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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Felony Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
4 |
Year Crime: |
1988 |
Year Convicted: |
1989 |
Year Cleared: |
1992 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Georgia |
County or Region of Crime: |
Dougherty |
City of Crime: |
Albany |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Arthur James Peters was wrongly convicted of felony murder and other charges related to the death of nine-year-old Tonya Holsey in 1988 in Albany, Georgia. Peters had lived with Tonya's sister for about two years before she left him about a month before Tonya's death. Arthur Peters was sentenced to life in prison. On June 27, 1991 the Georgia Supreme Court reversed Peters' convictions because the trial judge prejudicially violated Georgia's statutory jury selection procedure in the way he conducted the jury voir dire over the objection of Peters' lawyer. The Court ordered a new trial. Peters was acquitted after his retrial. On September 23, 2015 Peters was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery related to an incident involving his girlfriend in May 2014. Peters was facing a maximum of life in prison." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On June 27, 1991 the Georgia Supreme Court reversed Peters' convictions because the trial judge prejudicially violated Georgia's statutory jury selection procedure in the way he conducted the jury voir dire over the objection of Peters' lawyer. The Court ordered a new trial. Peters was acquitted after his retrial." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
25 |
Age When Released: |
29 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Peters v. State, 405 SE 2d 255, 261 Ga. 373 (Ga. Supreme Court, 6-27-1991) (Reversing conviction and ordering a new trial)" |
Information Location 1: |
"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13712354716702312708&q=Peters+v.+State,+405+SE2d+255,+261+Ga.+373&hl=en&as_sdt=6,48" |
Information Source 2: |
"Man convicted of kidnapping and stabbing girlfriend, By Jim Wallace, WALB-TV (Albany, GA), September 24, 2015" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.walb.com/story/30110711/man-convicted-of-kidnapping-and-stabbing-girlfriend |
Information Source 3: |
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Information Location 3: |
"Jury convicts kidnapping suspect, By Tracey Smith (Reporter), WFXL-TV (Albany, GA), September 24, 2015" |
Information Source 4: |
http://www.wfxl.com/news/story.aspx?id=1247608#.VgYeavsS29U |
Information Location 4: |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org