Man released from prison after 25 years for murder he didnt commit

[davidn3600]

NEW YORK (AP) — From the day of his 1989 arrest in a deadly New York City shooting, Jonathan Fleming said he had been more than 1,000 miles away, on a vacation at Disney World. Despite having documents to back him up, he was convicted of murder.

Prosecutors now agree with him, and Fleming left a Brooklyn court as a free man Tuesday after spending nearly a quarter-century behind bars.

Fleming, now 51, tearfully hugged his lawyers as relatives cheered, "Thank you, God!" after a judge dismissed the case. A key witness had recanted, newly found witnesses implicated someone else and prosecutors' review of authorities' files turned up documents supporting Fleming's alibi.

---

Fleming had plane tickets, videos and postcards from his trip, said his lawyers, Anthony Mayol and Taylor Koss. But prosecutors at the time suggested he could have made a quick round-trip plane jaunt to be in New York, and a woman testified that she had seen him shoot Rush. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and was due to have his first parole hearing soon.

The witness recanted her testimony soon after Fleming's 1990 conviction, saying she had lied so police would cut her loose for an unrelated arrest, but Fleming lost his appeals.

http://news.yahoo.com/man-cleared-nyc-murder-25-years-prison-182841043.html


What a travesty. This is what happens when prosecutors do whatever it takes to win cases in order to up their conviction rate. It's never about the truth anymore.

How the fuck can anyone support the death penalty when you know cases like this exist?

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. The fact that he had a solid gold alibi in the form of a receipt in his pocket

blows my mind. The fact that police and prosecutors get away this blows it even further.

[derby378]

6. I think he was convicted for LWB

Living While Black.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Pretty sure you are right.

Nothing in the world can replace those 25 years.

[malaise]

2. +1,000

Ambitious criminals in high places destroy way too many lives

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

3. I knew this before I clicked the link...

African-American Defendant.

Nope. No Sirree. No racial discrimination in America any more. Thing of the past, don't ya know...

[Lasher]

4. One of my most stunning realizations of the past 10 years is how many such convictions have occurred

It has changed my worldview. Are we doing better now in this respect than we were doing back then? Maybe even a little?

[Marrah_G]

5. So happy he is free

But my heart breaks for him and his family. 25 years lost........

[derby378]

9. His life is practically ruined - I hope he seeks and receives due restitution

It would be nice if at least some of the money came out of the prosecutor's own pocket.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. Hopefully, he'll get an outcome similar to that of Anthony Caravella down here in Florida

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/anthony-caravella-verdict-7-million-cops_n_2960225.html

Anthony Caravella Verdict: Cops Must Pay $7,000,000 To Wrongfully Convicted Broward Man
Sun Sentinel | By Paula Mcmahon
Posted: 03/27/2013 3:03 am EDT | Updated: 03/27/2013 7:56 am EDT

The 9,389 days Anthony Caravella wrongfully spent in prison still haunt him, but he was relieved Tuesday that two former police officers who put him away are finally being held accountable.

Jurors decided that William Mantesta and George Pierson framed Caravella, then a mentally challenged 15 year old, for the 1983 rape and murder of a Miramar woman and should pay him $7 million for the close to 26 years he spent in prison.

The city of Miramar or its insurers may have to pay some or all of the judgment against the former detectives, but legal experts said Caravella, now 44, has a good chance of collecting the money -- plus his lawyer's fees and costs.

[derby378]

11. +1,000 (n/t)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. Bittersweet.

Very happy that Mr. Fleming has been exonerated and will see freedom. On the same page, I feel horrible that he's had 25 years of his life wasted due to no fault of his own. He'll never get that time back.

This is clear criminal negligence on the part of prosecutors and/or police, and indictments ought to be in hand.

[kelliekat44]

12. I won't even look, but I bet he is black. nt

[IronGate]

13. You would win that bet.

[Logical]

14. But many clueless DUers still love the death penalty! nt

[sorefeet]

15. This is one out of over 2 million

people in prison. How many not on death row are innocent??? 100,000 would not be out of line. All the innocent people laying around the prison is job security FOR the prison. It is a false economic lie. If you let all the hundreds of thousands of innocent AND non-violent who have harmed no one out of prison, they are dumped into a world of no jobs plus the discrimination of being in prison AND the guards and supporting services are out of work also. It's Republican job creation to warehouse thousands of people because they have sent the jobs to out of the country. Get the low wage earners out of the picture and have thousands of people guard and support them. Many people affiliated with the prison industry are corrupt. From the politicians, to cops, to lawyers, to CCA, the warden, it is all huge money and much of it is at the expense of innocent human beings. America, you are corrupt.

[Nye Bevan]

16. He was in fucking DISNEY WORLD at the time of the murder and was still convicted?

He "could have made a quick round-trip jaunt" to commit the crime? OK, so where is the airport surveillance footage and the records of him buying tickets for this "quick round-trip jaunt"? Where are the witnesses who saw him on these flights?

This is exhibit A of why the death penalty should be abolished. At least this guy can be paid compensation ($10 million would be a reasonable settlement IMO) and attempt to get his life back together, but this would not be possible if he had been strapped to a gurney and injected with poison.

[Logical]

17. Jury's are too trusting of the police and proscuters! Nt

[Enthusiast]

18. Plus One! It's been proven so many times.

We have many documented examples of prosecutorial misconduct. And the police are far worse.

[Logical]

20. We are raised to trust them. Too much. nt

[Enthusiast]

19. Another illustration of why the death penalty must go.

How many more do we need!?

[RebelOne]

21. I see a big lawsuit settlement in his future. n/t

[rock]

22. "... prosecutors at the time suggested..."

"he could have made a quick round-trip plane jaunt to be in New York."

"Suggested?" Hell, we wouldn't want them to give some sort of proof now would we? (sarcasm)

Since when do court cases allow speculation as evidence? How about, "We feel that Martians were in cahoots with the defendant and they teleported him to the murder scene, allowed him enough time to commit the crime, and then teleported him back."