Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Walter Relerford

 

Charge:

Stalking & Cyberstalking

Sentence:

6 yrs & 4 yrs supervised release

Years Imprisoned:

3.1

Year Crime:

2012

Year Convicted:

2013

Year Cleared:

2017

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Illinois

County or Region of Crime:

Cook

City of Crime:

Chicago

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

"Walter Relerford was wrongly convicted in 2013 of generally stalking and cyberstalking a woman from late 2011 to April 2012 who worked at WGRB Inspiration 1390, a gospel radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Relerford worked as an intern at WGRB from May to August 2011. After he left he emailed the woman numerous times and made posts on his Facebook page about the woman. He also appeared in places where the woman was. At no time did Relerford attempt to harm the woman or threaten to do so. After his conviction following a bench trial, on July 23, 2013 the judge sentenced Relerford to six years imprisonment, and one year of mandatory supervised release -- which was later revised to four years. Relerford appealed, arguing that the cyper stalking statute was unconstitutional because it restricted free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, and the general stalking statute violated the Fifth Amendment's Due Process clause because they do not contain a mens rea requirement that an accused person must act with criminal intent. On June 24, 2016 the Illinois Court of Appeals, First Judicial District, reversed Relerford's convictions, ruling tthat the cyberstalking statute violated the First Amendment by criminalizing protected free speech, and the general stalking statute violated the Fifth Amendment by not requiring that an accused person act with criminal intent."

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"On June 24, 2016 the Illinois Court of Appeals, First Judicial District, reversed Relerford's convictions, ruling tthat the cyberstalking statute violated the First Amendment by criminalizing protected free speech, and the general stalking statute violated the Fifth Amendment by not requiring that an accused person act with criminal intent."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

29

Age When Released:

32

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"People v. Relerford, 104 NE 3d 341 (Ill Supreme Court 2017) (Reversing conviction based on insufficient trial evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.)"

Information Location 1:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3297405825690280606&q=Walter+Relerford&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Information Source 2:

"People v. Relerford, 56 NE 3d 489 (Ill Appellate Court, 1st Dist., 6th Div. 2016) (Reversing convictions on the constitutional grounds of the Illinois statute's lack of an intent element.)"

Information Location 2:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11258645039791116056&q=Walter+Relerford&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

Information Source 3:

"Stalking law: Parts struck by 1st District, By David Thomas (Law Bulletin staff writer), Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, June 29, 2016"

Information Location 3:

http://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/Articles/2016/06/29/Stalk-conviction-vacated-6-29-16.aspx

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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