Christopher Harding

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Charge:	Assault with intent to murder
Sentence:	10-12 years
Years Imprisoned:	6.42
Year Crime:	1989
Year Convicted:	1990
Year Cleared:	1998
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Massachusetts
County or Region of Crime:	Suffolk
City of Crime:	Boston
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Christopher Harding was wrongly convicted on May 25, 1990 of two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and other charges. Harding was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison. Harding was released on parole in October 1996. Harding was released in 1996, and in 1997 he filed a petition for a new trial based on new evidence. Harding's petition was granted on December 22, 1997 by Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Volterra without holding an evidentiary hearing, which Volterra said wasn't necessary because of “the compelling nature and righteousness” of Harding’s claims. In January 1998 the Suffolk County District Attorney announced it would not retry Harding, and the DA's motion to dismiss his charges was granted. After his exoneration, Harding filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Boston, the Boston PD, and officers involved in his prosecution. Harding's lawsuit asserted his prosecution was based on perjured testimony. In January 2000 Christopher Harding settled his lawsuit for $480,000. In 2005 Harding filed a compensation claim from the State of Massachusetts under G.L.C. 258D, which he settled for $450,000 in 2007"
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$930,000 total. $480,000 (City of Boston, January 2000) and $450,000 (State of Massachusetts, 2007)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	37
Age When Released:	43
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Convictions Of Innocent Persons In Massachusetts: An Overview, By Stanley Z. Fisher, Boston University School Of Law, Working Paper Series, Public Law & Legal Theory Working Paper No. 02-13. pp. 27-28 (Christopher Harding, Suffolk County)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.bu.edu/law/workingpapers-archive/abstracts/2002/pdf_files/fishers091902.pdf
Information Source 2:	"Harding, Christopher v. Commonwealth, SUCV2005-03611 (Christopher Harding awarded $450,000 compensation from the State of Massachusetts under G.L.C. 258D.)"
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Christopher Harding

Charge:

Assault with intent to murder

Sentence:

10-12 years

Years Imprisoned:

6.42

Year Crime:

1989

Year Convicted:

1990

Year Cleared:

1998

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Massachusetts

County or Region of Crime:

Suffolk

City of Crime:

Boston

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$930,000 total. $480,000 (City of Boston, January 2000) and $450,000 (State of Massachusetts, 2007)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

37

Age When Released:

43

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Convictions Of Innocent Persons In Massachusetts: An Overview, By Stanley Z. Fisher, Boston University School Of Law, Working Paper Series, Public Law & Legal Theory Working Paper No. 02-13. pp. 27-28 (Christopher Harding, Suffolk County)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.bu.edu/law/workingpapers-archive/abstracts/2002/pdf_files/fishers091902.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Harding, Christopher v. Commonwealth, SUCV2005-03611 (Christopher Harding awarded $450,000 compensation from the State of Massachusetts under G.L.C. 258D.)"

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Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

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