Christopher Ochoa

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Charge:	Murder and Sexual Assault
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	12.25
Year Crime:	1988
Year Convicted:	1989
Year Cleared:	2002
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Texas
County or Region of Crime:	Travis
City of Crime:	Austin
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Christopher Ochoa was codefendant of Richard Danziger. Chris Ochoa falsely confessed and implicated his friend Richard Danziger under pressure of police threats he would get the death penalty. Exonerated by DNA tests. The police officer who committed perjury in Christopher Ochoa's case had prior disciplinary actions taken against him for the same crimes, yet the officer was never punished and retired with full benefits. In 1996 the real killer, Achim Josef Marino, wrote letters to the Austin Police Department and the Austin American-Statesman confessing to the crime. Ochoa and Danziger were exonerated more than four years later after they were excluded by DNA tests unavailable at the time of their conviction. Those tests also implicated Marino. Wrongly imprisoned for 13 years. Awarded $5.3 million in compensation by the City of Austin, Texas in December 2003. Ochoa paid Danziger $500,000 of his settlement with Austin, because his false confession is what implicated Danziger in the crime."
Conviction Caused By:	False confession under police threats and false prosecution informant
Innocence Proved By:	Post-conviction DNA testing.
Defendant Aided By:	Innocence Project NY
Compensation Awarded:	"$5.3 million (City of Austin, Dec. 2003)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	22
Age When Released:	34
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Hispanic
Information Source 1:	Innocence Project database
Information Location 1:	http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=84
Information Source 2:	"My Only Hope, David Casstevens, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, March 7, 2004"
Information Location 2:	http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/8128688.htm
Information Source 3:	"Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1-17-01"
Information Location 3:
Information Source 4:	"Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, Tom Kertscher, Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, December 8, 2003."
Information Location 4:	http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec03/191269.asp
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
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Christopher Ochoa

Charge:

Murder and Sexual Assault

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

12.25

Year Crime:

1988

Year Convicted:

1989

Year Cleared:

2002

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Texas

County or Region of Crime:

Travis

City of Crime:

Austin

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

False confession under police threats and false prosecution informant

Innocence Proved By:

Post-conviction DNA testing.

Defendant Aided By:

Innocence Project NY

Compensation Awarded:

"$5.3 million (City of Austin, Dec. 2003)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

22

Age When Released:

34

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Hispanic

Information Source 1:

Innocence Project database

Information Location 1:

http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=84

Information Source 2:

"My Only Hope, David Casstevens, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, March 7, 2004"

Information Location 2:

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/8128688.htm

Information Source 3:

"Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1-17-01"

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

"Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, Tom Kertscher, Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, December 8, 2003."

Information Location 4:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec03/191269.asp

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: