (WV Sup Ct, 06-04-2009)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca/docs/spring09/34268.htm
Information Source 2:	"Court overturns woman's murder conviction, By Justin Anderson, The West Virginia Record (Charleston, WV), June 5, 2009"
Information Location 2:	http://www.wvrecord.com/news/219424-court-overturns-womans-murder-conviction
Information Source 3:
Information Location 3:
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:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Tanya A. Harden

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

2

Year Crime:

2004

Year Convicted:

2007

Year Cleared:

2009

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

West Virginia

County or Region of Crime:

Cabell

City of Crime:

Culloden

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

The trial judge erred in his understanding of what constitutes self-defense under West Virginia law.

Innocence Proved By:

"On June 4, 2009 the West Virginia Supreme Court vacated Tanya Harden's conviction and sentence and ordered that a judgment of acquittal be entered."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"West Virginia v. Harden, No. 34268 (WV Sup Ct, 06-04-2009)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca/docs/spring09/34268.htm

Information Source 2:

"Court overturns woman's murder conviction, By Justin Anderson, The West Virginia Record (Charleston, WV), June 5, 2009"

Information Location 2:

http://www.wvrecord.com/news/219424-court-overturns-womans-murder-conviction

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

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: