Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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William Panaro

 

Charge:

Second Degree Murder

Sentence:

Years Imprisoned:

2

Year Crime:

1938

Year Convicted:

1939

Year Cleared:

1940

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York

County or Region of Crime:

Kings

City of Crime:

New York City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Giro Ligouri and William Panaro were codefendants wrongly convicted in 1939 of second-degree murder in Ligouri's self-defense shooting on October 24, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, of a man who attacked him, and which was witnessed by Panaro. Their convictions were affirmed by the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, Second Department. The New York Court of Appeals accepted review of their case. In 1940 Ligouri and Panaro's convictions were overturned by the New York Court of Appeals that ordered dismissal of their indictments in ruling Ligouri was faced with felonious attack on a public street so he was justified "in standing his ground and, if necessary, destroying the person making the felonious attack." The Court overturned Panaro's conviction because the prosecution presented no evidence to contradict he was a bystander to the shooting that was in self-defense, therefore he committed no crime."

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

In 1940 Ligouri and Panaro's convictions were overturned by the New York Court of Appeals that ordered dismissal of their indictments.

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"People v. Ligouri and Panaro, 284 NY 309 (NY Ct. of Appeals, 1940)"

Information Location 1:

https://casetext.com/case/people-v-ligouri

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