Arthur Lee Whitfield

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Charge:	Rape
Sentence:	63 years
Years Imprisoned:	23
Year Crime:	1981
Year Convicted:	1982
Year Cleared:	2009
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Virginia
County or Region of Crime:	Norfolk
City of Crime:	Norfolk
Result:	Pardoned
Summary of Case:	"Arthur Lee Whitfield was wrongly convicted in 1982 of raping two women in 1981 in Norfolk, Virginia. His conviction's were based on the eyewitness identifications of the victims. Arthur Whitfield was sentenced to 63 years in prison. Whitfield was released on August 24, 2004 after DNA tests unavailable at the time of his conviction excluded him as the women's attacker. On April 6, 2009 Virginia Governor Tim Kaine granted Whitfield a full pardon on the basis of his innocence. On August 19, 2009, Virginia's legislature pased a special compensation bill awarding Whitfield a total of $632,867. $126,573 was to be paid within 30 days of the bill becoming law. A schedule for disbursement of the remaining $506,294 will be determined by Whitfield's representatives, the attorney general's office and other relevant parties. Whitfield will also receive $10,000 in community college assistance. He will lose any unpaid amount if he is convicted of a felony."
Conviction Caused By:	Erroneous eyewitness identification by the two rape victims.
Innocence Proved By:	"Whitfield was released on August 24, 2004 after DNA tests unavailable at the time of his conviction excluded him as the women's attacker."
Defendant Aided By:	Innocence Project NY
Compensation Awarded:	"$632,867 (State of Virginia, 2009)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?	Yes
Age When Imprisoned:	26
Age When Released:	49
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	Black
Information Source 1:	"Wrongful Imprisonment Takes Away Years and Family, Michelle Washington, The Virginian-Pilot, August 25, 2004"
Information Location 1:	http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=74763&ran=150820
Information Source 2:	"Wrongly convicted Norfolk man to get 633,000 from Va, By Julian Walker and Michelle Washington, The Virginian-Pilot, August 20, 2009"
Information Location 2:	http://hamptonroads.com/2009/08/wrongly-convicted-norfolk-man-get-633000-va#
Information Source 3:	"Gov. Kaine pardons two in rape cases, By Frank Green, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 7, 2009"
Information Location 3:	http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/PARD07_20090406-222710/250491/
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Arthur Lee Whitfield

Charge:

Rape

Sentence:

63 years

Years Imprisoned:

23

Year Crime:

1981

Year Convicted:

1982

Year Cleared:

2009

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Virginia

County or Region of Crime:

Norfolk

City of Crime:

Norfolk

Result:

Pardoned

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness identification by the two rape victims.

Innocence Proved By:

"Whitfield was released on August 24, 2004 after DNA tests unavailable at the time of his conviction excluded him as the women's attacker."

Defendant Aided By:

Innocence Project NY

Compensation Awarded:

"$632,867 (State of Virginia, 2009)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Yes

Age When Imprisoned:

26

Age When Released:

49

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Black

Information Source 1:

"Wrongful Imprisonment Takes Away Years and Family, Michelle Washington, The Virginian-Pilot, August 25, 2004"

Information Location 1:

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=74763&ran=150820

Information Source 2:

"Wrongly convicted Norfolk man to get 633,000 from Va, By Julian Walker and Michelle Washington, The Virginian-Pilot, August 20, 2009"

Information Location 2:

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/08/wrongly-convicted-norfolk-man-get-633000-va#

Information Source 3:

"Gov. Kaine pardons two in rape cases, By Frank Green, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 7, 2009"

Information Location 3:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/PARD07_20090406-222710/250491/

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

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Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

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