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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
"Second Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Robbery" |
Sentence: |
25 years to Life imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
21.4 |
Year Crime: |
1995 |
Year Convicted: |
1997 |
Year Cleared: |
2017 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
New York |
County or Region of Crime: |
Kings |
City of Crime: |
New York City |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Jabbar Washington was wrongly convicted in March 1997 of second-degree murder, attempted murder, and robbery related to the shooting death of one person and the wounding of five other people during a botched robbery in Kings County, New York in January 1995. Washington's prosecution was primarily based on two things: his alleged confession to NYPD homicide Detective Louis Scarcella, that Washington recanted as coerced by Scarcella; and, that eyewitness Lisa Todd identified Washington during a lineup arranged by Scarcella after Washington was arrested in February 1996. None of the other six men charged with involvement in the crime testified against Washington. Washington testified during his trial that he had nothing to do with the crime and Scarcella coerced him to confess. After his conviction by a jury, Washington was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. On July 12, 2017 the Kings County District Attorney's Office's motion was granted to dismiss the charges against Jabbar Washington based on the prosecution failed to disclose the exculpatory evidence to Washington's trial lawyers (or to the grand jury) that eyewitness Todd told Scarcella that she only recognized Washington as someone who resided in the building -- not that he committed the crime, and the violation of his right to a fair trial because Scarcella falsely testified at trial that Todd had identified Washington as involved in the crime. Washington was the 8th defendant in Kings County to have his conviction overturned and the charges dismissed whose case was investigated by Scarcella." |
Conviction Caused By: |
"False confession coerced by NYPD homicide Detective Louis Scarcella, and perjury by Scarcella." |
Innocence Proved By: |
"On July 12, 2017 the Kings County District Attorney's Office's motion to dismiss the charges against Jabbar Washington was granted." |
Defendant Aided By: |
New York Attorney Ron Kuby. |
Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
21 |
Age When Released: |
43 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Brooklyn man who claimed ex-Detective Louis Scarcella coerced him into 1995 murder confession walks free, By Christina Carrega, New York Daily News, July 12, 2017" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/man-allegedly-coerced-1995-murder-confession-walk-free-article-1.3320805 |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org