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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder and Rape |
Sentence: |
Death and later resentenced or commuted to Life |
Years Imprisoned: |
10 |
Year Crime: |
1959 |
Year Convicted: |
1959 |
Year Cleared: |
2007 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Canada |
County or Region of Crime: |
Ontario |
City of Crime: |
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Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Steven Truscott was wrongly convicted on September 30, 1959 of the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl. The prosecution's case was circumstantial, becasue there was no direct evidence Truscott committed the crime. The 14-year-old Truscott was tried as an adult, and after his conviction by a jury he was the youngest person in Canadian history sentenced to death. Four months after Truscott's imprisonment his sentence was commutted to life in prison. Truscott was denied leave to appeal by both the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, so there was no appellate review of his conviction. Truscott was released on parole in 1969 after 10 years of imprisonment. Based on new evidence casting doubt on the reliability of his conviction, the Ontario Court of Appeals acquitted Truscott on August 28, 2007. Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley apologized to Truscott for his ordeal. Bentley announced on July 7, 2008 that an ex gratia compensation award of CAN$6.5 million would be paid to Truscott. (This converts to US$6.387 million on 7-7-08). Compensation of CAN$100,000 was also awarded to Truscott's Truscott's wife, Marlene, for emotional pain and suffering." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"Based on new evidence casting doubt on the reliability of his conviction, the Ontario Court of Appeals acquitted Truscott on August 28, 2007." |
Defendant Aided By: |
Lawyer Hersh Wolch and the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted |
Compensation Awarded: |
CAN$6.5 million (2008) |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
14 |
Age When Released: |
24 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"Truscott acquitted, By Jane Sims, Toronto Sun, August 28, 2007" |
Information Location 1: |
http://torontosun.com/News/2007/08/28/4452385.html |
Information Source 2: |
"Province on hook for high price of justice, By Earl McRae (staff), Ottawa Sun, August 29, 2007" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2007/08/29/4454043-sun.html |
Information Source 3: |
"Steven Truscott to get $6.5M for wrongful conviction, CBC News, July 7, 2008" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/07/07/truscott-bentley.html |
Information Source 4: |
"Steven Truscott case profile, By Sarah Harland-Logan, AIDWYC website (Toronto, Canada)" |
Information Location 4: |
http://aidwyc.createtoconvert.com/cases/historical/steven-truscott/ |
Information Source 5: |
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Information Location 5: |
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Book About Case: |
"The Trial of Steven Truscott by Isabel LeBourdais (McClelland & Stewart (Toronto), 1966)" |
Book Information: |
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Book About Case (2): |
"Until You Are Dead" - Steven Truscott's Long Ride into History by Julian Sher (2002) (Paperback)" |
Book Information (2): |
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Movie About Case: |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org