Walter D. Smith

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Charge:	"Rape, Robbery and Kidnapping (abduction)"
Sentence:	78 years to life imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	10
Year Crime:	1985
Year Convicted:	1986
Year Cleared:	1996
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Ohio
County or Region of Crime:	Franklin
City of Crime:	Columbus
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Walter D. Smith was wrongly convicted in 1986 of two rapes in Columbus, Ohio based on the erroneous eyewitness testimony of the victims. He was sentenced to 78 years to life in prison. Walter Smith was exonerated by DNA tests conducted in 1996 after his family raised the $2,000 to pay for the tests.On January 11, 2001 Smith was awarded $249,989.05 by the State of Ohio -- $145,000 plus $105,000 for lost wages. $90,000 of the award was earmarked to pay attorney's fees. After his release Smith became a motivational speaker."
Conviction Caused By:	Eyewitness error by two rape victims
Innocence Proved By:	Post-conviction DNA testing in 1996 exonerated Walter D. Smith.
Defendant Aided By:	Innocence Project NY
Compensation Awarded:	"$249,989.05 (State of Ohio, 2001)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	27
Age When Released:	37
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Walter Smith, 'Innocence Project database"
Information Location 1:	http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=32
Information Source 2:	"Walter D. Smith v. State of Ohio, No. 97-07684-WI (Ohio Ct. of Claims, 2-1-1999) (Defendant's Post-trial brief)"
Information Location 2:	http://cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/streamfile.p?Serial=000415000465061&Seq=1
Information Source 3:	"Columbus Dispatch, August 12, 1996"
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Walter D. Smith

Charge:

"Rape, Robbery and Kidnapping (abduction)"

Sentence:

78 years to life imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

10

Year Crime:

1985

Year Convicted:

1986

Year Cleared:

1996

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Ohio

County or Region of Crime:

Franklin

City of Crime:

Columbus

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Eyewitness error by two rape victims

Innocence Proved By:

Post-conviction DNA testing in 1996 exonerated Walter D. Smith.

Defendant Aided By:

Innocence Project NY

Compensation Awarded:

"$249,989.05 (State of Ohio, 2001)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

27

Age When Released:

37

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Walter Smith, 'Innocence Project database"

Information Location 1:

http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=32

Information Source 2:

"Walter D. Smith v. State of Ohio, No. 97-07684-WI (Ohio Ct. of Claims, 2-1-1999) (Defendant's Post-trial brief)"

Information Location 2:

http://cases.ohiocourtofclaims.gov/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/streamfile.p?Serial=000415000465061&Seq=1

Information Source 3:

"Columbus Dispatch, August 12, 1996"

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):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: