Drayton Witt

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Charge:	Second Degree Murder
Sentence:	20 yrs
Years Imprisoned:	10
Year Crime:	2000
Year Convicted:	2002
Year Cleared:	2012
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Arizona
County or Region of Crime:	Maricopa
City of Crime:	Phoenix
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Drayton Witt was wrongly convicted on February 26, 2002 of murdering his wife's five-month-old son in 2000 after a doctor determined he died from Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Witt was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his conviction of second-degree murder. The baby's mother married him in 2006 while he was imprisoned. In 2008 the Arizona Justice Project began investigating Witt's case and eventually obtained new evidence by eight experts that the baby died from natural causes. Those experts included the prosecution's own expert at trial, Dr. A. L. Mosley, who performed the autopsy and testified at trial that the baby died from SBS. Mosley's sworn Affidavit states, "If I were to testify today, I would state that I believe Steven’s death was likely the result of a natural disease process, not SBS." Based on the new medical evidence Witt filed a motion for a new trial which the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office didn't oppose and which was granted on May 1, 2012. Witt was released on bail on May 31, 2012 pending the DA's review of the case to determine if Witt would be retried. On October 29, 2012 the charges against Witt were dismissed."
Conviction Caused By:	Erroneous expert medical testimony that the baby died from SBS.
Innocence Proved By:	"Based on the new medical evidence Witt filed a motion for a new trial which the Maricopa County District Attorney’s Office didn't oppose and which was granted on May 1, 2012. Witt was released on bail on May 31, 2012 pending the DA's review of the case to determine if Witt would be retried. On October 29, 2012 the charges against Witt were dismissed."
Defendant Aided By:	Arizona Justice Project
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	22
Age When Released:	32
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Drayton Witt, The National Registry of Exonerations"
Information Location 1:	http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4043
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Drayton Witt

Charge:

Second Degree Murder

Sentence:

20 yrs

Years Imprisoned:

10

Year Crime:

2000

Year Convicted:

2002

Year Cleared:

2012

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Arizona

County or Region of Crime:

Maricopa

City of Crime:

Phoenix

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous expert medical testimony that the baby died from SBS.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Arizona Justice Project

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

22

Age When Released:

32

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Drayton Witt, The National Registry of Exonerations"

Information Location 1:

http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4043

Information Source 2:

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

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