Los Angeles man's murder conviction overturned
Obie Anthony.
Attorneys for Obie Anthony say they expect him to be released from Los Angeles County jail Monday. On Friday, Superior Court Judge Kelvin Filer overturned Anthony’s 17-year-old murder conviction.
Anthony was just 19 years old when a jury found him guilty of murdering a man in South L.A. But there was no physical evidence connecting him to the crime, and his attorneys say the prosecution’s key eyewitness lied to the jury.
“There were serious problems with the star witness’s credibility,” Adam Grant said. Grant is a fellow with Loyola Law School’s Project for the Innocent, which worked on Anthony's case with the Northern California Innocence Project at Santa Clara University School of Law.
Grant said John Jones, a pimp who ran the brothel where the murder occurred, lied after receiving a lighter sentence in another case in exchange for his testimony.
“There were notes in the judge’s file that made it clear that there were people making considerations for him because he was cooperating in this case,” Grant said.
Grant said prosecutors never revealed that to the jury. Years later, Jones conceded he was unsure of Anthony’s guilt.
Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor who helped overturn Anthony’s conviction, said LAPD detectives also prompted the witness.
“According to a witness that took the stand during the hearing, the police literally tapped on the photo during the eyewitness I.D. to suggest which suspect the eyewitness should identify,” Levenson said.
Prosecutors in the past have said they remain convinced he’s guilty, but have yet to decide whether to refile charges.
Anthony, now 37 years old, always said he wasn’t at the scene of the crime. His case was featured in the book "The Killing Season" by former Los Angeles Times reporter Miles Corwin.
“He’s gone from being a kid to a man under this horrendous circumstance,” Grant said.
During his nearly two decades in California prisons, Anthony spent time trying to investigate his own case and to educate himself, the attorney said.
“He’s really a well-read, well educated, very introspective person who wants to spend his time helping other people,” Grant said. “He’s a tremendous guy.”
Audio: Interview with Adam Grant.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Adam Grant.
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