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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
27 |
Year Crime: |
1977 |
Year Convicted: |
1986 |
Year Cleared: |
2013 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Pennsylvania |
County or Region of Crime: |
Fayette |
City of Crime: |
Bear Rocks |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"David Munchinski wrongly convicted in 1986 of a 1977 double murder in Bear Rocks, Pennsylvania. Munchinski's first trial in 1983 ended in a hung jury. Munchinski's conviction was based on the prosecution's misconduct of concealing significant exculpatory evidence (Brady violations). Munchinski's conviction was reversed by a Pennsylvania state judge on Oct. 1, 2004 based on the prosecution's multitude of Brady violations, however that ruling was overturned when the State appealed. Munchinski federal habeas corpus petition was granted by a federal district court judge in August 2011, and he was released on bond on September 30, 2011 after 25 years of incarceration. The state appealed and on September 11, 2012 the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the granting of Munchinski's habeas petition. On June 14, 2013 the charges were dismissed against Munchinski." |
Conviction Caused By: |
Prosecutorial misconduct of concealing exculpatory evidence (witness statement). |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Munchinski's charges were dismissed on June 14, 2013 and he was released." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
32 |
Age When Released: |
61 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"Munchinski v. Wilson, 694 F. 3d 308 (3rd Cir., 2012)" |
Information Location 1: |
"http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17776376619693998788&q=David+J.+Munchinski+third+circuit+court+of+appeals&hl=en&as_sdt=2,48" |
Information Source 2: |
"Man convicted of murder 25 years ago freed pending retrial, By Rich Lord (staff), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 30, 2011" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/breaking/man-convicted-of-murder-25-years-ago-freed-pending-retrial-629087/ |
Information Source 3: |
"Suit filed after murder convictions overturned, Associated Press story, The Times Herald (Norristown, PA), September 5, 2013" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130905/NEWS03/130909818/suit-filed-after-murder-convictions-overturned |
Information Source 4: |
"Conviction in 1977 Fayette County Murders Tossed Out, Bill Moushey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Oct. 2, 2004" |
Information Location 4: |
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04276/389276.stm |
Information Source 5: |
"Free at last, Munchinksi gets dismissal of charges, By Susy Kelly (staff), Herald-Standard, June 15, 2013" |
Information Location 5: |
http://www.heraldstandard.com/new_today/free-at-last-munchinksi-gets-dismissal-of-charges/article_878ba0f2-a3c0-58d1-9055-43dff8557376.html?mode=jqm |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org