US EditionJudge tosses murder conviction for man who served 25 years, rebuking a ‘troubling’ prosecution
A review found prosecutors withheld evidence and paid the key witness’s mother $17,000, prompting the judge to dismiss the decades-old case.
- On Monday, a Manhattan judge vacated the murder conviction of Harry Ruiz, 58, who spent 25 years in prison for the 1993 fatal shooting of Emmanuel Felix in Harlem.
- Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's Post-Conviction Justice Unit found prosecutors had paid $17,000 to the mother of the key witness, a payment never disclosed to the defense as legally required.
- Court records show a man identified as J.M. admitted hiring a hitman known as "Shorty" to kill Felix, paying $4,000 before and after the murder and signing an affidavit stating the killer was not Ruiz.
- Judge Robert Mandelbaum rebuked the former assistant district attorney for her "troubling" refusal to participate in the reinvestigation, while attorney Ron Kuby stated the office "knowingly and deliberately suppressed" evidence.
- Since creating the Post-Conviction Justice Unit in 2022, Bragg has vacated 14 convictions, including eight homicides; Ruiz said he feels relieved to finally live life without a chip on his shoulder.
15 Articles
15 Articles
‘I can finally breathe’: Man exonerated for 1993 Manhattan murder after spending over 30 years behind bars
Harry Ruiz, 57, sat in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday afternoon over 30 years after being convicted of a murder he did not commit. The road to justice was long, but it finally ended in a matter of moments when Judge Robert Mandelbaum vacated the conviction. All Ruiz could do was clasp his mouth and then fall into the arms of his attorney, Ron Kuby. “I can finally breathe. I can finally live life,” Ruiz said. According to the Manhattan District …
Judge tosses murder conviction for man who served 25 years, rebuking a ‘troubling’ prosecution – UK Times
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails A Manhattan judge has tossed the murder conviction of a man who spent 25 years in prison after a review of his case revealed new evidence that may have been withheld by prosecutors, including thousands of dollars in payments made to the mother of their key eyewit…
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