After spending more than 30 years behind bars, a New Orleans man was released from prison Monday when prosecutors acknowledged police misconduct in his case.
The
Times-Picayune
reported that Reginald Adams, who was convicted of the 1979 murder of a New Orleans police officer’s wife, gave a false confession that was inconsistent with physical evidence from the case after officers plied him with drugs and alcohol during a four-hour interrogation.
Adams’ attorneys at the
Innocence Project New Orleans
asked District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro to review Adams’ conviction on May 2. Adams was first convicted of first-degree murder in 1983, but the case was later overturned by the state’s high court. He was retried and convicted of second-degree murder in 1990.
Cannizzaro said Monday that the actions of the police officers and prosecutors who ignored physical evidence that was traced to two other suspects were shameful. According to the
Times-Picayune
, Cannizzaro said at a press conference following the hearing, “I will not tolerate intentional misconduct on the part of police or prosecutors.”
Cannizzaro apologized to Adams, saying, “I offer the apology both personally and on behalf of a much different office than the office that prosecuted you three decades ago, and denied your right to a fair trial.”
Read the
full article
.
News 05.13.14
Louisiana Man Freed in Police Misconduct Case
Featured news
‘Tough-on-Crime’ Policies Are at Odds With the Presumption of Innocence
Dear Friend, We launch into 2023, with big, ambitious plans for the coming year, buoyed by last year’s successes — including six ...
News01.26.23
‘Tough-on-Crime’ Policies Are at Odds With the Presumption of Innocence
Ian Schweitzer Exonerated of Murder After 25 Years in Hawaii
New DNA evidence identifies one unknown male perpetrator, proving Mr. Schweitzer and his co-defendants’ innocence in 1991 murder and rape.
News01.24.23
Ian Schweitzer Exonerated of Murder After 25 Years in Hawaii
Loading...
Thanks for your comment
Thank you for visiting us. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone.