Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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William Bernard Jackson

 

Charge:

Rape

Sentence:

14 to 50 years

Years Imprisoned:

5

Year Crime:

1977

Year Convicted:

1977

Year Cleared:

1982

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Ohio

County or Region of Crime:

Franklin

City of Crime:

Columbus

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"William Bernard Jackson was wrongly convicted in 1977 of two rapes in Columbus, Ohio in 1977 based on his identification by the victims..William Jackson was sentenced to 14 to 50 years in prison. Jackson's conviction was overturned and he was released in September 24, 1982, and he was formally exonerated on September 26 when the rape charges were dismissed based on the new evidence that the actual rapist, Doctor Edward Franklin Jackson Jr., was indicted for 36 rapes he committed from 1975 to 1982, including the two in 1977 that Jackson was convicted of committing. Both William Jackson and Dr. Edward Jackson were black and they resembled each other, although in 1977 Williams was 24 - 14 years younger than Edward who was 38. In August 1984 Jackson filed a compensation claim for $1,000,000 with the Ohio Board of Claims. On July 15, 1985 a judge ruled that Jackson was eligible for compensation. Jackson was awarded compensation of $720,645 by the Ohio Board of Claims on July 15, 1985."

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness identification by the two rape victims.

Innocence Proved By:

"Jackson was exonerated on September 26, 1982 when the rape charges were dismissed based on the new evidence that the actual rapist, Doctor Edward Franklin Jackson Jr., was indicted for 36 rapes, including the two that Jackson was convicted of committing."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$720,645 (State of Ohio, July 1985)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

24

Age When Released:

29

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Ohio Doctor Accussed Of 36 Rrapes: Man Jailed For 2 Of Them Is Freed, AP Story, The New York Times, September 24, 1982"

Information Location 1:

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/24/us/ohio-doctor-accused-of-36-rapes-man-jailed-for-2-of-them-is-freed.html

Information Source 2:

"William B. Jackson v. The State of Ohio, Case No. 1984-05611 WI (Ohio Board of Claims) (Judgment awarding $720,645 compensation on July 15, 1985)"

Information Location 2:

http://cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/casedetail.htm?caseno=198106098

Information Source 3:

"Ohio Rape Defendant Was Esteemed As Physician, AP story, The New York Times, August 24, 1983"

Information Location 3:

http://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/24/us/ohio-rape-defendant-was-esteemed-as-physican.html

Information Source 4:

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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