|
Wrongly Convicted Database Record
|
Charge: |
Rape |
Sentence: |
10 years to life imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
1.25 |
Year Crime: |
2014 |
Year Convicted: |
2014 |
Year Cleared: |
2015 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Ohio |
County or Region of Crime: |
Lorain |
City of Crime: |
|
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"John L Williams was wrongly convicted on July 25, 2014 of two counts of first-degree rape in Lorain County, Ohio. Williams conviction was based on the testimony of the alleged 11 year old female victim who allegedly met Williams on a social media website, and agreed to meet and have sex with him. After the prosecution concluded its case Williams' lawyer made a motion for a judgment of acquittal because the prosecution failed to present any evidence that any element of Williams's alleged crimes occurred in Lorain County. The judge denied the motion. After William's conviction by a jury he was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 10 years to life in prison. Williams appealed. On September 28, 2015 the Ohio Court of Appeals Ninth Judicial District reversed Williams convictions on the basis the trial judge prejudically erred in denying Williams' motion for acquittal, because under Ohio state law the prosecution must present evidence proving beyond a reasonable doubt that a rape occurred in the county in which Williams was prosecuted, and none of the alleged elements of his accused crimes occurred in Lorain County." |
Conviction Caused By: |
Prosecutor misconduct of filing the charges in a county in which the alleged crimes did not occur. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"On September 28, 2015 the Ohio Court of Appeals Ninth Judicial District reversed Williams convictions on the basis the trial judge prejudically erred in denying Williams' motion for acquittal, because under Ohio state law the prosecution must present evidence proving beyond a reasonable doubt that a rape occurred in the county in which Williams was prosecuted, and none of the alleged elements of his accused crimes occurred in Lorain County." |
Defendant Aided By: |
|
Compensation Awarded: |
|
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
|
Age When Imprisoned: |
47 |
Age When Released: |
48 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
|
Information Source 1: |
"State v. Williams, 2015-Ohio-3932 (Ohio Ct. of Appeals Ninth Judicial Dist., 9-28-2015) (Reversing trial court's denial of motion for verdict of acquittal because of a lack of jurisdiction.)" |
Information Location 1: |
http://law.justia.com/cases/ohio/ninth-district-court-of-appeals/2015/14ca010641.html |
Information Source 2: |
"Lorain County rape convictions overturned by appellate court, By Kaylee Remington (Staff writer), The Morning Journal, September 28, 2015" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20150928/lorain-county-rape-convictions-overturned-by-appellate-court |
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: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org