Richard Phillips

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	45.5
Year Crime:	1971
Year Convicted:	1972
Year Cleared:	2018
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Michigan
County or Region of Crime:	Wayne
City of Crime:	Detroit
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Richard Phillips was wrongly convicted in 1972 of murder in the shooting death of Gregory Harris in June 1971 in Detroit, Michigan. Phillips arrest was based on the statement of Harris' brother-in-law to police that he had met with Phillips and Richard Polombo at a bar to discuss Harris’ murder. Polombo was also arrested. Polombo confessed and under police questioning implicated Phillips in the shooting. Phillips and Polombo were charged. Phillips insisted he had nothing to do with the crime. After his conviction by a jury, in October 1972 Phillips was sentenced to life in prison. Phillps codefendant, Polombo was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Then in 2010 Polombo told the Michigan Parole Board that he lied during Phillips trial, and Phillips not only had nothing to do with the crime, but he didn't even know who Phillips was until police told him. Polombo said that he and Harris' brother-in-law killed Harris. In 2014 Phillips learned of Polombo's Parole Board statement. Phillips filed a petition for a new trial after a post-conviction investigation that included Polombo confirming Phillips wasn't involved in the crime. The Wayne County District Attorney's Office vigorously opposed the petition. On December 14, 2017 the peittion was granted based on the credible new evidence, and a new trial ordered. The Wayne County DA's Office -- still advocating for Phillips guilt -- offered Phillips a deal to be released from prison if he pled guilty to lesser charges, but he declined the deal. Phillips told his lawyer Gabi Silver: "I will die in prison before I agree to a plea deal." Phillips was released on bond in late December 2017. On March 26, 2018 the charges were dismissed with the approval of the DA's Office. The Wayne County DA's Office belatedly tried to change course by having its Conviction Integrity Unit support the dismissal of the charges. Phillips filed a claim under Michigan's Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act that awards $50,000 per year of incarceration. On May 17, 2019 the Michigan attorney general's office announced Phillips would receive $1.5 million compensation. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement: "We have an obligation to provide compassionate compensation to these men for the harm they suffered.""
Conviction Caused By:	Perjury by a key prosecution witness -- Phillips codefendant.
Innocence Proved By:	"On December 14, 2017 the peittion was granted based on the credible new evidence, and a new trial ordered. The Wayne County DA's Office -- still advocating for Phillips guilt -- offered Phillips a deal to be released from prison if he pled guilty to lesser charges, but he declined the deal. Phillips told his lawyer Gabi Silver: "I will die in prison before I agree to a plea deal." Phillips was released on bond in late December. On March 26, 2018 the charges were dismissed with the approval of the DA's Office."
Defendant Aided By:	Attorney Gabi Silver and Michigan Innocence Clinic.
Compensation Awarded:	"$1,500,000 (State of Michigan, May 17, 2019)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	26
Age When Released:	72
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Man Who Spent More Years Behind Bars Than Any Other Wrongfully Imprisoned Person in U.S. Could Get Up to $2 Million, KTLA-5"
Information Location 1:	http://ktla.com/2018/03/30/man-who-spent-more-years-behind-bars-than-any-other-wrongfully-imprisoned-person-in-u-s-could-get-up-to-2-million/
Information Source 2:	"Michigan man exonerated after 45 years will get $1.5M from state, By Ed White (Associated Press), Detroit Free Press, May 17, 2019"
Information Location 2:	https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/05/17/michigan-exoneration-richard-phillips/3712457002/
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Richard Phillips

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

45.5

Year Crime:

1971

Year Convicted:

1972

Year Cleared:

2018

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Michigan

County or Region of Crime:

Wayne

City of Crime:

Detroit

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Perjury by a key prosecution witness -- Phillips codefendant.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Attorney Gabi Silver and Michigan Innocence Clinic.

Compensation Awarded:

"$1,500,000 (State of Michigan, May 17, 2019)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

26

Age When Released:

72

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Man Who Spent More Years Behind Bars Than Any Other Wrongfully Imprisoned Person in U.S. Could Get Up to $2 Million, KTLA-5"

Information Location 1:

http://ktla.com/2018/03/30/man-who-spent-more-years-behind-bars-than-any-other-wrongfully-imprisoned-person-in-u-s-could-get-up-to-2-million/

Information Source 2:

"Michigan man exonerated after 45 years will get $1.5M from state, By Ed White (Associated Press), Detroit Free Press, May 17, 2019"

Information Location 2:

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/05/17/michigan-exoneration-richard-phillips/3712457002/

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

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