Frank O'Connell

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Charge:	First Degree Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole
Years Imprisoned:	28
Year Crime:	1984
Year Convicted:	1985
Year Cleared:	2012
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	California
County or Region of Crime:	Los Angeles
City of Crime:	Pasadena
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Frank O'Connell was wrongly convicted in 1985 of first degree murder in Los Angeles County, California. O'Connell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. O'Connell filed a post-conviction to vacate his conviction and for a new trial based on new evidence that LA County Sheriff's detectives improperly influenced witnesses and the prosecution failed to disclose exculpatory evidence. The petition was granted and the Los County District Attorney's Office declined to retry him. On June 11, 2012 a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge dismissed the charges against Frank O'Connell. He had earlier been released on April 21, 2012 after his conviction had been overturned. O'Connell filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and sheriff's deputies involved in his case. On November 22, 2017 O'Connell and the county agreed to settle his lawsuit for $15,000,000. The county had spent $1.4 million in legal fees to oppose O'Connell's lawsuit."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On June 11, 2012 a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge dismissed the charges against Frank O'Connell. He had earlier been released on April 21, 2012 after his conviction had been overturned."
Defendant Aided By:	Centurion Ministries
Compensation Awarded:	"$15 million (Los Angeles County, 11-22-2017)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	26
Age When Released:	54
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"In re Frank O'Connell, No. A-565559 (LA County Superior Ct, 3-29-2012)"
Information Location 1:	http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103063443147-43/Petition+for+Writ+of+Habeas+Corpus+court+decision+March+29+2012.pdf
Information Source 2:	"Judge overturns man's 1985 murder conviction, By Jack Leonard (LA Times), Pasadena Sun, April 3, 2012"
Information Location 2:	"http://www.pasadenasun.com/the626now/tn-626-0403-judge-overturns-mans-murder-conviction,0,6732100.story"
Information Source 3:	"Judge overturns man's 1985 murder conviction, By Jack Leonard (staff writer), Los Angeles Times, April 3, 2012"
Information Location 3:	http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/judge-overturns-mans-1985-murder-conviction-.html
Information Source 4:	"Man convicted of murder who proclaimed his innocence to be freed, By Jack Leonard (staff), Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2012"
Information Location 4:	http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/21/local/la-me-murder-overturned-20120421
Information Source 5:	"Nick O’Connell: Father’s Wrongful Conviction Motivates Son to Help the Innocent, By Logan Sander, Planet Princeton, April 1, 2015"
Information Location 5:	http://planetprinceton.com/2015/04/01/nick-oconnell-fathers-wrongful-conviction-motivates-son-to-help-the-innocent/
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Frank O'Connell

Charge:

First Degree Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole

Years Imprisoned:

28

Year Crime:

1984

Year Convicted:

1985

Year Cleared:

2012

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

California

County or Region of Crime:

Los Angeles

City of Crime:

Pasadena

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"On June 11, 2012 a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge dismissed the charges against Frank O'Connell. He had earlier been released on April 21, 2012 after his conviction had been overturned."

Defendant Aided By:

Centurion Ministries

Compensation Awarded:

"$15 million (Los Angeles County, 11-22-2017)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

26

Age When Released:

54

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"In re Frank O'Connell, No. A-565559 (LA County Superior Ct, 3-29-2012)"

Information Location 1:

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103063443147-43/Petition+for+Writ+of+Habeas+Corpus+court+decision+March+29+2012.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Judge overturns man's 1985 murder conviction, By Jack Leonard (LA Times), Pasadena Sun, April 3, 2012"

Information Location 2:

"http://www.pasadenasun.com/the626now/tn-626-0403-judge-overturns-mans-murder-conviction,0,6732100.story"

Information Source 3:

"Judge overturns man's 1985 murder conviction, By Jack Leonard (staff writer), Los Angeles Times, April 3, 2012"

Information Location 3:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/judge-overturns-mans-1985-murder-conviction-.html

Information Source 4:

"Man convicted of murder who proclaimed his innocence to be freed, By Jack Leonard (staff), Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2012"

Information Location 4:

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/21/local/la-me-murder-overturned-20120421

Information Source 5:

"Nick O’Connell: Father’s Wrongful Conviction Motivates Son to Help the Innocent, By Logan Sander, Planet Princeton, April 1, 2015"

Information Location 5:

http://planetprinceton.com/2015/04/01/nick-oconnell-fathers-wrongful-conviction-motivates-son-to-help-the-innocent/

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