John Y. Matuz

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Charge:	Second Degree Murder
Sentence:
Years Imprisoned:	2
Year Crime:
Year Convicted:	1942
Year Cleared:	1944
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	California
County or Region of Crime:	Los Angeles
City of Crime:	Los Angeles
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"One of 12 men wrongly convicted in January 1943 of first or second degree murder in the Sleepy Lagoon Murder case that began on August 2, 1942, when the body of Jose Diaz was found at a reservoir in southeast Los Angeles. Twenty-two Mexican-American youths were charged with crimes related to Diaz's death. In spite of a lack of evidence, including no proof that Diaz had in fact been murdered, twelve defendants were convicted of murder and five were convicted of assault. In October, 1944, the Ninth U.S. District Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of the 12 defendants convicted of murder as a miscarriage of justice."
Conviction Caused By:	Prosecutorial misconduct and judicial bias.
Innocence Proved By:	"In October, 1944, the Ninth U.S. District Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of the 12 defendants convicted of murder as a miscarriage of justice."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:
Information Source 1:	"People v. Zammora, 66 Cal. App. 2d 166, 152 P.2d 180 (Cal.App.Dist.2 10/04/1944)"
Information Location 1:
Information Source 2:	Sleepy Lagoon webpage
Information Location 2:	http://www.sleepylagoon.com/H/sltrial.htm
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Book About Case (2):
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John Y. Matuz

Charge:

Second Degree Murder

Sentence:

Years Imprisoned:

2

Year Crime:

Year Convicted:

1942

Year Cleared:

1944

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

California

County or Region of Crime:

Los Angeles

City of Crime:

Los Angeles

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Prosecutorial misconduct and judicial bias.

Innocence Proved By:

"In October, 1944, the Ninth U.S. District Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of the 12 defendants convicted of murder as a miscarriage of justice."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"People v. Zammora, 66 Cal. App. 2d 166, 152 P.2d 180 (Cal.App.Dist.2 10/04/1944)"

Information Location 1:

Information Source 2:

Sleepy Lagoon webpage

Information Location 2:

http://www.sleepylagoon.com/H/sltrial.htm

Information Source 3:

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: