After nearly 25 years behind bars, innocent man walks free
After nearly completing a 25-year sentence for murder, an innocent man will win a bittersweet victory Tuesday when he is expected to walk free.
Brooklyn native Jonathan Fleming, 51, served 24 years for allegedly shooting and killing 22-year-old Darryl Rush outside an apartment building in 1989.
Evidence, however, overwhelmingly showed that Fleming was in Florida at the time of the slaying.
“[Prosecutors] had the evidence that this man was on a Disney World vacation when this crime was committed,” said his attorney, Taylor Koss. “It’s disgusting.”
Fleming was sentenced to 25 years to life in 1990 and was scheduled to be eligible for parole later this year.
But Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson intervened and said that he will dismiss the charges against Fleming “in the interest of justice,” according to ProPublica.org.
While Fleming’s lawyers applauded the decision, they maintain that prosecutors chose to ignore key evidence that would have exonerated him sooner.
It was also revealed that a key witness in the case agreed to testify against Fleming did so only to avoid prosecution herself.
Hopefully Mr. Fleming can enjoy his newfound freedom.
It’s no secret that the justice system has and continues to fail many people of color. Are these exonerations a step in the right direction? Do you expect to see more innocent people freed?
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