The Exoneration of Dieter Tejada
DIETER TEJADA EXONERATED
Deskovic Foundation client Dieter Tejada was originally convicted of assault after he got into a fight as a high school senior in 2008. Dieter's claims of self defense were ignored, and faced with a possible maximum prison sentence of 10 years, he accepted a prosecution offer to plead guilty, and imprisoned for nine months. Subsequently, Dieter graduated from college, then law school, but even after passing his bar exam, had trouble being admitted to the bar due to the conviction. During this process, Dieter found discrepancies in the police reports of the incident. The Deskovic Foundation took Dieter on as a client, working with attorney Alexander Taubes. The Foundation found that significant exculpatory material had been removed from the original police reports, including that the person Dieter claimed attacked him had been diagnosed with a violent conduct disorder, tested positive for barbiturates and alcohol, and was given antipsychotic medication when treated after the incident. A prosecution witness was located that recanted and admitted that his original statement was false. As a result of these findings, attorney Alex Taubes was able to file an application on behalf of Dieter seeking an absolute pardon on actual innocence grounds, which was granted on September 6, 2023, finally exonerating Dieter after 15 long years.
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The Exoneration of Andrew Krivak
ANDREW KRIVAK EXONERATED
Deskovic Foundation client Andrew Krivak and his co-defendant Anthony DiPippo were convicted in 1997 of a horrendous crime that they allegedly committed together, the rape and murder of a 12 year old girl. An ever growing mountain of evidence points to their innocence, and suggests that another man, Howard Gombert, may have raped and killed the girl. DiPippo was finally acquitted of all the charges on October 11, 2016, but Krivak remained in prison based on the same evidence. The Foundation brought in a legal team that overturned Krivak’s conviction after 24 years of wrongful imprisonment, and helped Andy obtain release on bail, pending a retrial. At the retrial, represented by Foundation attorney Oscar Michelen and attorney Karen Neuwirth, Andy was found not guilty by the jury on February 27, 2023 and is now finally free.
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The Case of Andre Brown
ANDREW BROWN FREED, WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT
Deskovic Foundation client Andrew Brown was convicted of attempted murder for a 1999 shooting that occurred when he was a 22 year old college student and sentenced to 40 years to life for a crime he always claimed to be innocent of. The Foundation's legal team overturned Brown’s conviction on December 5, 2022, after 23 years of wrongful imprisonment, nearly half his life. A judge vacated Brown’s conviction, citing ineffective counsel, and released him on his own recognizance. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office is appealing the decision. The Foundation believes Andre Brown to be innocent, and will continue to support him.
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The Exoneration of Marc Douglas
The Foundation is happy to report that our client, Marc Douglas, was exonerated after almost 14 years of wrongful imprisonment on burglary and assault charges. The Foundation collaborated with the firm Hale & Monico towards Marc’s exoneration, referring the case to them and assisting in the process of obtaining of obtaining Marc’s release. Hale & Monico filed a motion for post-conviction relief in June 2019, based on Brady violations and actual innocence, and in May 2020, the Hon. David Zuckerman granted a hearing on those claims. Shortly thereafter, the Westchester District Attorney consented to vacate the conviction and dismiss the indictment, acknowledging that at any retrial a jury would have reasonable doubt regarding guilt.
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The Exoneration of William Haughey
WILLIAM HAUGHEY EXONERATED AFTER 8 YEARS AND 4 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR AN ARSON HE DID NOT COMMIT
The Deskovic Foundation led the investigation that exonerated William Haughey after he spent 8 years and 4 months in prison for an arson he did not commit. The Foundation’s investigation turned up critical evidence that contributed to Haughey’s conviction being overturned on May 23, 2016.
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The Exoneration of William Lopez
WILLIAM LOPEZ EXONERATED AFTER 23 1/2 YEARS IN PRISON FOR A MURDER HE DID NOT COMMIT
The Deskovic Foundation, working in collaboration with William Lopez’s pre-existing legal team of Richard Levitt and Yvonne Shivers, provided critical investigative resources, turning up evidence of innocence, as well as helping secure testimony from a witness who had been deported to the Dominican Republic, which resulted in Lopez being exonerated on January 23, 2013 after spending 23 1/2 years in prison for a murder he had not committed.
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The Case of Lorenzo Johnson
LORENZO JOHNSON FREED AFTER 22 YEARS IN PRISON
Deskovic Foundation client Lorenzo Johnson was released after 16 1/2 years in prison on January 28, 2012 when a federal court ruled that the evidence to convict him had been insufficient – tantamount to a not guilty verdict. Just four months later, our founder had to drive Lorenzo back to prison to resume a sentence of life without parole for a crime did not commit, due to a Supreme Court decision that reinstated his wrongful conviction. The Foundation continued to fight for Lorenzo’s freedom, and on July 11, 2017 he was offered a "nolo contentre" plea deal that freed him without requiring an admission of guilt on his part.
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Wrongful Conviction Parole Efforts
The Foundation is happy to report that we have assisted seven of our clients in obtaining parole while they maintained their innocence. In general, when prisoners maintain their innocence at the parole board rather than express remorse and take responsibility, they are denied parole. Despite that, we have successfully assisted seven clients obtain parole, and an additional client was released on compassionate release, with his release application highlighting the ongoing review of his case by a Conviction Review Unit.
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