Latisha Johnson

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Charge:	Attempted Murder and Robbery
Sentence:	40 years
Years Imprisoned:	8
Year Crime:	2005
Year Convicted:	2007
Year Cleared:	2014
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	New York
County or Region of Crime:	Bronx
City of Crime:	New York City
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Latisha Johnson and Malisha Blyden were codefendants wrongly convicted on June 11, 2007 of attempted murder, robbery, burglary, grand larceny and criminal possession of a weapon related to the shooting of a man in the Bronx, New York on September 4, 2005. The women were convicted by a jury based on their identification by the victim and other eyewitnesses. Johnson and Blyden were each sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison on November 25, 2008 (Concurrent terms of 25 years imprisonment for the attempted murder and 15 years imprisonment on each of two counts of burglary.). A post-conviction investigation headed by senior staff attorney Kerry S. Jamieson with the Office of the Appellate Defender discovered new evidence the two women were misidentified and had nothing to do with the crime. Based on the new evidence Johnson and Blyden were actually innocent on January 15, 2014 their lawyers filed a joint motion to vacate their convictions. The Bronx DA didn't oppose the motions, and on January 16, 2014 the convictions of Johnson and Blyden were overturned. Johnson and Blyden were released from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility on January 17, 2014 after more than 8 years in custody."
Conviction Caused By:	Eyewitness error by the victim and other eyewitnesses.
Innocence Proved By:	"Based on new evidence Johnson and Blyden were actually innocent their lawyers filed motions for a new trial. The Bronx DA didn't oppose the motions, and on January 16, 2014 the convictions of Johnson and Blyden were overturned."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	18
Age When Released:	27
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"People v. Latisha Johnson and Malisha Blyden, No. 778/06, Supreme Ct of New York, County of Bronx, Motion to Vacate, January 15, 2014"
Information Location 1:	http://nylawyer.nylj.com/adgifs/decisions14/012714motion.pdf
Information Source 2:	"A Case of Innocence, With Missteps Seemingly at Every Turn, By Jim Dwyer, The New York Times, January 23, 2014"
Information Location 2:	http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/nyregion/a-case-of-innocence-with-police-missteps-seemingly-at-every-turn.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1
Information Source 3:	"2 women convicted in shooting of Bronx man, By Chrisena Coleman (Staff Writer), New York Daily News, June 13, 2007"
Information Location 3:	http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/2-women-convicted-shooting-bronx-man-article-1.224363
Information Source 4:	"40 Year Prison Terms For Two Young Women Convicted Of Armed Robbery And Attempted Murder After Spending The Night With Their Victim, Press Release, Bronx District Attorney's Office (Bronx, New York City), November 25, 2008"
Information Location 4:	http://bronxda.nyc.gov/information/2008/case55.htm
Information Source 5:	"Bronx Case Shows Fallibility of Criminal Justice System, By John Caher, New York Law Journal, January 27, 2014"
Information Location 5:	http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202639937432/Bronx%20Case%20Shows%20Fallibility%20of%20Criminal%20Justice%20System?slreturn=20140025202727
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Latisha Johnson

Charge:

Attempted Murder and Robbery

Sentence:

40 years

Years Imprisoned:

8

Year Crime:

2005

Year Convicted:

2007

Year Cleared:

2014

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York

County or Region of Crime:

Bronx

City of Crime:

New York City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Eyewitness error by the victim and other eyewitnesses.

Innocence Proved By:

"Based on new evidence Johnson and Blyden were actually innocent their lawyers filed motions for a new trial. The Bronx DA didn't oppose the motions, and on January 16, 2014 the convictions of Johnson and Blyden were overturned."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

18

Age When Released:

27

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"People v. Latisha Johnson and Malisha Blyden, No. 778/06, Supreme Ct of New York, County of Bronx, Motion to Vacate, January 15, 2014"

Information Location 1:

http://nylawyer.nylj.com/adgifs/decisions14/012714motion.pdf

Information Source 2:

"A Case of Innocence, With Missteps Seemingly at Every Turn, By Jim Dwyer, The New York Times, January 23, 2014"

Information Location 2:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/nyregion/a-case-of-innocence-with-police-missteps-seemingly-at-every-turn.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1

Information Source 3:

"2 women convicted in shooting of Bronx man, By Chrisena Coleman (Staff Writer), New York Daily News, June 13, 2007"

Information Location 3:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/2-women-convicted-shooting-bronx-man-article-1.224363

Information Source 4:

"40 Year Prison Terms For Two Young Women Convicted Of Armed Robbery And Attempted Murder After Spending The Night With Their Victim, Press Release, Bronx District Attorney's Office (Bronx, New York City), November 25, 2008"

Information Location 4:

http://bronxda.nyc.gov/information/2008/case55.htm

Information Source 5:

"Bronx Case Shows Fallibility of Criminal Justice System, By John Caher, New York Law Journal, January 27, 2014"

Information Location 5:

http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202639937432/Bronx%20Case%20Shows%20Fallibility%20of%20Criminal%20Justice%20System?slreturn=20140025202727

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