Derrick Wheatt

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	15 years to life imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	20
Year Crime:	1995
Year Convicted:	1996
Year Cleared:	2016
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Ohio
County or Region of Crime:	Cuyahoga
City of Crime:	Cleveland
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Derrick Wheatt, Eugene Johnson, and Laurese Glover were wrongly convicted in January 1996 of a murder committed on February 10, 1995 in East Cleveland, Ohio. Their prosecution was based on the eyewitness evidence of a long eyewitness -- 14-year-old Tamika Harris. A post-conviction investigation discovered the prosecution failed to disclose evidence of two eyewitnesses and the victim's brother that refuted the prosecution's case the jury relied on to convict the men. In addition, when interviewed Harris recanted key parts of her trial testimony as false. Johnson, Wheatt and Glover filed petitions for a new trial based on the new evidence and the prosecution's Brady violation. On March 26, 2015 Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo granted the petition, and ordered their release on $50,000 bond each. The State appealed Judge Russo's ruling. On May 5, 2016 the Ohio Court of Appeals, Eighth Appellate District, County of Cuyahoga affirmed Judge Russo's ruling. On August 15, 2016 Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo granted a motion filed by the Cuyahoga County District Attorney's Office to dismiss the charges against Eugene Johnson, Derrick Wheatt and Laurese Glover. On January 29, 2019 Johnson, Wheatt, and Glover each filed a claim for compensation under Ohio's wrongful imprisonment statute."
Conviction Caused By:	"Perjury by key prosecution witness and prosecution concealed police reports from the men's trial lawyers, that led post-conviction defense investigators to witnesses with exculpatory evidence."
Innocence Proved By:	"On August 15, 2016 Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo granted a motion filed by the Cuyahoga County District Attorney's Office to dismiss the charges against Eugene Johnson, Derrick Wheatt and Laurese Glover."
Defendant Aided By:	Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	17
Age When Released:	37
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Judge dismisses murder case of three East Cleveland men convicted 20 years ago, By John Harper, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, August 15, 2016"
Information Location 1:	http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2016/08/judge_dismisses_murder_case_of.html
Information Source 2:	"State of Ohio v. Laurese Glover, et al, Nos. 102828, 102829, 102831 (Affirming Court of Common Pleas ruling granting new trial to three defendants based on new evidence and Brady violations.)"
Information Location 2:	https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2823914/East-Cleveland-Three-8th-District-ruling.pdf
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Derrick Wheatt

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

15 years to life imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

20

Year Crime:

1995

Year Convicted:

1996

Year Cleared:

2016

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Ohio

County or Region of Crime:

Cuyahoga

City of Crime:

Cleveland

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Perjury by key prosecution witness and prosecution concealed police reports from the men's trial lawyers, that led post-conviction defense investigators to witnesses with exculpatory evidence."

Innocence Proved By:

"On August 15, 2016 Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo granted a motion filed by the Cuyahoga County District Attorney's Office to dismiss the charges against Eugene Johnson, Derrick Wheatt and Laurese Glover."

Defendant Aided By:

Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

17

Age When Released:

37

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Judge dismisses murder case of three East Cleveland men convicted 20 years ago, By John Harper, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, August 15, 2016"

Information Location 1:

http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2016/08/judge_dismisses_murder_case_of.html

Information Source 2:

"State of Ohio v. Laurese Glover, et al, Nos. 102828, 102829, 102831 (Affirming Court of Common Pleas ruling granting new trial to three defendants based on new evidence and Brady violations.)"

Information Location 2:

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2823914/East-Cleveland-Three-8th-District-ruling.pdf

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

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