|
Wrongly
Convicted Database
Record
|
Years
Imprisoned:
|
3 |
Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Death |
Year Convicted: |
1987 |
Year
Cleared:
|
1990 |
Location
of Trial:
|
Arizona |
Result:
|
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary
of Case:
|
"Death Row inmate. Jimmy Lee Mathers was convicted of first degree murder in 1987 and sentenced to death along with two co-defendants. At trial, Mathers moved for a judgment of acquittal at the close of the prosecution's case, maintaining that the state had not presented evidence sufficient to support a conviction. The motion was denied. Mathers' case was reviewed by the Arizona Supreme Court in 1990. Examining the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the Court found that there was a complete absence of probative facts to support Mathers' conviction. The Court stated that most of the evidence presented at trial had "nothing to do with Mathers" and noted that even the trial judge expressed doubt as to whether Mathers was involved in the crime. The Court set aside Mathers' conviction and sentence and entered a judgment of acquittal. (State v. Mathers, 796 P.2d 866 (Ariz. 1990)). The conviction of Mathers' co-defendants were affirmed." |
Conviction
Caused By:
|
|
Innocence
Proved By:
|
Conviction overturned by Arizona Supreme Court in 1990 which ordered a judgment of acquittal for a lack of evidence.
|
Defendant
Aided By:
|
|
Compensation Awarded: |
|
Was Perpetrator Found? |
|
Age
When Imprisoned:
|
|
Age
When Released:
|
|
Information Source 1: |
Innocence: List of Those Freed From Death Row, Death Penalty Information Center |
Information
Location 1:
|
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/innocence-list-those-freed-death-row |
Information
Source 2:
|
State v. Mathers, 796 P.2d 866 (Ariz. 1990) |
Information
Location 2:
|
|
Information
Source 3:
|
|
Information
Location 3:
|
|
Information
Source 4:
|
|
Information
Location 4:
|
|
Information
Source 5:
|
|
Information
Location 5:
|
|
Ethnicity/Skin:
|
White |
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