David Lee Haywood

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Charge:	Felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition
Sentence:	5 years
Years Imprisoned:	2.25
Year Crime:	2013
Year Convicted:	2014
Year Cleared:	2016
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Minnesota
County or Region of Crime:	Ramsey
City of Crime:	St. Paul
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"David Lee Haywood was wrongly convicted in 2014 of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Haywood's prosecution was based on the police discovering an air-powered BB gun in his car during a traffic stop on January 1, 2013. Haywood was arrested as a felon in possession of a firearm based on a felony conviction in 2005. The judge denied two pre-trial motions by Haywood to dismiss the charge based on his argument an air-powered BB gun is not a firearm under Minnesota law. After he was convicted by a jury, David Haywood was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 5 years (60 months) in prison. Haywood appealed, and the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction, in ruling that a BB-gun was a firearm under Minnesota law. Haywood appealed, and the Minnesota Supreme Court accepted discretionary review of his conviction. On October 19, 2016 the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the felon in possession of a firearm conviction of David Haywood based on prosecution's failure to introduce evidence that Haywood had a firearm in his possession, because his air-powered BB-gun does not use powder fueled ammunition as required by Minn. Stat. § 609.165 (2014)."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On October 19, 2016 the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed the felon in possession of a firearm conviction of David Haywood based on prosecution's failure to introduce evidence that Haywood had a firearm in his possession, because his air-powered BB-gun does not use powder fueled ammunition as required by Minn. Stat. § 609.165 (2014)."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	36
Age When Released:	38
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"State of Minnesota v. David Lee Haywood, No. A14-1792 (Minn. Sup. Ct., Oct. 19, 2016) (Reversed conviction based on prosecution's failure to introduce evidence that Haywood had a firearm in his possession, because an air-powered BB-gun does not use powder fueled ammunition as required by Minn. Stat. § 609.165 (2014).)"
Information Location 1:	http://www.mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/Appellate/Supreme%20Court/Standard%20Opinions/OPA141792-101916.pdf
Information Source 2:	"Minnesota's Supreme Court overturns felony conviction, rules that BB gun is not a firearm, By Liz Sawyer, Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), October 20, 2016"
Information Location 2:	http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-s-supreme-court-overturns-felony-conviction-rules-that-bb-gun-is-not-a-firearm/397667361/
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David Lee Haywood

Charge:

Felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition

Sentence:

5 years

Years Imprisoned:

2.25

Year Crime:

2013

Year Convicted:

2014

Year Cleared:

2016

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Minnesota

County or Region of Crime:

Ramsey

City of Crime:

St. Paul

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

36

Age When Released:

38

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

Information Location 1:

http://www.mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/Appellate/Supreme%20Court/Standard%20Opinions/OPA141792-101916.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Minnesota's Supreme Court overturns felony conviction, rules that BB gun is not a firearm, By Liz Sawyer, Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), October 20, 2016"

Information Location 2:

http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-s-supreme-court-overturns-felony-conviction-rules-that-bb-gun-is-not-a-firearm/397667361/

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Movie About Case:

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