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BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ) — A Baltimore man was freed Wednesday after spending almost 17 years in jail for a homicide he didn’t commit, Baltimore Metropolis State’s Lawyer Marilyn Mosby mentioned.
David Morris was sentenced to life in jail with all however 50 years suspended after he was convicted within the 2004 homicide of Mustafa Carter. In 2018, the State’s Lawyer’s Conviction Integrity Unit took a more in-depth have a look at the case in response to considerations from the Innocence Mission. The CIU’s evaluation discovered exculpatory proof was found earlier than Morris’ trial however by no means disclosed.
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In an announcement, Mosby mentioned Morris’ case is an instance of the “deeply damaging nature of the historic failures of the felony justice system” and her company’s obligation to proper earlier wrongs.
“On behalf of the State, let me lengthen my sincerest apologies to Mr. Morris and his household for the unspeakable trauma inflicted upon him because of this wrongful conviction,” Mosby mentioned. “To the household of Mr. Carter, we are going to proceed to make use of all the pieces our arsenal to seek out your son’s killers.”
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In line with the State’s Lawyer’s Workplace, investigators recognized one other suspect within the case, however that info wasn’t offered to Morris’ protection. A number of different components – together with DNA proof taken from Carter’s pants that may have dominated out Morris as a suspect and contradictory info from the only witness – indicated “Morris was not concerned,” the company mentioned partly.
Moreover the proof, the CIU evaluation decided the arresting officer had been accused of misconduct, which Mosby’s workplace mentioned ought to have been disclosed to Morris’ protection attorneys. The officer, Michael Nelson, was among those published in Mosby’s “Do Not Call” list of officers with credibility points.
Michele Nethercott, an legal professional for the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Mission and the previous director of the College of Baltimore Innocence Mission Clinic, mentioned the group was gratified with the result.
“The proof at (Morris’) trial was extremely weak and our post-conviction investigation unearthed much more proof supporting his longstanding declare of innocence,” Nethercott mentioned. “We’re grateful to Mr. Carter’s household for aiding within the investigation regardless of the ache it should have brought on.”
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In 2015, Mosby overhauled the CIU, Maryland’s first such unit, tasking prosecutors with trying into claims of precise innocence and wrongful convictions. Since then, the CIU has exonerated a complete of 11 people who served a mixed 280 years behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit.
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