Patrick Brown Wrongly Convicted Of Rape Released After 29 Years In Prison
Patrick Brown Wrongly Convicted Of Rape Released After 29 Years In Prison
In a recent development, a Louisiana man who was wrongfully convicted and served 29 years in prison has been released.
The victim in the case had reportedly informed prosecutors in New Orleans that the man was innocent for over 20 years, but her pleas were allegedly ignored. The revelation came to light during a court hearing.
In December 1994, Patrick Brown, aged 49, was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. This was after he was accused of sexually assaulting his six-year-old stepdaughter.
According to court documents and prosecutors’ notes from the time, the victim had been informing the authorities for more than two decades that her stepfather was not guilty and had instead accused another family member, who had allegedly boasted about the crime around the time it was committed.
In a dramatic court appearance on Monday morning, Brown was seen weeping and seeking comfort from his attorney as Judge Calvin Johnson delivered the decision to vacate his conviction.
According to Judge Johnson, the state’s actions were deemed as “horrific” and “wrong”. The judge also expressed disappointment in the government’s lack of improvement in their practices, which resulted in the wrongful conviction.
In a courtroom that saw the original trial 29 years ago, the victim broke down in tears as she recounted her story. She revealed that since May 2002, when she was just 14 years old, she had repeatedly tried to inform the court and district attorney’s office that her stepfather had been falsely accused.
According to her statement, she has written more than 100 letters. The documents were mailed to the DA’s office. The individual reported having been turned away after arriving unannounced to speak with someone.
In a statement, she recounted her mental health challenges spanning several decades following the rape. She further expressed that being silenced was an unbearable experience.
According to court filings, prosecutors made an attempt to have the victim, who was seven years old at the time, testify at trial. However, she was unable to do so as her nose began to bleed when asked by prosecutors if she understood the consequences of lying in court.
According to prosecutors on Monday, the case relied on hearsay evidence from other adults and medical evidence that was deemed “probative but not conclusive.”
Patrick Brown, clutching the court document that overturned his conviction for aggravated rape, stood outside the courthouse. After spending more than 29 years behind bars, Brown was released from prison for a crime he was wrongly convicted of.
Patrick Brown was seen outside the court holding a document that overturned his conviction for aggravated rape. After spending more than 29 years behind bars, Brown was released from prison for a crime he was later found to be innocent of.
According to reports, the victim had tested positive for a gonorrheal infection shortly after the offense.
According to sources, Brown reportedly underwent an antibody test rather than a test for active infection, while the other individual accused in the incident was purportedly only tested for active infection.
According to reports, the victim had signed an affidavit in 2015, identifying another family member as the individual who had allegedly raped her.
The District Attorney’s office is currently examining whether the man could face any charges. During the court proceedings, the victim reported that the man had persistently harassed her online in recent years and had made attempts to request photographs of her infant child.
Last year, the civil rights division of the Orleans Parish district attorney’s office reviewed the case. The division was established by the district attorney, Jason Williams, who is known for his reformist approach to the criminal legal system. Its purpose is to investigate past injustices.
In a recent development, Brown has submitted a claim of factual innocence under a new law as a pro se application, indicating that he has no legal representation.
According to sources, all of his previous appeals had been met with opposition from previous district attorney’s offices and subsequently dismissed in court.
In court on Monday, Emily Maw, the head of the civil rights division, stated that the state has been defending against challenges for the past 21 years. Despite the victim’s insistence that the wrong man is in prison, the courts have repeatedly denied their claims.
According to Maw, the state’s stance is to acknowledge the victim in this case and address the injustice they have been trying to rectify.
Brown made an appearance in an orange jumpsuit prior to the start of the proceedings, having been transferred from the Louisiana state penitentiary earlier that morning.
According to sources, attorney Kelly Orians made a request to the court for her client to be permitted to wear civilian clothing prior to the start of the proceedings.
Emerging from court, the individual was seen wearing a navy shirt and a fresh pair of jeans, holding onto the signed order that officially cleared their conviction.
When questioned by The Guardian about his emotions upon holding the document, he responded by stating, “This is not akin to winning the lottery, but rather an act of Jesus Christ.”
According to recent findings, Orleans Parish, the primary county encompassing the city of New Orleans, holds the dubious distinction of having the highest per-capita rate of wrongful convictions in the United States.
Over the decades, the jurisdiction has had a succession of prosecutors who are known for being “tough on crime.” However, these prosecutors have been accused of exhibiting racial bias and engaging in systemic misconduct.
Since its establishment in 2021, the civil rights division has intervened in a total of 284 cases. Among these cases, 22 have resulted in convictions being vacated, with no further prosecutions being pursued, similar to the case of Brown.
