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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Threatening Behavior (Including threatening bodily harm) |
Sentence: |
15 years |
Years Imprisoned: |
0.95 |
Year Crime: |
2001 |
Year Convicted: |
2001 |
Year Cleared: |
2017 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
California |
County or Region of Crime: |
Los Angeles |
City of Crime: |
Los Angeles |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Michelle Poulos was wrongly convicted on June 28, 2001 of criminally threatening June Patti, the girlfriend of Poulos' former boyfriend in March 2001. Poulos' prosecution was based on Patti's testimony during a preliminary hearing in June 2001 that during a phone call Poulos threatened to kill her, and that in a later phone call told her that there was a $20,000 murder contract on her. After the judge ruled there was sufficient evidence for Poulos to stand trial, she agreed to pled guilty in exchange for a sentence of two years probation. Poulos' probation was revoked and she was sentenced to two years in prison based on her arrest in September 2002 for a drug charge. Poulos was released on probation in August 2003. Michelle Poulos filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus on January 17, 2017 to withdraw her guilty plea and for a new trial that was based on new evidence Patti had falsely testified as a prosecution witness in the case of Susan Mellen -- who was exonerated of murder in October 2014 -- and there was no evidence Poulos made the phone calls Patti testified about at the preliminary hearing. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office did not oppose Poulos' petition, which was granted on January 23, 2017, and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted. " |
Conviction Caused By: |
Perjury by the alleged victim. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Michelle Poulos filed a post-conviction motion on January 17, 2017 to withdraw her guilty plea and for a new trial that was based on new evidence Patti had falsely testified as a prosecution witness in the case of Susan Mellen -- who was exonerated of murder in October 2014 -- and there was no evidence Poulos made the phone calls Patti testified about at the preliminary hearing. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office did not oppose Poulos' petition, which was granted on January 23, 2017, and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
34 |
Age When Released: |
35 |
Sex: |
Female |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"In re Susan Marie Mellen, No. YA033982-02 (Los Angeles County, Calif. Superior Ct., 9-18-2014) (Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus)" |
Information Location 1: |
http://documents.latimes.com/susan-mellen-seeks-have-her-1998-murder-conviction-thrown-out/ |
Information Source 2: |
"Michelle Poulos, National Registry of Exonerations" |
Information Location 2: |
https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=5105 |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org