James Vetri

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Labor Law
Sentence:
Years Imprisoned:
Year Crime:	1954
Year Convicted:	1954
Year Cleared:	1955
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	New York
County or Region of Crime:	New York
City of Crime:	New York City
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"James Vetri was wrongly convicted in 1954 of failing to pay wages on March 31, 1954 that were due six employees of his discontinued business under a union contract he signed in 1952. Vetri's defense was that he "made all payments required under the agreement save for the accrued vacations of six of his employees ranging from four to fourteen days," and he contended that vacation time wasn't "wages" under the contract. The trial judge disagreed, finding Vetri guilty on the basis "that since vacation pay represented part of the employee's compensation for services rendered, it fell within the purview of the statutes under consideration." Vetri appealed, and his conviction was affirmed by the New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division, Second Department. The New York Court of Appeals granted review of Vetri's case. On December 28, 1955 the appeals court reversed Vetri's conviction on the basis accrued vacation time was not "wages" and therefore he committed no crime. The Court's ruling stated: "If the term "wages" as used in the Labor Law is to be construed according to its fair import, "vacation pay" cannot be embraced in that term by implication. The courts may not by forced construction create a crime. ... Accordingly, the judgment appealed from should be reversed and the information dismissed.""
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On December 28, 1955 the appeals court reversed Vetri's conviction on the basis accrued vacation time was not "wages" and therefore he committed no crime. The Court's ruling stated: "If the term "wages" as used in the Labor Law is to be construed according to its fair import, "vacation pay" cannot be embraced in that term by implication. The courts may not by forced construction create a crime. ... Accordingly, the judgment appealed from should be reversed and the information dismissed.""
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:
Information Source 1:	"People v. Vetri, 309 NY 401 (NY Court of Appeals 1955) (Reversing conviction)"
Information Location 1:	"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=7784666517544035770&q=2015+insufficient+evidence&hl=en&as_sdt=4,33"
Information Source 2:
Information Location 2:
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):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

James Vetri

Charge:

Labor Law

Sentence:

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

1954

Year Convicted:

1954

Year Cleared:

1955

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New York

County or Region of Crime:

New York

City of Crime:

New York City

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"People v. Vetri, 309 NY 401 (NY Court of Appeals 1955) (Reversing conviction)"

Information Location 1:

"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=7784666517544035770&q=2015+insufficient+evidence&hl=en&as_sdt=4,33"

Information Source 2:

Information Location 2:

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):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: