Jeffrey B. Modahl

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Charge:	Child/Minor Sex Abuse (incl. molestation)
Sentence:	48 years
Years Imprisoned:	15
Year Crime:	1984
Year Convicted:	1986
Year Cleared:	1999
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	California
County or Region of Crime:	Kern
City of Crime:	Bakersfield
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Jeffrey B. Modahl was wrongly convicted of being a part of a child molestation ring in Bakersfield. Jefrey Modahl was convicted after a bench( judge only) trial based on prosecutorial misconduct of concealing evidence and the testimony of one child, whose testimony was contradicted by other witnesses. There was no other testimonial evidence, or any physical or medical evidence supporting the alleged child abuse. Modahl was one of dozens of innocent victims convicted from 1982 to 1985 during the Bakersfield child molestation Witch Hunt Trials instituted by the Kern County, CA District Attorney. During an evidentiary hearing on April 3, 1987, Modahl's lone accuser, his daughter Carla confirmed oral and written statements she had made after his trial that she lied during his trial, and that her original accusation was the result of being tricked by California Social Worker Velda Murillo. The hearing was conducted by the same judge who had convicted Modahl, and he refused to set aside his conviction. In spite of his unquestionable innocence, Modahl spent an additional 12 years in prison before being released. Seven defendants in the Bakersfield molestation cases -- Jeffrey Modahl, Richard Cox, Teresa Cox, Ruth Ann Kroeker, Carla Jo Owen, Richard Taylor and Carol Ann James -- who spent a total of 34 years in prison, filed federal civil rights lawsuits against Kern County and shared a settlement in May 2003 of $4.25 million -- averaging $607,000 each."
Conviction Caused By:	Prosecutorial misconduct of concealing evidence and perjurious testimony by police.
Innocence Proved By:
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$607,000 (Kern County, May 2003)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	Wrongful Convictions: Kern County
Information Location 1:	http://www.edwardhumes.com/meandev.htm#kern
Information Source 2:	"Not Guilty After All, San Francisco Magazine, November 2004"
Information Location 2:	http://sanfran.com/archives/view_story/200/
Information Source 3:	"Kern County settles last of molestation conviction suits, By Lois Henry (Staff writer), The Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.), March 25, 2013"
Information Location 3:	http://www.bakersfield.com/news/2013/03/26/kern-county-settles-last-of-molestation-conviction-suits.html
Information Source 4:	"7 Convicted in Child Sex Case Get Settlement: Kern County will pay $4.25 million to end a suit by people jailed for a combined 34 years, who were freed when new evidence surfaced, By John Johnson (Times Staff Writer), Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2003"
Information Location 4:	http://www.1union1.com/wrongful_imprisonment_lawsuits.html
Information Source 5:	"Modahl, et al v. County of Kern, et al., No. 1:99-cv-06463-OWW-LJO (and related case No. 1:00-cv-05742-OWW-LJO (USDC ED Cal.) (Memorandum Opinion and Order, 5-22-2003) and (Stipulation and Order, 7-21-2003 (Consolidating actions by seven plaintiffs)"
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Jeffrey B. Modahl

Charge:

Child/Minor Sex Abuse (incl. molestation)

Sentence:

48 years

Years Imprisoned:

15

Year Crime:

1984

Year Convicted:

1986

Year Cleared:

1999

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

California

County or Region of Crime:

Kern

City of Crime:

Bakersfield

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Prosecutorial misconduct of concealing evidence and perjurious testimony by police.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$607,000 (Kern County, May 2003)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

Wrongful Convictions: Kern County

Information Location 1:

http://www.edwardhumes.com/meandev.htm#kern

Information Source 2:

"Not Guilty After All, San Francisco Magazine, November 2004"

Information Location 2:

http://sanfran.com/archives/view_story/200/

Information Source 3:

"Kern County settles last of molestation conviction suits, By Lois Henry (Staff writer), The Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.), March 25, 2013"

Information Location 3:

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/2013/03/26/kern-county-settles-last-of-molestation-conviction-suits.html

Information Source 4:

"7 Convicted in Child Sex Case Get Settlement: Kern County will pay $4.25 million to end a suit by people jailed for a combined 34 years, who were freed when new evidence surfaced, By John Johnson (Times Staff Writer), Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2003"

Information Location 4:

http://www.1union1.com/wrongful_imprisonment_lawsuits.html

Information Source 5:

"Modahl, et al v. County of Kern, et al., No. 1:99-cv-06463-OWW-LJO (and related case No. 1:00-cv-05742-OWW-LJO (USDC ED Cal.) (Memorandum Opinion and Order, 5-22-2003) and (Stipulation and Order, 7-21-2003 (Consolidating actions by seven plaintiffs)"

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